Materials Strategy Senior Manager

Job Description

At General Motors our product teams are redefining mobility. Through a human-centered design process we create vehicles and experiences that are designed not just to be seen but to be felt. Were turning todays impossible into tomorrows standard from breakthrough hardware and battery systems to intuitive design intelligent software and next-generation safety and entertainment features.

Every day our products move millions of peopleas we aim to makedriving safer smarter and more connected shaping the future of transportation on a global scale.

The Role

As a Material Strategy Senior Manager you will play a key role in shaping how materials move through GMs General Assembly operations and supporting areas. You will develop and execute lean material strategies integrating automation technologies such as AMR/AGV systems robotic kitting and sequencing and (WMS) warehouse management systems to deliver safer lower-cost and more reliable operations.

Working across Manufacturing Engineering Operations Safety IT/OT Purchasing Finance and Value-Added Assembly (VAA) you will help ensure material and automation strategies are aligned with program timing plant plans and business goals. You will support new vehicle program launches from concept through ramp-up managing risks and delivering stable on-time results.

This role also involves tracking and improving key performance metrics including safety delivery inventory turns material handling cost and automation uptime using lean principles value stream mapping and standard work to drive continuous improvement.

You will collaborate closely with plant teams and travel periodically to manufacturing warehouse and VAA locations to support strategy deployment and troubleshooting. If you have a passion for lean operations a hands-on approach and the drive to make a real impact on GMs manufacturing performance this is a great opportunity to grow your career at one of the worlds leading automakers.

This role is expected to collaborate frequently with plant teams and may require periodic travel to manufacturing warehouse and VAA locations to support strategy deployment launch and troubleshooting activities.

What Youll Do:

Strategy & Leadership

• Own the enterprise lean material strategy for General Assembly and supporting areas integrating automation digital systems and indirect labor optimization to deliver safer lowercost and more reliable operations.

• Build and maintain a multiyear automation and materialflow roadmap (automation vision IoT data analytics digital twins) and translate it into a prioritized portfolio of projects with clear KPIs ROI and resource plans.

• Lead a highperforming salaried team of material and automation professionals; provide direction coaching and performance management safety quality and cost targets.

• Act as the primary integrator between Manufacturing Engineering Operations Safety IT/OT Purchasing Finance and ValueAdded Assembly (VAA) to ensure material and automation strategies are embedded in program timing plant master plans and business cases.

Automation & New Technology Deployment

• Identify evaluate and deploy advanced material automation solutions (e.g. ASRS AMR/AGV systems automated forklifts/tuggers robotic kitting and sequencing smart conveyors autonomous glass and body cells) that eliminate waste and indirect labor while improving safety and throughput.

• Lead development of Statements of Requirements (SOR) and technical specifications for material automation and Logistics Management Systems (LMS); partner with Purchasing to select and onboard strategic suppliers that can scale across plants.

• Use simulation digital twins and datadriven analysis to validate material strategies warehouse layouts and lineside delivery concepts before physical implementation ensuring designs are lean rightsized and flexible.

• Ensure all automation solutions are engineered and implemented to meet or exceed safety cybersecurity and ergonomic standards in close partnership with Safety and Cybersecurity teams.

Program & Launch Execution

• Lead the material and automation workstream for new vehicle programs from early concept through SOR detailed design build runoff buyoff and rampup ensuring ontime onbudget and stable launches.

• Develop and execute lean material strategies for VAA (kitting subassembly sequencing) and supplierintegrated flows that enable flawless launches short changeover times and robust steadystate performance.

• Coordinate crossfunctional launch teams manage issues and risk registers for material and automation scope and provide clear datadriven status and readiness updates to senior leadership.

Operational Excellence & Performance Management

• Define monitor and act on material and automation KPIs (safety delivery performance inventory turns material handling cost indirect labor productivity equipment utilization automation uptime) to drive continuous improvement.

• Champion lean material flow using tools such as value stream mapping standard work visual management error proofing and GMS principles to systematically remove waste variability and overburden.

• Own department budgets for material operations and automation (capital and expense); optimize spend through robust business cases scenario analysis and disciplined postimplementation reviews.

• Manage strategic supplier relationships for automation and material handling systems; define support models SLAs and lifecycle strategies that protect uptime performance and total cost of ownership.

People Leadership & Culture

• Build develop and retain a diverse futureready team of material and automation experts; identify successors and enable career growth through mentoring stretch assignments and targeted training in emerging technologies.

• Model and reinforce a strong safety quality and lean culture embedding GMS behaviors and standard work in all material and automation activities.

• Lead change management for new technologies and processes ensuring frontline engagement effective training and rapid adoption across plants and VAA partners to capture full value from lean and automation investments.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

• Bachelors degree in Engineering Supply Chain Operations Management or related field; advanced degree preferred.

• 8 years of combined experience in automotive or highvolume manufacturing with progressive responsibility in materials management manufacturing engineering and/or automation.

• Demonstrated experience leading teams and/or large crossfunctional projects involving material flow design warehouse operations or lineside delivery systems.

• Proven track record implementing material automation technologies (e.g. ASRS AMR/AGV systems robotic handling LMS/WMS MES integrations) in production environments.

• Strong knowledge of lean manufacturing and value stream mapping with measurable improvements in cost productivity and quality.

• Excellent analytical problemsolving and datadriven decisionmaking skills; comfortable using simulation analytics and digital tools to design and optimize systems.

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization and present to senior leadership.

What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience in General Assembly material flow VAA management sequencing kitting and subassembly planning.

• Handson experience with industrial control systems and plant floor automation (PLC/robot interfaces conveyance vision systems IoT devices) related to material movement.

• Background in data analytics and automation of business processes (e.g. Power BI Python simulation tools) supporting material and labor optimization.

• Prior leadership experience in a global or multisite environment with exposure to different manufacturing footprints and cultures.

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About GM

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