Associate Director- AI Strategist, Marketing

About Ford and the Opportunity

Ford is in a period of rapid transformation, modernization, and evolution. This exciting challenge is about more than just marketing vehicles. It's about lifestyle, experiences, technology and helping to build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. After 123 years, this iconic brand continues to evolve, focusing on services, experiences and software, in addition to vehicles.

The Role

The AI Strategist connects the people who do the work (Shopper, Media, Web, Production, and Creative teams) with the people who build the tools. You'll spend time with marketers to understand how their work actually gets done, find where AI can make it better, and turn those opportunities into tools that last, not one-off fixes. You don't need to be an engineer. You need to be curious, resourceful, good with people, and ready to think like a builder.

What You'll Do

• Embed with marketing teams to map how work gets done today, then spot where AI can remove friction or unlock something new
• Turn messy, real-world needs into clear problem statements and briefs for our AI Architect and Product Manager
• Prototype early ideas yourself using no-code and AI tools, so teams can react to something real instead of a slide
• Think beyond the immediate ask. Shape one-off requests into durable tools that can scale across teams and grow over time.
• Own the evolution of what you launch by gathering feedback, prioritizing improvements, and planning the next version
• Help build a roadmap that balances quick client wins with longer-term capabilities
• Keep builds connected so teams don't solve the same problem twice
• Shepherd ideas from first conversation to launch, and keep stakeholders informed along the way
• Log every use case so its impact can be measured
• Advocate for the business so AI gets built with the teams who use it

What We're Looking For

• 6-8 years in marketing, advertising, or agency environments (strategy, account, production, media, CX, or similar), with exposure to product, UX, process, or innovation work
• Genuine curiosity about AI, shown through personal experimentation. Tell us what you've built, tested, or broken.
• A self-starter who sees an opportunity and runs with it without waiting for permission
• A systems thinker who enjoys untangling workflows and figuring out how the pieces fit together
• A builder's mindset. You're ready to step into product thinking: treating solutions as living products with users, versions, and a roadmap rather than as finished deliverables.
• Highly collaborative and comfortable translating between creative, business, and technical people
• Strong stakeholder skills, with the ability to earn trust from both marketing teams and technical owners
• Comfortable with ambiguity and shifting priorities

Nice to Have

• Hands-on product, UX, or service design experience (discovery, user research, journey mapping, prototyping)
• Comfort with data, and familiarity with how marketing technology fits together
• Automotive or retail marketing exposure

What You Don't Need

• Professional AI experience or a technical background. We'll teach you the technical side.

Pay and benefits

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click WPP Benefits for more details.

$75,000 - $180,000 USD

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we've adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

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