Capital Strategy Analyst

Ford Ford · Auto · Dearborn, MI +1 · Finance

This role focuses on optimizing Ford's global cash target by analyzing historical operational data, quantifying the costs of inefficiencies, and developing a data-driven roadmap to safely reduce the cash target. It involves translating complex financial and operational data into executive-level reports.

What you'd actually do

  1. Conduct a deep-dive analysis of operational data from 2022 to the present. Categorize and quantify specific events (e.g., quality holds, supply chain disruptions, launch delays) that have historically necessitated a higher cash buffer.
  2. Calculate the "true cost" to the enterprise of holding excess cash. Translate operational disruptions into specific financial impacts on working capital and liquidity.
  3. Identify 3–5 specific financial or working capital enablers to mitigate cash outflows. This includes exploring levers such as adjusting supplier payment terms during inventory holds or financial mitigations for delayed vehicle launches.
  4. Define the exact operational and financial conditions required for Treasury to safely lower the global cash target. Map every dollar of proposed reduction to a specific, required change in business operations.
  5. Translate complex working capital data into clear, evidence-based presentations for Treasury leadership to use in cross-functional reviews with the broader business.

Skills

Required

  • Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, Data Analytics, or a related field.
  • Strong proficiency in data analysis and financial modeling.
  • Ability to connect micro-level operational events (like a plant hold) to macro-level financial outcomes (like global cash targets).
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to "tell the story" behind the data to senior stakeholders.
  • A proactive mindset with the desire to dig into the "root cause" of financial inefficiencies.

Nice to have

  • Experience with tools like Excel (advanced), SQL, Tableau, or PowerBI is highly preferred.

What the JD emphasized

  • optimize Ford’s global cash target
  • quantify the "why" behind these numbers
  • data-driven roadmap
  • safely operate at a reduced cash target
  • driving significant capital efficiency
  • historical data analysis
  • categorize and quantify specific events
  • Cost Quantification
  • Translate operational disruptions into specific financial impacts
  • Strategy Development
  • financial or working capital enablers
  • Operational Mapping
  • Define the exact operational and financial conditions
  • Map every dollar of proposed reduction to a specific, required change in business operations
  • Executive Reporting
  • clear, evidence-based presentations