Freelance Operations Manager Jobs in Michigan (NOW HIRING)

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.

Digital Product Design (DPD) at Ford is committed to envisioning and creating simple, thoughtful, enjoyable, and compelling product experiences that our customers need and love. We work in close partnership with product and engineering to deliver best-in-class interactions experiences that meet the needs of people today, and in the future. Our team is comprised of a dynamic group of product designers, researchers, visual designers, industrial designers, modelers, and project managers.

The Experience Strategy & Design team is a hybrid group of product designers with UX, visual and motion skills, design technologists and prototypers. This team works in small, rapid-moving groups to showcase the possibility across the ecosystem of digital design and building a seamless connection to physical experiences. We are defining the next generation of in-vehicle experiences and the operational approach needed to get there. Rather than focusing on one-off feature-driven solutions, this team moves up stream to get ahead of delivery cycles, building bridges through curiosity and a clear mission to deliver on our brand equities and core customer needs. We find the big picture by connecting concepts and feature ideas and unifying them into cohesive and purposeful experiences across the entire vehicle ecosystem. This team drives the definition, early UI/UX designs, flows, prototypes, and delivery plans for differentiated experiences that are critical to the brand loyalty for each of the unique customer groups across Ford. We do this through bringing the right cross-functional teams and right skillsets together early, identifying key hardware and software technology and connections needed to unblock and deliver incredible experiences to each of our unique customer groups.
In this position...

We are searching for an innovative and visionary Product Designer to deliver Ford's experience strategy through breakthrough UI/UX solutions for vehicles now and in the future. This high-impact role calls for a proven designer with a passion for tackling complex challenges, thriving in ambiguity, and delivering designs that seamlessly integrate hardware, software, and customer needs. If you excel at collaboration, creative and systems design thinking, and setting the standard for thoughtful and impactful design solutions, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact on Ford's future. 
This is a hybrid position requiring 4 days a week in Palo Alto, CA or Dearborn, MI. 
What you'll do...

• Translate early concepts into thorough, thoughtful, testable design solutions and prototypes.
• Define customer experiences and interactions across both physical and digital experiences, and processes that connect new features into cohesive solutions.
• Partner with engineers, technologists and studio design to explore best possible solutions, explore feasibility, rapidly iterate and test ideas, and refine concepts.
• Collaborate across design, engineering, and product teams to ensure experiences align with customer needs and technical realities, and business objectives.
• Distill complex information into clear strategies, frameworks and narratives that drive alignment and promote ongoing execution to delivery.
• Proactively identify opportunities to integrate new technologies into meaningful, customer-driven experiences.
• Craft, coordinate and present to leadership and executives through ongoing review cycles in partnership with product, engineering and research partners.

You'll have...

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience in Digital Product Design or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience designing products where the digital experience is directly shaped by or integrated with a physical product/device (e.g., automotive, wearables, consumer electronics, smart home, robotics) not purely app- or web-only design.
• "3+ years designing customer-facing digital products in an in-house product organization (as opposed to agency, consultancy, or freelance work) with direct ownership of shipped features used by real customers at scale.
• 3+ years of experience in relevant product design commercial organizations.
• 2+ years of experience working across a triad of designers, engineers, and product managers.
• Strength in systems thinking and mapping end-to-end customer journeys.
• Strong communication and storytelling abilities, with a knack for making complex ideas clear and compelling.
• High proficiency in Figma and prototyping tools to create compelling customer flows and presentations to bring design ideas to life.
• Proven ability to deliver impactful design solutions integrating UX, visual design, content, research, and technical constraints into cohesive, user-focused experiences.
• Ability to work within current frameworks, design systems, and product requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while also building strong collaborative relationships across partnering functions.
• Passionate for Ford's products and its customers.
• Strong profile showcasing thoughtfully crafted design projects, demonstrating a deep understanding of user experience principles and design processes.

Even better, you may have...

• Exceptional visual design skills and proficiency in human-centered design approaches.
• Proven experience in UX, interaction and experience design, within complex ecosystems.
• Comfortable working in ambiguous spaces where outcomes aren't defined yet.
• Comfortable working on evolving demands with the ability to pivot efforts toward new directions and goals.
• Experience leveraging Design Systems and existing patterns while also thinking blue-sky.
• Self-starter that is organized and can prioritize and manage tasks.
• Skilled at collaborating across multiple teams, building bridges between design, engineering and strategy.
• Ability to travel to various office locations to experience prototypes and hardware in person.

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 a salary grade 7-8 and ranges from $99,600-$232,700.
Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's location, 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/GSR

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.

This position is hybrid. Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid

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