Director, Global Parts Category Management

Ford Motor Company•Dearborn, MI

14h

About The Position

The Director, Global Parts Category Management is responsible for the global parts catalog and all aspects of lifecycle parts category management. The role defines product and brand strategies and coordinates with partners across FCSD, Ford Pro, Finance, Field Operations, dealers, and Authorized Distributors (FAD) to develop an effective catalog and grow the Parts business. The director owns end-to-end global strategy, partners with purchasing on supplier negotiations, and delivers financial performance for the automotive parts portfolio. The role leads Product Category Managers, Product Specialists, and Service Engineers to grow categories, improve inventory turnover, and align product assortment with global demand and the needs of individual markets. The position reports to the Executive Director Global Parts Operations and Business Development. The director builds and executes long-term category cycle plans, brand strategies, and assortment plans to maximize sales and gross margins. They conduct market research and analysis to identify trends, competitive conditions, and customer preferences, then translate findings into actionable plans. They oversee service engineers responsible for engineering, testing, validating, and managing mechanical service parts and advanced manufacturing solutions. In partnership with purchasing, they identify suitable global suppliers and manage supplier relationships, rebates, and lead times. The role monitors inventory health and works to minimize slow-moving or obsolete stock. It partners with marketing, sales, yield management, and supply chain teams on product launches, availability, and promotional tactics. In collaboration with the Yield Management Director, the director develops pricing strategies aligned with product lifecycle, brand, and market dynamics to optimize volume and profitability. The director also maintains category management tools and processes to support consistent strategy execution and applies PDCA competencies for continuous improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business administration, marketing, or a related technical field.
10+ years of experience in category management, strategic sourcing, or product lifecycle management within the automotive parts or manufacturing industry.
5+ years of supervisory experience in a leadership role.
Experience with strategic financial analysis and cross-functional leadership.
Deep knowledge of the automotive aftermarket or OEM parts.
Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate with executive leadership, team members, cross-functional teams, and external stakeholders.
Strong command of Microsoft, AI, and data analytics tools.
Detail-oriented, with a commitment to accuracy and quality.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic work environment.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Global product strategy experience.
Bilingual ability.

Responsibilities

Build and execute long-term category cycle plans, brand strategies, and product assortment plans to maximize sales and gross margins.
Conduct market research and analysis to identify emerging trends, competitive conditions, and customer preferences, and develop actionable plans.
Lead service engineers responsible for engineering, testing, validating, and overseeing mechanical service parts and advanced manufacturing solutions.
Work with purchasing to identify global suppliers and manage supplier relationships, rebates, and lead times.
Monitor inventory health and minimize slow-moving or obsolete stock.
Partner with marketing, sales, yield management, and supply chain teams to launch products, ensure availability, and coordinate promotional tactics.
Partner with the Yield Management Director to develop pricing strategies aligned with product lifecycle, brand, and market dynamics, optimizing volume and profitability.
Maintain category management tools and processes to ensure effective strategy execution across the organization.
Use PDCA competencies for continuous improvement.
Coordinate with Enterprise partners, including FCSD, Ford Pro, Finance, Field Operations, dealers, and Authorized Distributors, to deliver the global parts catalog and grow the Parts business.
Own end-to-end global strategy and deliver financial performance for the automotive parts portfolio.
Lead Product Category Managers, Product Specialists, and Service Engineers to drive category growth, improve inventory turnover, and align assortment with global market demand and individual market needs.