Associate Director, Corporate Development

Dearborn, MIFull-timePosted Jul 22, 2026

The Corporate Development team plays a central role in identifying and executing opportunities that accelerate Ford's strategic priorities. We are looking for a highly analytical and commercially minded Corporate Development Manager to help evaluate, structure, and execute transactions globally across Ford's businesses. This role offers direct exposure to senior executives, emerging technologies, and high-impact strategic initiatives.

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.

In this position...

As a Corporate Development Associate Director, you will help shape and Ford's strategic investment and partnership activity (e.g. acquisitions, joint ventures and other strategic alliances) globally across all areas of the business.

You'll interact directly with Ford's Executive Leadership Team, external advisors, investors, and companies, serving as a trusted advisor throughout the transaction lifecycle—from opportunity identification and assessment through execution and implementation planning.

Success in this role requires strategic thinking, financial rigor, strong business judgment, executive presence, and the ability to build alignment across a complex global organization. You'll thrive in a dynamic environment characterized by ambiguity, evolving business priorities, and high-impact strategic decisions.

In all aspects of the role, you'll demonstrate leadership, collaboration, integrity, and a strong commitment to Ford's long-term success and transformation.

What you'll do...

  • Shareholder Value Creation: Strengthen and leverage the shareholder value creation mind-set and model by:
  • Systematically considering shareholder value implications in key decisions
  • Identifying, prioritizing, and pulling and pushing levers that drive shareholder value, and ensuring they are translated into strategic investment execution plans
  • Applying the shareholder value creation lens to post-acquisition integration – helping business teams develop framework for measuring and monitoring cost and revenue synergies
  • Execute corporate development agenda and improve corporate development operations
  • Lead cross functional teams in the evaluation and execution of strategic investments and partnerships for Ford that fit into our broader strategy, including project management
  • Lead due diligence efforts with target executive team, outside advisors, and internal subject matter experts
  • Oversee development of detailed financial models and valuation analysis for transactions
  • Actively contribute to the negotiation of transaction terms and legal documentation
  • Create memorandums and related presentations for review by the Ford senior management team, including C-Level executives as well as Ford’s Board of Directors
  • Maintain key advisor relationships to generate meaningful idea flow – macroeconomic advisers, management consultants, accounting firms and investment banks
  • Actively participate in enhancing Corporate Development's information data sources, knowledge management repositories, and processes
  • Develop and maintain strong industry and competitive knowledge

Ensure Ford becomes ‘risk intelligent’ by:

  • Building risk management capabilities - adoption, implementation, business case development for mitigation/capitalization, visibility of magnitude and probability of key risks in corporate development investments and partnerships
  • Augmenting our analyses through enmeshing “what-if” thinking into our assessments and informing and shaping scenario planning (how the business may evolve) and contingency planning (how we respond)   

Talent Development and Collaboration by contributing to:

  • Ongoing development of team members
  • Collaboration with skill teams and business units

Competencies within this role are:

Setting Strategy

  • The inclination to seek and analyze data from a variety of sources to support decisions and to align others with the organization's overall strategy.
  • An entrepreneurial and creative approach to developing new, innovative ideas that will stretch the organization and push the boundaries within the industry.

Executing for Results

  • Comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty; the ability to adapt nimbly and lead others through complex situations.
  • A risk-taker who seeks data and input from others to foresee possible threats or unintended circumstances from decisions; someone who takes smart risks.
  • A leader who is viewed by others as having a high degree of integrity and forethought in their approach to making decisions; the ability to act in a transparent and consistent manner while always considering what is best for the organization.
  • The ability to persevere in the face of challenges and exhibit a steadfast resolve and relentless commitment to higher standards, which commands respect from others.
  • A leader who is self-reflective and aware of their own limitations

Relationships and Influence

  • Naturally connects and builds strong relationships with others, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence and an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively.
  • An ability to inspire trust in others through compelling influence, powerful charisma, passion in their beliefs, and active drive.
  • Encourages others to share the spotlight and visibly celebrates and supports the success of the team.

Driving Sustainability

  • Understands and incorporates viewpoints from all key stakeholders to drive decision making and share the benefits.
  • Drive concerted action and investments, and stays the course in the face of setbacks or push-back from short-term oriented stakeholders.

You'll have...

  • Bachelors Degree
  • 5-7+ years of experience in Investment Banking, Transaction Advisory Services, strategic management consulting and/or Corporate Development activities.
  • 5-7+ years of experience exhibiting exceptional financial analytical skills

Even better, you may have...

  • Master’s in Business Administration degree preferred
  • Industry background is open with a preference for automotive/technology experience during career, as well as exposure to multiple companies and business models.
  • Experience in a multi-national corporate setting preferred.
  • Highly organized, deliberate, and reliable in structuring work, and effective as a problem solver.
  • Experience in working on cross-functional and multi-department enterprise-wide projects and possesses the ability to operate independently under pressure with appropriate attention to detail and to assimilate into new teams and projects.
  • Experience Leading Teams
  • The ability to delegate effectively, celebrate diversity within the team, and manage performance; widely viewed as a strong developer of others.

You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:

• 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.

This position is leadership level 5 and ranges from $141,700-$268,300.     

Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value.

For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/LL5

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.

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