Sr. Manager - Program Execution

Job Description

At General Motors, our product teams are redefining mobility. Through a human-centered design process, we create vehicles and experiences that are designed not just to be seen, but to be felt. We’re turning today’s impossible into tomorrow’s standard —from breakthrough hardware and battery systems to intuitive design, intelligent software, and next-generation safety and entertainment features.  

Every day, our products move millions of people as we aim to make driving safer, smarter, and more connected, shaping the future of transportation on a global scale.

The Role

The Senior Manager, Program Execution is a GM Level 9 people leader accountable for a distinct business area: delivering ARC product programs from concept through launch with clear ownership of technical execution, schedule integrity, and cross‑functional alignment. This role leads the core engineering execution engine—mechanical and electrical—turning product intent into released, buildable, and producible designs that can scale across GM manufacturing.

This leader:

• Defines and executes the end‑to‑end engineering execution strategy for ARC programs.
• Leads a team of leaders and senior technical experts, setting strategy, objectives, and KPIs for program execution.
• Influences across Manufacturing Engineering, MO, MEIT, GPSC, Safety, and plant teams to ensure ARC programs deliver on time, at quality, and to technical intent.

Key Responsibilities

1. Own the Program Execution Strategy and Roadmap

• Own a distinct business area: ARC mechanical and electrical engineering execution from concept through production launch.
• Develop and maintain multi‑year program execution roadmaps aligned to ARC product and robotics vertical strategies (scope, content, timing, and cost).
• Define and own key performance indicators (e.g., engineering gateway readiness, change churn, launch quality metrics, execution predictability, rework levels).
• Ensure program plans, milestones, dependencies, and execution health are visible, data‑driven, and actively managed. ### 2. Mechanical Execution Leadership
• Lead teams responsible for mechanical architecture and design:
  • Own overall mechanical architecture, system layout, and design intent.
  • Ensure designs align with product requirements, safety strategy, plant constraints, and manufacturability.
• Oversee Design Release Engineers (DREs):
  • Lead design release, change management, and configuration control.
  • Ensure drawings, models, and specifications are complete, accurate, and production‑ready at each gateway.
• Direct AVI and prototype hardware activities:
  • Guide design and build of prototype hardware where appropriate.
  • Interface with VDDV to leverage virtual prototype tools and early digital validation.
• Own mechanical integration of automation, vision, and power electronics subsystems:
  • Ensure packaging, thermal, structural, and service considerations are addressed early.
  • Source or develop and integrate optimal motor, gearbox, and actuator designs.
• Drive corporate common component strategies:
  • Identify and engineer subsystems (e.g., RESS, pendant, charging, common modules) that can be shared across ARC products to improve cost, speed, and quality. ### 3. Electrical Execution Leadership
• Lead wiring and communications engineering:
  • Own wiring, networking, and communications architectures.
  • Ensure robustness, serviceability, manufacturability, packaging, and standards compliance.
• Direct controls, calibration, and tools:
  • Own overall electrical architectures driven by product and safety requirements.
  • Lead execution of controls calibration, commissioning tools, and supporting infrastructure.
  • Ensure repeatable, scalable end‑of‑line test and calibration processes across products.
• Oversee sensing strategy and integration:
  • Ensure sensing strategies support safety, autonomy, and performance needs.
  • Work with mechanical execution teams so sensing, calibration, and testing are designed into the product and build process.
• Lead Electrical DREs:
  • Drive design release, change management, and configuration control for electrical content.
  • Ensure wiring diagrams, models, and specifications are complete and production‑ready. ### 4. Cross‑Functional Delivery and Risk Management
• Establish and lead disciplined engineering execution rituals (cadence, reviews, technical gateways) across mechanical and electrical domains.
• Define clear technical decision‑making frameworks, including decision rights, escalation paths, and criteria for trade‑offs (performance, safety, cost, timing).
• Proactively manage interfaces and cross‑domain dependencies:
  • Mechanical–electrical, hardware–software, ARC–plant, ARC–supplier.
  • Identify and resolve integration issues early to avoid late‑stage churn.
• Partner closely with Product Integration, Safety, Manufacturing Engineering, and Suppliers to ensure designs are launchable and aligned to integration, validation, and certification strategies.
• Anticipate and manage program risk, including technical, timing, and resource risks, with clear mitigation plans and communication to senior stakeholders. ### 5. Leadership, People, and Change Management
• Lead a team of managers and senior technical leaders across mechanical and electrical execution, aligning structure, roles, and priorities to ARC strategy.
• Build organizational capacity by hiring, developing, and retaining top engineering and leadership talent in mechanical and electrical execution.
• Translate ambiguous product and business objectives into executable engineering work plans with clear ownership and accountability.
• Champion GM Behaviors and model high standards for engineering fundamentals, rigor, and transparency.
• Drive change management as new methods, tools, and architectures are introduced, influencing stakeholders who may be constrained by legacy practices or tools.

What Success Looks Like

• Programs deliver on time, at quality, and to technical intent, with high confidence at each gateway.
• Engineering execution is predictable, transparent, and trusted by senior leadership, plant teams, and partner organizations.
• Mechanical and electrical systems integrate cleanly with minimal rework, enabling smooth validation, certification, and launch.
• Teams operate with clarity, accountability, and strong engineering fundamentals, with visible ownership of decisions, risks, and outcomes.
• ARC Program Execution is seen as a trusted strategic partner to Product Integration, Safety, Manufacturing Engineering, and suppliers.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

• 10+ years leading complex engineering programs or products in robotics, automation, electro‑mechanical systems, vehicles, GPS systems, or advanced manufacturing.
• Deep experience in mechanical and/or electrical system execution, from concept through launch.
• Experienced people leadership, including leading multi‑discipline engineering teams and/or other leaders, with scope consistent with a Senior Manager / GM Level 9 role.
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional engineering execution, balancing program management discipline with strong technical credibility.
• Demonstrated success operating in technically dense, high‑ambiguity environments, making timely decisions with incomplete information.
• Strong experience with change management, configuration control, and engineering release processes in a production environment.

What Will Give you the Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)

• Background in robotics, autonomous systems, or industrial automation deployed in production plants.
• Experience working closely with Manufacturing Engineering, GPSC, Safety, and IT/Data on cross‑functional program delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to define and execute strategy and operational plans for an engineering execution function or distinct business area.
• Experience leading large, cross‑functional initiatives that span multiple plants, regions, or business units, with measurable impact on timing, quality, and cost.

This role is categorized as onsite. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location on a full-time basis. The selected candidate will be required to travel <25% for this role. This job may be eligible for relocation benefits.

About GM

Our vision is a world with Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion and we embrace the responsibility to lead the change that will make our world better, safer and more equitable for all.

Why Join Us 

We believe we all must make a choice every day – individually and collectively – to drive meaningful change through our words, our deeds and our culture. Every day, we want every employee to feel they belong to one General Motors team.

Benefits Overview

From day one, we're looking out for your well-being–at work and at home–so you can focus on realizing your ambitions. Learn how GM supports a rewarding career that rewards you personally by visiting Total Rewards resources.

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