Engineering Group Manager - Material Automation Deployment

Engineering Group Manager – Material Automation Deployment

The Engineering Group Manager – Material Automation Deployment is responsible for delivering Autonomous Mobile Equipment (AME) deployments across General Motors' manufacturing plants, from planning through full-scale production integration. This role serves as the central leader owning the end-to-end deployment lifecycle, acting as the primary point of contact for plant leadership teams while working upstream with the ME Verticals Team, ARC Product Team, R&D, and Engineering Centers to align priorities, remove barriers, and drive project execution.

General Motors is at the forefront of one of the most exciting initiatives in automotive manufacturing, deploying Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and Automated Forklifts (AFTs) at scale across its global plant network. This effort spans both GM-developed technology and strategic vendor solutions, creating a unique opportunity to shape how material automation is designed, deployed, and scaled across the enterprise.

This is a high-visibility, high-growth leadership role that blends technical depth with strategic relationship management. You will have direct exposure to senior executive leadership, influence over GM's long-term material automation strategy, and the opportunity to build and scale a function that is central to the future of manufacturing. The Engineering Group Manager builds, leads, and mentors a team of engineers, regularly reports to executive leadership on deployment status, risks, and strategic opportunities, and turns cutting-edge automation into shop-floor reality.

Travel: ~30%

Key Responsibilities

• Plant Relationship Ownership & Stakeholder Management
• Team Leadership & Development
• Cross-Functional Execution
• End-to-End Deployment Management

Plant Relationship Ownership & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the trusted deployment partner for plant leadership, operations, and safety teams.
• Act as the primary point of contact for plant-level engagement, building and sustaining strong relationships across all levels of plant organization.
• Report to executives on deployment progress, risks, and strategic recommendations.

Team Leadership & Development

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing team of engineers with a culture of accountability and growth.
• Foster technical growth and professional development across the team.
• Establish clear expectations and delivery standards for engineering staff.

Cross-Functional Execution

• Drive cross-functional execution with ARC Product, Operations, Verticals, R&D, Engineering Centers, IT, and strategic vendors.
• Navigate complex stakeholder landscapes to align priorities and remove barriers to project execution.
• Clarify ownership, interfaces, and decision rights across all contributing teams.

End-to-End Deployment Management

• Manage end-to-end deployments including site assessment, simulation, validation, commissioning, and production ramp.
• Lead change management including workforce training and go-live support.
• Drive continuous improvement aligned with Center of Excellence (CoE) standards.

What Success Looks Like (12 Months)

• Establish a close partnership with your customers (manufacturing plants), becoming the trusted go-to leader for material automation deployment.
• Build and grow a world-class automation execution team with deep expertise in AMR, AFT, and material flow integration.
• Successfully and safely implement material automation projects in production with speed, efficiency, and scalability.
• Establish yourself as a point-of-view expert in material automation, helping inform GM on long-term AMR/AFT strategy.

GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. Do not apply for this role if you will need GM immigration sponsorship now or in the future. This includes direct company sponsorship, entry of GM as the immigration employer of record on a government form, and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company.

The selected candidate will be required to travel on a regular basis (25-50%) for this role. This job may be eligible for relocation benefits.