Around The Wheel Program Manager

Ford • Allen Park, MI

8h • $112,680 - $212,760 • Hybrid

About The Position

Around The Wheel Program Manager
We made history and now we work to transform the future – for our customers, our communities and our families. You'll see your work on the road every day, helping people move freely and pursue their dreams. At Ford, you can build more than vehicles. Come build what matters.
Our Marketing, Sales & Service organization advances the Ford reputation as a visionary vehicle and mobility services company and helps deliver a trusted customer experience. Use your marketing, sales and service expertise to turn data-driven insights into innovative solutions that enhance sales and customer loyalty. Join us and be the eyes, ears and voice of Ford.
In this position...
The Around The Wheel (ATW) Program Manager is a high-visibility, high-impact role responsible for growing and optimizing Ford’s tire portfolio—an approximately $800M revenue stream that continues to expand. Sitting at the intersection of manufacturer partnership strategy, dealer program execution, and portfolio profitability, this leader drives results by turning supplier and dealer insights into scalable offers, incentives, and in-store activation.
In this role, you will serve as Ford’s primary business partner to a network of 16 tire manufacturers. You will shape joint strategies that grow share of business, align on funding and promotional priorities, and ensure programs are simple for dealers to execute and valuable for customers. You will also lead day-to-day governance of AMI, Ford’s program management supplier, setting direction and holding execution accountable to timelines, quality standards, and measurable outcomes.
A critical component of success is field enablement. The ATW Marketing Manager leads a national team of 10 Tire Marketing Managers who visit dealerships and work side-by-side with dealer teams on inventory readiness and selling strategies—ensuring ATW priorities are implemented consistently and effectively across the network. This role blends strategic thinking, negotiation, data-driven performance management, and operational discipline to deliver growth, profitability, and an improved dealer experience.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• 5+ years of experience in Marketing, Program Management, Category Management, or Dealer Programs.
• 2+ years of experience in the Automotive industry.
• 2+ years of experience using Excel (pivot tables, v-lookups) for sales forecasting and margin analysis.

Nice To Haves

• Master of Business Administration (MBA).
• Tire Industry Experience: Direct experience working for a tire manufacturer or distributor.
• Technical Knowledge: Understanding tire sales enablement and dealership processes.
• Proven ability to negotiate contracts and lead joint business planning with external partners
• Experience managing complex incentive programs and marketing funding models
• People leadership experience

Responsibilities

• Own strategic relationships with 16 tire manufacturers, serving as Ford’s point lead for ATW commercial and marketing programs
• Negotiate and manage contracts related to customer-facing offers, marketing funding, and dealer incentive participation
• Establish joint business plans with manufacturers focused on share growth, dealer activation, and performance improvement
• Maintain operating cadence with partners: performance reviews, pipeline planning, issue resolution, and strategic opportunity identification
• Ensure alignment between manufacturer commitments and ATW program priorities, timing, and execution requirements
• Develop and manage customer offer strategies that are competitive, compliant, and easy for dealers to execute
• Design dealer incentive structures that motivate participation, drive in-store activation, and sustain tire sales growth
• Partner with internal stakeholders to ensure offers are communicated clearly and supported with the right tools and materials
• Manage program funding flows and accountability tied to manufacturer commitments and performance outcomes
• Track manufacturer share of business, offer performance, dealer participation, and sales results
• Identify growth opportunities by brand, region, and dealer segment; translate insights into targeted action plans
• Use performance data to inform negotiations, incentive design, and manufacturer co-investment strategies
• Provide day-to-day leadership and strategic direction to AMI, Ford’s program management supplier supporting ATW execution.
• Define and manage AMI scope of work, annual priorities, and key deliverables across offers, incentives, dealer activation, and reporting.
• Establish operating cadence (weekly/monthly business reviews), manage risks/issues, and ensure on-time, on-budget delivery.
• Hold AMI accountable to performance standards (KPIs/SLAs), quality of outputs, and continuous improvement.
• Coordinate AMI activities with internal stakeholders and the 10 Market Tire Coaches to ensure field readiness and consistent dealer experience.
• In partnership with the Quick Lane Operations Manager, manage and develop a national field team of 10 Tire Marketing Managers who visit dealerships
• Set team priorities, deployment strategy, and operating rhythms to maximize dealer impact
• Ensure the field team coaches dealership teams on inventory planning, merchandising, and selling strategies
• Create feedback loops from the field to refine incentives, improve tools/training, and increase adoption
• Develop and execute strategic pricing initiatives to maximize gross margins and overall profitability for Ford, while ensuring a competitive market position.
• Oversee the execution of mid-cycle pricing updates to ensure tires reflect current market valuations.
• Manage billing and claims workflows for the tire category to optimize response times and enhance dealer relations.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager