(Creative Senior Lead) CMF Designer

Job Description

This role is categorized as on-site. Successful candidates are expected to work full time from the GM China Advanced Technical Center in Shanghai China.

GM China Design Studio is both a production design studio and an advanced design studio. We shape meaningful vehicle experiences for GM brands serving customers in China and global markets connecting near-term production programs with forward-looking exploration.

We are committed to creating an exceptional design environment where creativity beauty craftsmanship and storytelling can thrive. Our designers work across disciplines and cultures to translate customer understanding brand identity emerging technologies and new forms of mobility into compelling color material finish and sensory experiences.

This evergreen requisition is established for talent pipelining purposes. GM China Design Studio is building a long-term pipeline of exceptional CMF Designers in support of current and anticipated business needs.

We welcome applications from outstanding designers around the world who are interested in contributing to exciting production programs and advanced design work in our China studio. Depending on business needs and the candidates experience future opportunities may involve different levels of project ownership creative responsibility technical depth and collaboration with global teams.

When submitting your application please include:

• An updated resume or CV.
• An updated portfolio that clearly demonstrates your CMF design thinking research concept development visual communication material exploration and relevant design work.
• Please ensure that your portfolio does not contain undisclosed confidential proprietary or otherwise sensitive information projects or materials belonging to current or previous employers or clients.

After your application is submitted our recruiting and design teams will review your materials. If there is alignment with a current or future opportunity a recruiter will contact you to discuss potential next steps. Because this is an evergreen requisition the timing of contact may vary according to business needs and the fit between your experience and upcoming opportunities.

If you do not meet every element listed below but are interested in exploring an opportunity with GM China Design Studio we still encourage you to apply. We value distinctive creative perspectives strong design potential and the ability to contribute to a collaborative studio environment.

CMF Designers in GM China Design Studio help shape the emotional visual and tactile experience of GM vehicles and advanced products for China and global markets. You may contribute across color material finish graphics trim components products and other experiential or environmental design applications.

The role may span the complete CMF design process from cultural and trend research material innovation and concept story creation through design development supplier collaboration color and material validation production implementation and final execution. You will work closely with interior exterior advanced design UX/HMI engineering manufacturing marketing purchasing suppliers and global design studios to ensure that CMF solutions are distinctive feasible high quality and aligned with design intent cost and timing.

Some opportunities may also involve customer-facing customization or dealership support where you would help understand customer requirements and translate them into thoughtful and personalized CMF recommendations.

Your responsibilities may include the following depending on your experience assigned program and business needs:

• Participate in CMF design for current and future GM vehicles advanced products mobility concepts and related experiences across interiors exteriors and other design applications.
• Research global and regional cultural influences consumer behavior lifestyle developments automotive trends fashion architecture technology art materials and manufacturing innovation.
• Analyze current design and material trends anticipate emerging directions and translate insights into relevant CMF strategies for future product development.
• Develop CMF concept stories color and material directions finish proposals trim strategies graphic applications and cohesive design narratives that express brand identity and create emotional customer experiences.
• Explore innovative materials finishes processes and technologies balancing creativity sustainability sensory quality durability manufacturability and program requirements.
• Communicate CMF ideas through physical samples material boards color chips sketches digital 2D and 3D visualization animation renderings VR presentations and other appropriate design media.
• Use industry-standard or comparable tools to visualize and communicate concepts which may include VRED Blender Photoshop Illustrator KeyShot Unreal Engine Premiere After Effects AI-enabled design tools or other evolving technologies.
• Collaborate with interior exterior advanced design UX/HMI engineering manufacturing marketing purchasing and other cross-functional partners to integrate CMF solutions into complete vehicle and product experiences.
• Manage or support the CMF development process from early concept and material research through color and material development supplier engagement validation production implementation and final execution.
• Work with suppliers and vendors to identify new resources develop materials and finishes resolve technical or quality issues and ensure that design intent is maintained through implementation.
• Build organize and maintain a comprehensive internal library of innovative materials finishes colors samples references and supplier resources.
• Balance design ambition with cost timing quality durability manufacturing sustainability regulatory and other program considerations.
• Present CMF concepts trend research material proposals and project recommendations to design leadership management cross-functional teams and other stakeholders.
• Maintain clear communication across global teams regions time zones suppliers and partners building strong and productive working relationships.
• Support multiple projects and manage personal workflows effectively in a fast-paced and deadline-driven environment.
• Depending on the assignment support customer-facing customization work at dealerships or other locations by understanding customer requirements and providing informed recommendations on color material finish trim and related design choices.
• Contribute to a collaborative studio culture by sharing knowledge supporting other designers and for more experienced designers mentoring or guiding colleagues when appropriate.
• Travel domestically or internationally when needed for design reviews supplier development material research customer engagement production support or collaboration with global design teams.

We welcome CMF designers with different career paths backgrounds and levels of experience. The following qualifications are intended to describe capabilities that may be relevant to these opportunities rather than serve as a checklist that every applicant must fully satisfy.

• A degree in Color and Materials Design CMF Design Textile Design Fashion Design Industrial Design Transportation Design Automotive Design Product Design Fine Arts or a related discipline; equivalent professional experience and a compelling portfolio may also be considered.
• Experience in automotive CMF transportation mobility industrial design product design materials fashion textiles architecture interiors graphics experiential design or another closely related field.
• The ability to develop thoughtful and distinctive CMF concepts strategies stories color palettes material directions finish proposals and design recommendations.
• A strong sense of color material texture finish pattern proportion detail craftsmanship and overall aesthetics.
• The ability to connect CMF decisions with brand identity customer needs cultural context user experience technology and the broader design vision.
• Experience with material research trend analysis concept storytelling sample development supplier collaboration color and material validation or production implementation. The depth of experience expected will vary according to the opportunity.
• Familiarity with automotive or product development and manufacturing processes is valuable while experience from adjacent design fields is also welcome.
• The ability to communicate design intent through physical samples material boards sketches 2D and 3D visualization digital rendering presentations or other effective visual and tactile methods.
• Proficiency in relevant design and visualization software is welcome. Tools may include VRED Blender Photoshop Illustrator KeyShot Unreal Engine Premiere After Effects AI-enabled design tools or comparable software. The specific toolset is less important than the quality of the design thinking and the ability to learn and adapt.
• An understanding of material performance manufacturing constraints supplier capabilities durability quality sustainability cost timing and the relationship between creative intent and production execution.
• Strong communication interpersonal and relationship-building skills including the ability to clearly articulate a design vision and collaborate across functions regions cultures and time zones.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and workflows independently while also contributing effectively within a team.
• A curious proactive and adaptable approach to new materials technologies cultural influences customer expectations and emerging design opportunities.
• Good English communication skills are beneficial for collaboration with global design studios and cross-functional partners. Additional language skills may be advantageous for some opportunities.
• For more experienced opportunities: the ability to independently drive CMF development establish design direction manage complex stakeholder and supplier relationships influence cross-functional decisions support production implementation and mentor other designers.
• For emerging opportunities: demonstrated design potential curiosity willingness to learn and the ability to develop thoughtful CMF concepts through a strong research material and visual communication process.
• Experience supporting customer-facing customization dealership engagement or high-end client needs may be beneficial for some opportunities but it is not required for every position in this talent pipeline.

You will have the opportunity to work in a studio that connects advanced design exploration with real production impact. You will collaborate with colleagues across China and the global GM Design network explore the future of materials and sensory experience contribute to vehicles and advanced products for diverse customers and help shape the next generation of automotive design through color material finish creativity beauty technology and storytelling.

We are interested in meeting exceptional CMF designers at different stages of their careers and from a range of related design disciplines. Your portfolio perspective and potential may align with an opportunity even if your experience does not map perfectly to every item in this description.

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