Manager, SW/IP Licensing
About The Position
We are the movers of the world and the makers of the future. We get up every day, roll up our sleeves and build a better world -- together. At Ford, we’re all a part of something bigger than ourselves. Are you ready to change the way the world moves? What You'll Do... Lead the commercial transformation toward Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) architectures, ensuring software modularity and reusability are reflected in contract structures Own and lead sourcing strategy for in‑vehicle and embedded software categories, aligned to Ford’s technical roadmaps and long‑term business priorities Act as the primary commercial owner for strategic software suppliers, accountable for relationship health, performance, cost, and risk Partner with engineering, product, legal, and finance leaders to shape make/buy decisions, supplier selection, and contract strategy Drive end‑to‑end commercial execution, including licensing purchases, renewals, change management, cost governance, and supplier performance reviews Develop and maintain total cost of ownership (TCO) models, benchmarks, and market intelligence to support executive‑level decisions Conduct 'should-cost' analysis and technical benchmarking to validate supplier pricing models for complex software development (Agile/Scrum-based delivery) Lead complex negotiations across licensing, development, supply, and services agreements, balancing cost, flexibility, IP protection, and long‑term partnership value Design and synthesize supplier, market, and industry research to anticipate risks, identify opportunities, and inform strategy Establish and evolve supplier performance frameworks to support future sourcing and investment decisions Identify and execute sourcing alternatives to improve cost efficiency, resilience, and scalability across the software supply chain Drive continuous improvement of software sourcing and licensing processes across global, cross‑functional teams Represent software sourcing perspectives in senior leadership discussions, influencing outcomes beyond direct reporting lines
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
- 7+ years of experience in software sourcing, supply chain, commodity management, software product management, or software engineering within automotive, electronics, or consumer technology environments
- 5+ years of experience owning software licensing purchases and renewals for production programs
- 5+ years of demonstrated success leading strategic sourcing initiatives, financial analysis, and complex contract negotiations
- Strong working knowledge of software commercial models, legal frameworks, and supplier ecosystems
- Ability to influence and align senior and executive stakeholders across engineering, legal, finance, manufacturing, and product organizations
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data, market signals, and ambiguity into clear recommendations
- Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with a track record of navigating high‑stakes, cross‑company decisions
- Must be comfortable operating with limited structure and evolving priorities
Nice To Haves
- Experience in embedded systems, application software, SaaS, or data‑as‑a‑service environments
- Experience negotiating with major software or semiconductor suppliers (e.g., Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, AMD, NVIDIA)
- Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills (e.g., TCO, scenario analysis)
- Track record of cost optimization, supplier consolidation, or category transformation
- Experience collaborating with engineering teams on BOM optimization and cost reduction initiatives
- Strategic mindset with demonstrated ability to drive change in complex, matrixed organizations
Responsibilities
- Lead the commercial transformation toward Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) architectures, ensuring software modularity and reusability are reflected in contract structures
- Own and lead sourcing strategy for in‑vehicle and embedded software categories, aligned to Ford’s technical roadmaps and long‑term business priorities
- Act as the primary commercial owner for strategic software suppliers, accountable for relationship health, performance, cost, and risk
- Partner with engineering, product, legal, and finance leaders to shape make/buy decisions, supplier selection, and contract strategy
- Drive end‑to‑end commercial execution, including licensing purchases, renewals, change management, cost governance, and supplier performance reviews
- Develop and maintain total cost of ownership (TCO) models, benchmarks, and market intelligence to support executive‑level decisions
- Conduct 'should-cost' analysis and technical benchmarking to validate supplier pricing models for complex software development (Agile/Scrum-based delivery)
- Lead complex negotiations across licensing, development, supply, and services agreements, balancing cost, flexibility, IP protection, and long‑term partnership value
- Design and synthesize supplier, market, and industry research to anticipate risks, identify opportunities, and inform strategy
- Establish and evolve supplier performance frameworks to support future sourcing and investment decisions
- Identify and execute sourcing alternatives to improve cost efficiency, resilience, and scalability across the software supply chain
- Drive continuous improvement of software sourcing and licensing processes across global, cross‑functional teams
- Represent software sourcing perspectives in senior leadership discussions, influencing outcomes beyond direct reporting lines
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.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
