Head of Product Operations

The opportunity

Ford Credit is looking for a hands-on Head of Product Operations to build and continuously improve the environment in which our European Product teams do their best work. Product Operations is a strategic enablement function: it strengthens product management, removes operational friction and helps teams deliver effective products consistently and safely.
You will own our Product Operating Model, tools and workflows; lead the adoption of AI; and embed governance and compliance into how we work. You will think strategically about the future of product development while rolling up your sleeves to configure tools, automate processes and make improvements happen. You will also lead and develop a small team, working closely with colleagues across Europe and North America.
 

What you will bring

•    Proven experience in Product Operations, Product Management or a related role improving how product organisations work, including designing and embedding operating models.
•    Technical confidence and hands-on experience configuring product tools, integrating systems and automating workflows; experience with Jira, Airtable, Confluence, Miro or similar platforms is valuable.
•    Experience applying AI tools or AI-enabled automation to real workflows, with the judgement to balance experimentation, adoption and appropriate controls.
•    Experience working in a regulated environment, or a strong ability to work with risk and control specialists to embed governance into day-to-day processes.
•    Experience leading and developing a team, alongside a willingness to remain close to the work and deliver improvements personally.
•    Strong stakeholder management, sound judgement and a practical builder’s mindset: you spot opportunities, take ownership and get things done.
 

Why Join Us

Join Ford Credit at a pivotal moment as we transform the way we build and deliver products across Europe. You'll have the opportunity to shape our Product Operations function, lead the adoption of AI-enabled ways of working, and influence how high-performing product teams operate at scale. Working with colleagues across Europe and North America, you'll play a key role in driving innovation, operational excellence, and the future of digital product delivery.

Please note that we currently run background checks as part of our recruitment process pending a successful interview.

Interested in this opportunity? We would love to tell you more. Stay connected with us and apply.

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The Company is committed to diversity and equality of opportunity for all and is opposed to any form of less favorable treatment or harassment on the grounds of race, religion or belief, sex, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability

This position is based in Dunton, and it is expected the successful candidate will be able to attend the Dunton Campus for fixed 4 days a week and remain flexible on the days they are required to attend the office according to business requirements.

As part of our pre-employment checks process, successful candidates will be required to undergo a criminal record check. This will be conducted in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and applied only to unspent convictions.

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1. Own the Product Operating Model and ways of working
•    Own, evolve and embed the Product Operating Model across the European Product organisation, treating internal ways of working as a product that is continually improved.
•    Design practical, consistent approaches to planning, prioritisation, discovery, delivery and decision-making that give product managers clarity and room to thrive.
•    Work with Product, Engineering, Design and Delivery to identify friction and bottlenecks, improve collaboration and turn good practices into repeatable ways of working.
•    Use feedback and meaningful measures to assess adoption and impact, iterating the model as teams and business needs change; align with global practices where appropriate.

2. Own product tooling and automation
•    Own and optimise the product tooling ecosystem, including Jira, Airtable, Confluence, Miro and equivalent or emerging platforms.
•    Personally configure tools, design workflows, connect systems and build or implement automations that reduce manual work and improve visibility, consistency and delivery.
•    Standardise tools, workflows and data where it adds value, balancing common practices with the needs of individual teams and alignment with global colleagues.
•    Manage the ongoing health and adoption of the toolset, including documentation, user support and continuous improvement.

3. Lead AI adoption and the future of product development
•    Set a practical direction for AI in Product, anticipating how the discipline and product development lifecycle may evolve and translating that vision into an achievable roadmap.
•    Identify, test and implement AI-enabled workflows across activities such as research synthesis, documentation, user story creation and reporting.
•    Build confidence and adoption through hands-on experimentation, guidance and sharing effective practices; measure outcomes and move useful solutions beyond pilots.
•    Work with relevant partners to ensure AI use follows company policies and applicable controls for data, security, privacy and human oversight.

4. Embed governance and compliance by design
•    Partner with Legal, Risk, Compliance and other control functions to translate applicable requirements into clear, practical product processes and tooling.
•    Build proportionate checks, approvals and evidence capture into workflows so decisions, ownership and rationale are traceable and auditable.
•    Help teams understand and follow relevant standards and escalate issues or exceptions through the appropriate channels; streamline controls without bypassing them.

5. Lead a small, hands-on team
•    Manage, coach and develop a small Product Operations team, setting clear priorities and creating accountability for outcomes.
•    Balance strategic leadership and people management with direct delivery: diagnose problems, build solutions, remove blockers and follow through on implementation.
•    Build strong relationships across Europe and North America, influencing senior stakeholders and partnering effectively across functions.