Job Description

Work Arrangement

This role is categorized as on-site. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to Advanced Technical Center in Shanghai, China full time.

The Role

The Director of Design Operations is accountable for clay and digital sculpting for advanced and production programs in the Shanghai studio, along with the Global Sculpting Solutions team serving stakeholders worldwide, studio engineering, immersive/visualization, design technology capabilities that enable world‑class design execution and all responsibilities within Business Operations of GM China Design Studio.

The director ensures China’s teams are tightly connected with global partners, advocates for work to flow into the region, and positions Shanghai as a key hub for innovation in sculpting, immersive reviews, and design technology. Works with Asian regional studios to drive efficiency and collaboration.

What You'll Do

• Sculpting Operations – Shanghai Studio
• Lead clay and digital sculpting operations for all Shanghai advanced and production programs, ensuring quality, speed, and alignment with brand and program objectives.
• Global Sculpting Solutions – offshore digital sculpting team
• Lead the Global Sculpting Solutions team that provides digital sculpting services to studios and programs worldwide.
• Own the intake, prioritization, and resourcing model for global sculpting work, ensuring strong customer satisfaction across regions and working with suppliers with integrity
• Studio Engineering
• Oversee studio engineering teams in Shanghai, ensuring robust support for vehicle properties (mechanical packages, armatures, bucks, show properties, and clinic assets).
• Immersive, Visualization & Design Technology
• Lead immersive and visualization teams supporting virtual reviews, real‑time rendering, and digital storytelling for China programs and global partners.
• Global Integration & Advocacy for China
• Act as the primary operations connector between GM Design China and Global Design Operations, ensuring alignment on standards, roadmaps, and metrics.
• Leadership, People & Culture
• Build and develop a high‑performing team across sculpting, studio engineering, immersive/visualization, and design technology. Foster a culture that values craft, innovation, and operational discipline equally supporting creative exploration while delivering reliably to program timing

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications) ​​

• Bachelor’s degree in design, Engineering, Industrial Design, or related field; equivalent relevant experience considered.
• 10+ years of experience in design operations, sculpting leadership, studio engineering, visualization, or related product development roles within a complex, matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated leadership of clay and digital sculpting teams delivering on advanced and production programs.
• Experience managing or partnering closely with studio engineering and visualization/immersive teams.
• Strong understanding of design technology and IT in a studio context (hardware, software, pipelines, data).
• Proven ability to lead multi‑disciplinary teams, manage budgets and capacity, and drive continuous improvement.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills across cultures and time zones.
• Strategic & Systems Thinking – Connects sculpting, studio engineering, immersive, and IT into a coherent, future‑ready operating model.
• Operational Excellence – Builds and runs clear processes, metrics, and governance in a high‑pace creative environment.
• Collaboration & Influence – Aligns diverse global stakeholders and advocates effectively for China’s contribution.
• Innovation Mindset – Embraces and scales new tools and ways of working across physical and digital domains.
• Customer & Brand Focus – Keeps design quality, brand character, and China customer expectations at the center of decisions.

What Will Give You A Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications) ​

• Experience in automotive design or closely related mobility / industrial design domains.
• Prior leadership of global or multi‑region teams and service models.
• Experience working in or with China‑based studios or joint ventures.
• Proficiency in Mandarin and English (written and spoken).

This role is categorized as onsite. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location on a full-time basis.

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.

Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities

General Motors is committed to being a workplace that is not only free of unlawful discrimination, but one that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. We strongly believe that providing an inclusive workplace creates an environment in which our employees can thrive and develop better products for our customers.

We encourage interested candidates to review the key responsibilities and qualifications for each role and apply for any positions that match their skills and capabilities. Applicants in the recruitment process may be required, where applicable, to successfully complete a role-related assessment(s) and/or a pre-employment screening prior to beginning employment. To learn more, visit How we Hire

Accommodations

General Motors offers opportunities to all job seekers including individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to assist with your job search or application for employment, emailus or call us at 1-800-865-7580. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.