Global Paint & Materials Engineering Manager

Job Description The Role At General Motors, manufacturing innovation starts with the materials and technologies that bring our vehicles to life. As the Global Paint & Materials Engineering Manager , you will lead the engineering organization responsible for the development, validation, deployment, and lifecycle management of paint, coatings, and sealing materials across GM's global manufacturing network. This highly visible leadership role influences vehicle appearance, quality, durability, manufacturing performance, and cost competitiveness for some of the world's most advanced vehicle programs. You will partner across Design, Product Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Purchasing, Operations, and strategic suppliers to develop material solutions that support new technologies, enable manufacturing excellence, and drive continuous improvement across a global footprint. As a people leader, you will set technical direction, develop organizational capability, and build a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability while helping shape the future of vehicle finishing technologies. This Role Is Ideal For Engineering leaders who enjoy developing high-performing technical teams and solving complex manufacturing challenges at a global scale. You'll thrive in this role if you enjoy collaborating across organizations, influencing technical and business decisions, partnering with suppliers, and transforming materials innovation into vehicle quality, manufacturing excellence, and measurable business results. What You Will Do • Lead the global engineering team responsible for paint, coatings, and sealing material technologies used throughout GM manufacturing operations. • Define and execute materials strategies that support vehicle quality, design intent, manufacturing performance, sustainability objectives, and cost competitiveness. • Establish and maintain material specifications, engineering standards, approval processes, and process control strategies. • Lead the evaluation, validation, approval, and implementation of new materials, technologies, and supplier solutions. • Partner with Design, Product Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Purchasing, and Operations teams to support new vehicle programs and manufacturing initiatives. • Build and maintain strategic supplier relationships while driving innovation, performance, and competitive sourcing opportunities. • Provide leadership and technical direction during vehicle launches, production changes, and complex manufacturing or quality investigations. • Lead annual color program execution, ensuring design intent, durability, manufacturability, and customer expectations are achieved. • Drive root cause analysis and resolution of material-related quality concerns across manufacturing operations. • Lead global collaboration efforts that standardize best practices, share technical expertise, and advance engineering excellence across regions. • Develop future organizational capability through talent planning, coaching, succession planning, and workforce strategy. Required Qualifications • Experience with automotive paint shop operations, coatings, sealing systems, or related material technologies. • Experience leading technical teams within manufacturing, materials engineering, coatings, paint systems, or related engineering environments. • Demonstrated success leading and developing engineering talent, including performance management, organizational planning, and workforce development. • Experience leading cross-functional initiatives involving engineering, manufacturing, operations, suppliers, and business stakeholders. • Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with the ability to navigate complex technical and operational challe