Lab Group Manager, Manufacturing Research

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About the role

Job Description As a Lab Group Manager in GM R&D, you’ll lead a team of scientists and engineers to invent and validate the next generation of manufacturing technologies that move us toward GM’s vision of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. You’ll be at the center of advanced manufacturing innovation, turning bold ideas into scalable solutions in GM’s global factories while growing a world-class team. You’ll partner closely with manufacturing engineering, product engineering and IT to anticipate future factory needs and shape a research portfolio that keeps GM on the leading edge of manufacturing. What you’ll do • Set the vision and strategy for advanced manufacturing research in areas multiple disciplines • Lead and grow a high-performing team of scientists, building both individual careers and the collective capabilities needed for GM’s future manufacturing systems. • Design and oversee experiments and research programs that generate the data needed to validate new concepts and de-risk ambitious manufacturing ideas. • Turn insights into impact through high-quality research reports, external publications and invention disclosures that capture new methods, tools and technologies. • Build and manage a focused, high-leverage project portfolio that addresses GM’s most important manufacturing challenges while increasing team efficiency and throughput. • Orchestrate internal and external capabilities from GM R&D labs to universities, government agencies, vendors and other collaborators to accelerate learning and impact. • Champion a strong safety culture in the lab, ensuring hazards are communicated, procedures are followed and protective equipment is in place and effective. • Serve as a scientific specialist in your field, leading technical discussions and reviews and communicating results and progress across the organization. • Continuously expand your own skills and stay at the state of the art in robotics, automation and related manufacturing technologies. Additional leadership responsibilities • Help make GM R&D a workplace of choice by aligning with HR systems and driving a strong culture of people development. • Partner closely with the Director and peer leaders to shape and deliver on the broader organizational strategy. • Clearly communicate technical challenges, insights and results to R&D leadership and GM executives through reports and presentations. • Shape and execute an intellectual property strategy that protects and amplifies GM’s competitive advantage. • Track industry and technology trends, provide sharp analysis on where the field is headed and identify new skills and proficiencies the organization will need next. • Build influential relationships across GM engineering and represent GM R&D to the broader engineering community to advance strategic objectives. • Bring an entrepreneurial mindset and strong execution skills, turning innovative ideas into visible value and results for the company. Requirements • PhD in a Science or Engineering discipline, or a master’s degree in a relevant area plus 5–7 years of experience. • Proven experience as both a technical leader and a people leader, with a track record of guiding teams through complex, multi-disciplinary challenges. • Hands-on innovation management experience, from idea generation through validation and deployment. • Deep expertise in manufacturing technology, including design, build and testing in high-volume environments. • Ability to drive effective collaboration across diverse teams, peers, customers and external partners. • In-depth knowledge of manufacturing with strong critical-thinking skills. If you’re energized by building what’s next in manufacturing and turning cutting-edge research into real-world impact at glo

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