Design Manager, In-Market Systems

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Manager, In-Market Systems Company: General Motors Location: Warren, Michigan, United States Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Operations - GTM Strategy & Design Operations Date Posted: January 6, 2026 Experience Level: 10+ Years (Managerial) Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and mentor a team of designers focused on in-vehicle digital experiences, driving innovation and user-centered design principles.
• Own the end-to-end design process for frameworks, system OS applications, and instrument clusters across all GM brands and in-market UI product versions.
• Foster strong partnerships with product management, software engineering, and cross-functional stakeholders to translate complex requirements into intuitive and delightful design solutions.
• Champion operational excellence by implementing efficient workflows and design systems that ensure high quality and consistency across all digital outputs.
• Drive continuous improvement by staying abreast of emerging design trends, tools, and technologies, integrating them to enhance the driving experience for millions of users worldwide.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is categorized under GTM Strategy & Design Operations due to its focus on product design within the context of market-ready systems, requiring close alignment with Go-To-Market strategies and operational efficiency in design execution. The "In-Market Systems" designation implies a direct impact on revenue-generating products and customer experience post-launch, necessitating a strong operational mindset in design management.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and develop a team of talented designers, fostering their professional growth and ensuring project success through effective performance management and coaching.
• Design Strategy Ownership: Define and execute design strategies for in-vehicle digital frameworks, system OS applications, and instrument clusters, ensuring alignment with GM's brand identity and business objectives.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Actively partner with product managers, software engineers, UX researchers, and other stakeholders to collaboratively define product requirements and translate them into user-centered design solutions.
• End-to-End Design Process Management: Oversee the entire design lifecycle from conceptualization, wireframing, and prototyping to the delivery of final design assets, ensuring usability, consistency, and aesthetic excellence.
• Quality Assurance & Brand Adherence: Ensure all design outputs strictly adhere to GM's brand guidelines and design standards, maintaining a high level of quality and consistency across all product touchpoints.
• User-Centricity & Data Integration: Champion user-centered design principles, leveraging user research, data analytics, and customer feedback to inform and validate design decisions.
• Innovation & Trend Integration: Proactively research and integrate emerging design trends, tools, and technologies into the design process to drive innovation and maintain a competitive edge in the automotive user experience.
• Process Optimization: Implement and refine efficient design workflows, methodologies (e.g., lean, agile), and design systems to optimize team productivity, streamline collaboration, and enhance design quality.
• Culture Cultivation: Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and innovative team culture that aligns with GM's organizational goals and values, encouraging experimentation and continuous learning.
• Stakeholder Management: Effectively communicate design vision, rationale, and progress to senior leadership and cross-functional partners, building consensus and managing expectations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a strong operational component, particularly in managing workflows, ensuring adherence to standards, and integrating data. This is typical for a Design Manager role in a large enterprise like GM, where process efficiency and cross-functional alignment are critical for successful product launches and in-market performance.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Interface Design, Visual Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Industrial Design, or a closely related field.
• Formal training or degree in a design-related discipline is essential for foundational understanding.

Experience:

• 8+ years of progressive experience in designing digital interfaces for web, mobile, or complex in-vehicle platforms.
• Proven track record of managing design strategies and overseeing the full design lifecycle from concept to delivery.
• Demonstrated experience in implementing efficient workflows and design systems to optimize productivity and maintain quality.

Required Skills:

• User-Centered Design: Deep understanding and practical application of user-centered design principles, methodologies, and best practices.
• Leadership & Team Management: Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop design teams, fostering a collaborative and high-performing environment.
• Design Strategy: Expertise in developing and executing design strategies that align with business objectives, user needs, and market trends.
• Interaction Design: Strong proficiency in interaction design principles, creating intuitive and engaging user flows and experiences.
• Visual Design: Excellent visual design skills, with a keen eye for aesthetics, typography, color theory, and layout.
• Prototyping: Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes to communicate design concepts and validate user flows.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to effectively partner with product managers, software engineers, UX researchers, and other stakeholders.
• Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal, written, and visual communication skills, capable of articulating design rationale clearly to diverse audiences.
• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a capacity to tackle complex design challenges creatively.
• Attention to Detail: Meticulous attention to detail, ensuring accuracy and quality in all design deliverables.
• Operational Mindset: An operational mindset focused on efficiency, process improvement, and driving results.

Preferred Skills:

• Automotive Industry Experience: 5+ years of direct experience within the automotive industry, understanding specific design challenges and opportunities.
• Lean/Agile Design: Hands-on experience in lean environments, including sprint planning, iterative design processes, and agile methodologies.
• Accessibility & Inclusive Design: Strong understanding of accessibility standards (WCAG) and inclusive design principles, with a demonstrated ability to create inclusive experiences.
• Design Systems Management: Experience in establishing, maintaining, and scaling design systems for large-scale product portfolios.
• Prototyping Software Proficiency: Advanced skills in prototyping tools beyond basic wireframing, potentially including specialized software or hardware interaction prototyping.
• Hardware/Software Integration Understanding: Familiarity with the interplay between software and hardware development cycles in product design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Operational mindset" requirement, coupled with the emphasis on workflows, design systems, and cross-functional collaboration, strongly indicates that this role requires someone who can manage the process of design as effectively as the creative output. This is a key differentiator for operations-focused roles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate end-to-end ownership of complex digital design projects, showcasing your ability to manage projects from initial concept through to final delivery and in-market iterations.
• Highlight case studies that illustrate your strategic thinking, how you translated business objectives and user needs into effective design solutions, and your role in process optimization.
• Showcase your experience with design systems, including examples of how you contributed to or utilized them to ensure consistency and efficiency across multiple products or platforms.
• Provide evidence of your ability to collaborate effectively with engineering and product teams, with examples of how you navigated technical constraints and partnered to achieve successful outcomes.
• Include examples of your work on in-vehicle interfaces or complex digital systems, demonstrating an understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within this domain.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Be prepared to discuss how you have designed, implemented, and optimized design workflows to improve team efficiency, reduce time-to-market, and enhance design quality.
• System Implementation & Standards: Showcase your experience in building or contributing to design systems, style guides, or component libraries, and how you ensure adherence to these standards.
• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Demonstrate how you use data, user feedback, and performance metrics to inform design decisions, validate design solutions, and measure the impact of your work on user experience and business outcomes.
• Agile/Lean Integration: Provide examples of how you have integrated design processes within agile or lean development methodologies, including participation in sprint planning, backlog refinement, and iterative feedback loops.

📝 Enhancement Note: Portfolio requirements for a Design Manager in a large automotive company are heavily weighted towards demonstrating process management, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to scale design efforts. The emphasis on "process documentation" within the portfolio context points to the need for candidates to articulate how they achieve results, not just what they have achieved.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Based on industry benchmarks for Design Managers with 10+ years of experience in the automotive sector in the Detroit metropolitan area, the estimated salary range is $150,000 - $200,000 annually. This range accounts for the managerial responsibilities, specialized automotive design experience, and the high cost of living in the region.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Retirement Savings Plan: 401(k) with company match.
• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays.
• Employee Vehicle Discounts: Significant discounts on GM vehicles.
• Professional Development: Opportunities for continued learning, training, and conference attendance.
• Relocation Assistance: May be available for qualified candidates.
• Life and Disability Insurance: Standard employer-provided coverage.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Support for personal and work-related challenges.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours, typically 40 hours per week.
• While core hours are expected for team collaboration and project execution, there may be flexibility for asynchronous work or occasional remote work based on team and project needs, though the role is primarily on-site.
• Occasional overtime may be required to meet project deadlines or launch schedules.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimate is based on market data for Design Manager roles in Michigan, considering the substantial experience level (10+ years AI derived) and the industry (automotive). Benefits are standard for large corporations like GM, with specific perks related to their industry. The "operational mindset" and on-site nature suggest a structured work schedule with some degree of flexibility.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Automotive Manufacturing & Technology Company Size: GM is a global automotive leader with over 100,000 employees worldwide, indicating a large, complex organizational structure with established processes and a significant market presence. This size suggests opportunities for broad impact and career progression, but also requires navigating corporate structures effectively. Founded: 1908. With over a century of history, GM has a deep-rooted legacy in innovation and manufacturing, now pivoting towards future mobility solutions. This historical context implies a culture that values experience and established operational excellence while embracing technological transformation.

Team Structure:

• Human Interface Design – Vehicle Studio: This team is part of a larger design organization within GM, likely reporting up through a VP of Design or Chief Design Officer.
• Reporting Structure: The Design Manager will likely report to a Director or Executive Director of Design for Infotainment or Digital Experience. They will directly manage a team of individual contributor designers.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role necessitates extensive collaboration with Product Management, Software Engineering, UX Research, Brand Marketing, and potentially Hardware Engineering teams. This implies a matrixed environment where influence and strong communication are key.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: GM emphasizes using data analytics, user research, and customer feedback to inform design decisions and validate product effectiveness in the market.
• Agile & Lean Principles: The company is increasingly adopting agile and lean methodologies across its product development cycles, including design, to foster flexibility, speed, and iterative improvement.
• Design Systems & Standardization: A focus on creating and maintaining robust design systems ensures consistency, efficiency, and scalability across GM's diverse brand portfolio and product offerings.

Company Website: https://www.gm.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The context of GM as a large, established automotive manufacturer with a clear vision for future mobility ("Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, Zero Congestion") is crucial. This role operates at the intersection of traditional automotive engineering and cutting-edge digital experience design, requiring an understanding of both legacy systems and emerging technologies, and a strong operational approach to manage the complexity.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Managerial position (10+ years of experience derived), placing it at a mid-to-senior leadership level within the design organization. It involves direct people management and strategic responsibility for a critical product area (in-market systems).

Reporting Structure: The Design Manager reports to a higher-level Director or Executive Director within the Design department. They are responsible for leading a team of individual contributor designers, influencing their work and career development. This position requires strong cross-functional interaction and the ability to influence stakeholders across engineering, product, and marketing.

Operations Impact: The Design Manager's work directly impacts the user experience of GM vehicles in the market, which is critical for customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, and ultimately, sales revenue. By ensuring intuitive, accessible, and delightful digital experiences, this role contributes significantly to GM's competitive positioning and its transition to a technology-focused mobility company. Effective operational management of the design process ensures that these critical experiences are delivered efficiently and to a high standard.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to progress to Director or Executive Director roles within Design, overseeing larger teams or broader product portfolios.
• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas such as UX strategy, automotive HMI, or digital product ecosystems within GM.
• Cross-Functional Mobility: Potential to move into related product management, program management, or strategic planning roles within GM, leveraging design leadership experience.
• Industry Influence: Participation in industry forums, conferences, and standardization bodies, contributing to the evolution of automotive UX design.
• Mentorship & Coaching: Develop strong leadership skills by mentoring and coaching junior designers and design managers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Operations Impact" section highlights how design management, when executed operationally, directly contributes to business outcomes. The growth opportunities are framed within a large enterprise context, emphasizing structured career progression and the potential for broader strategic influence.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site at GM's Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. This is a large, dedicated research and development campus, suggesting a professional, collaborative, and technologically equipped environment. Office Location(s): GM Global Technical Center - Sloan Engineering Center, Warren, Michigan, United States. This location is a hub for engineering and design talent, offering extensive facilities and resources.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: Expect a dynamic workspace designed to foster collaboration among design teams, engineers, and product managers. This likely includes shared studio spaces, meeting rooms, and potentially areas for user testing and prototyping.
• Technology & Tools: Access to state-of-the-art design software (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite), hardware for testing, and advanced visualization tools. The environment is geared towards supporting cutting-edge digital and physical product development.
• Team Interaction: The on-site nature facilitates direct, in-person interaction with the design team and cross-functional partners, crucial for effective design sprints, workshops, and day-to-day problem-solving.

Work Schedule:

• Primarily a standard 40-hour work week, Monday through Friday.
• The on-site requirement emphasizes the importance of in-person collaboration, team presence, and direct engagement with project teams and facilities.
• While core hours are expected, the nature of design management may involve some flexibility to accommodate project needs and team dynamics, but the expectation is regular on-site presence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on the "Global Technical Center" and "on-site" work arrangement points to a highly structured and resource-rich environment. The context suggests that in-person collaboration is paramount for this role's success, aligning with operational best practices for complex product development.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or recruiter will conduct an initial assessment of your resume and qualifications.
• Portfolio Presentation & Hiring Manager Interview: Prepare a concise presentation (15-20 minutes) showcasing 2-3 key design projects from your portfolio. Focus on your strategic thinking, design process, leadership contributions, and impact. This will be followed by a discussion with the hiring manager.
• Cross-Functional Team Interviews: Expect interviews with members of product management, software engineering, and potentially other design leads. These interviews will assess your collaboration style, technical understanding, and ability to work within a complex, cross-functional environment.
• Leadership/Executive Interview: A final interview, likely with a Director or Executive Director, to assess strategic alignment, leadership potential, and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best demonstrate your experience as a Design Manager, highlighting your leadership, strategic contributions, process management, and impact on in-market products. Include examples relevant to automotive or complex digital systems.
• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the design process followed (emphasizing operational efficiency), key decisions made, challenges overcome, and quantifiable results or impact.
• Showcase Process & Tools: Detail the tools and methodologies used. Specifically mention how you managed workflows, implemented design systems, or leveraged data and user feedback.
• Highlight Collaboration: Provide examples of how you partnered effectively with engineering, product, and other stakeholders.
• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your design choices, leadership approach, and how you handle conflict or disagreements within a team.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Challenge: You may be given a hypothetical design problem related to in-vehicle systems or a component of the GM digital ecosystem. Be prepared to outline your approach, key considerations, and potential solutions within a limited timeframe. Focus on your thought process and how you'd leverage your team and operational skills.
• Situational Questions: Prepare for questions about how you would handle team conflicts, manage competing priorities, motivate a team, or deal with challenging stakeholders. Frame your answers with an operational and leadership perspective.
• Strategic Thinking: Be ready to discuss your vision for the future of in-vehicle digital experiences and how you would align design efforts with GM's broader strategic goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio review and interview preparation is tailored to a management role in a large, structured organization. The advice focuses on demonstrating not just creative talent but also strategic thinking, operational management of design processes, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Expected to be the primary tool for UI design, wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency in advanced features, component libraries, and design system integration is crucial.
• Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator): Likely used for asset creation, image manipulation, and potentially specific graphic design tasks.
• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, experience with tools like Principle, ProtoPie, or similar for advanced interactive prototypes may be beneficial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Visualization Tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI): While not a direct design tool, understanding how to interpret and leverage data from these platforms to inform design decisions is important.
• User Research Platforms (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback): Familiarity with tools for conducting remote usability testing and gathering user feedback.
• Internal GM Analytics Platforms: Awareness that GM likely has proprietary tools for tracking user engagement and system performance.

CRM & Automation:

• Project Management Software (e.g., Jira, Asana, Trello): Essential for managing design sprints, tracking tasks, and collaborating with engineering teams on development timelines.
• Collaboration & Communication Tools (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams): Standard tools for daily team communication and cross-functional interaction.
• Design System Management Tools: Experience with platforms or methodologies for managing and scaling design systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The listing explicitly mentions Figma and Adobe Creative Suite. The inclusion of project management tools like Jira and communication platforms like Slack/Teams is standard for operational roles in tech-heavy environments. The emphasis on "design systems" suggests a need for familiarity with tools or platforms that support their creation and maintenance.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A fundamental commitment to understanding and meeting user needs, ensuring that design decisions prioritize the driver and passenger experience.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Fostering an environment where diverse teams work together seamlessly, valuing input from all disciplines to achieve common goals.
• Innovation & Future Focus: Embracing new technologies and forward-thinking ideas to shape the future of mobility and digital experiences.
• Excellence & Quality: A dedication to delivering high-quality, polished, and reliable design solutions that uphold GM's brand standards.
• Efficiency & Process: An appreciation for streamlined workflows, effective processes, and the use of tools and systems to optimize productivity and deliver results.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The team actively collaborates with engineering, product management, and marketing to ensure designs are technically feasible, strategically aligned, and market-ready.
• Iterative Feedback Loops: A culture of continuous feedback and iteration, involving regular design reviews, stakeholder check-ins, and user testing to refine designs.
• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, insights, and learnings across the design team and with partner teams to foster collective growth and elevate the overall quality of work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Operations Values" are specifically tailored to include "Efficiency & Process," reinforcing the operational aspect of this design management role. This suggests that candidates who can articulate how they optimize design processes will resonate well.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Innovation with Legacy Systems: Integrating cutting-edge digital experiences with existing vehicle architectures and hardware constraints presents a significant design and operational challenge.
• Managing Diverse Brand Portfolios: Ensuring design consistency and brand integrity across multiple GM brands (Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, Buick) requires a robust and scalable design system and strong governance.
• Navigating Complex Stakeholder Landscapes: Aligning design vision and priorities with numerous stakeholders across engineering, product, marketing, and executive leadership can be challenging.
• Rapid Technological Evolution: Keeping pace with the accelerating pace of digital technology and evolving consumer expectations in the automotive space requires continuous learning and adaptation.
• Cross-Disciplinary Communication: Effectively translating complex design concepts to technical teams and understanding technical constraints requires strong communication and a collaborative mindset.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced UX/UI Training: Access to specialized courses and workshops focused on the latest trends in human-computer interaction, automotive UX, and digital product design.
• Leadership Development Programs: GM offers various leadership training programs to enhance management, strategic thinking, and team-building skills.
• Industry Conferences & Expos: Opportunities to attend leading automotive and design conferences (e.g., CES, AutoMobility LA, IxDA conferences) to stay abreast of industry trends and network.
• Mentorship: Access to experienced leaders within GM who can provide guidance on career progression and navigating the organization.
• Exposure to Emerging Technologies: Working on projects involving advanced automotive technologies like autonomous driving, electrification, and connected car services.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges identified are framed with an operational lens, emphasizing the complexity of managing processes, stakeholders, and technological integration within a large automotive enterprise. The growth opportunities are also framed to support continuous learning and development relevant to operations and leadership within the industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing a new infotainment system for a premium brand like Cadillac, considering both user experience and integration with existing vehicle hardware?"
  • Preparation: Emphasize your process for understanding brand identity, user needs, technical constraints, and how you'd leverage your team and design systems. Discuss how you'd ensure a seamless and high-quality user experience.
• "Describe a time you had to manage competing priorities or conflicting feedback from different stakeholders (e.g., Engineering vs. Marketing). How did you resolve it?"
  • Preparation: Focus on your communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills. Highlight how you used data, user needs, and strategic objectives to guide your resolution, demonstrating an operational approach to conflict management.
• "How do you ensure design quality and consistency across a large product portfolio with multiple brands?"
  • Preparation: Detail your experience with design systems, style guides, governance models, and team collaboration strategies. Explain how you would operationalize design standards.

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What are your thoughts on GM's vision for 'Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, Zero Congestion,' and how do you see design contributing to that?"
  • Preparation: Research GM's current initiatives and future goals. Articulate how user-centered design can enhance safety, promote sustainable mobility, and improve the overall driving experience in line with these objectives.
• "How would you foster a culture of innovation and collaboration within your design team, especially while working on in-market systems that require rigorous process adherence?"
  • Preparation: Discuss strategies for balancing creativity with operational discipline. Mention techniques for encouraging idea generation, constructive feedback, and efficient execution.
• "How do you measure the success of your design work and its impact on the business?"
  • Preparation: Prepare to discuss key metrics (e.g., user satisfaction, task completion rates, feature adoption, retention) and how you track and report on them. Emphasize the link between design excellence and business outcomes.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Leadership & Process: For each case study, highlight your role as a manager and how you guided the team, managed the process, and influenced outcomes.
• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs and the efficiency of your processes.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals, prototypes, and clear explanations to convey your design thinking and execution.
• Tailor to GM: Briefly mention how your experience and approach align with GM's values and goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation advice is geared towards assessing leadership, strategic thinking, operational management of design, and alignment with GM's specific mission and culture. The emphasis is on demonstrating how candidates can manage the process of design effectively.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-focused design management position:

• Submit your application: Complete the online application through the provided Workday portal, ensuring all fields are accurately filled.
• Tailor your Resume: Customize your resume to highlight your experience in design leadership, process optimization, cross-functional collaboration, and managing digital product lifecycles, especially within automotive or complex technology environments. Use keywords from the job description.
• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate a digital portfolio that showcases 2-3 of your most impactful design management projects. Focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, leadership, operational efficiency in design processes, and measurable results. Ensure it's easily accessible (e.g., via a link in your resume or application).
• Develop Your Presentation: Rehearse a concise presentation (15-20 minutes) of your portfolio highlights, focusing on your management approach, design strategy, and operational contributions.
• Research GM: Thoroughly research General Motors' current products, future vision (Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, Zero Congestion), and recent design trends. Understand their competitive landscape and strategic priorities to better articulate your alignment during interviews.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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