Senior Manager, Visual Design

General Motors•Warren, MI

About The Position

Serves as a senior creative leader and visionary for Visual Design, providing strategic design direction, elevating design excellence, and shaping the visual standards used across teams, products, and experiences. Operates as a top-level thought leader who advances the discipline of visual design within the organization and across the industry. Recognized as a preeminent expert with mastery in design craft, systems thinking, and creative innovation, this leader sets the long-term vision for how visual design expresses the brand and informs the experience ecosystem. Expertise & Leadership Globally recognized authority in visual design, including design systems, brand expression, interaction principles, accessibility, and emerging technologies. Leads the end-to-end design process, delivering innovative concepts and resolving high impact design challenges. Sets design strategy across regions and product areas with broad decision-making autonomy. Acts as a thought leader who influences organizational design, maturity, and external industry perspectives. Complexity Solves highly complex, multidimensional design problems that shape the organization’s visual identity and future direction. Operates with long-term strategic vision, independent judgment, and high creative discretion. Communicates and negotiates effectively with senior stakeholders and industry leaders. Builds influential networks and represents the organization as a respected creative authority. Scope & Impact Leads major visual design initiatives, design systems, and brand evolutions that directly drive business outcomes. Directs largescale, cross functional creative programs with enterprise level visibility. Plays a central role in organizational design strategy and creative culture-building. Champions change, inclusive leadership, and human-centered design practices across the organization.

Requirements

15+ years of progressive visual design experience across brand, UI/UX, design systems, and multiplatform execution.
Proven leadership of senior designers or multidisciplinary design teams.
Mastery of visual design craft and modern design tools.
Deep experience leading end-to-end design workflows and quality governance.
Track record of scaling global design systems and creative frameworks.
Enterprise level portfolio showcasing high impact design leadership.
Exceptional communication, storytelling, and senior level influence.
Experience leading large, multiregional design initiatives.
Strong coaching, mentorship, and talent development capabilities.

Nice To Haves

Experience building global design operations and governance models.
Background in complex, matrixed organizations and/or mobility/automotive ecosystems.
Experience managing agencies and global suppliers.
Demonstrated ability to drive cultural and creative transformation.
Advanced degree in Design, HCI, Visual Communication, Digital Media, or related field.

Responsibilities

Lead strategic planning and execution of visual design deliverables across programs, platforms, and regions.
Set and uphold worldclass standards for visual assets, brand applications, and design systems.
Forecast and plan team capacity; build a high performing, sustainable global design team.
Partner with engineering, product, UX, brand, and marketing leadership to drive cohesive end-to-end experiences.
Provide expert creative direction and mentorship across craft and career growth.
Define and implement global workflows, tools, templates, and best practices.
Lead the evolution and governance of the corporate design system.
Optimize global resourcing, supplier partnerships, and workload distribution.
Introduce new tools and methodologies to improve quality and efficiency.
Translate business strategy into clear design plans and outcomes.
Oversee all leadership responsibilities, including performance, development, succession, and engagement.
Foster a culture of curiosity, collaboration, excellence, and inclusive leadership.