Lead Design Researcher

Job Description

GM's Human Interface Design S tudio is hiring a Lead Design R esearch er (Hybrid Manager/IC) to help shape the future of web and app experiences across General Motors and its marquee brands. As part of our team, you'll collaborate with design, product, engineering, brand , and marketing teams to craft well designed research initiatives to inspire and inform user centered designs.

What You'll Do

As a hybrid people manager/IC Lead Design Researcher, you will:

• Lead research that supports our strategic vision across complex workflows and customer journeys.

• Manage a small team of design researchers, providing mentorship and fostering excellence in research craft, strategic thinking, and cross-functional collaboration.

• Develop and drive a shared research roadmap aligned with business priorities, ensuring high-quality execution across generative and evaluative studies.

• Facilitate strategic conversations with senior stakeholders, translating research into actionable insights and durable decisions.

• Elevate the team's storytelling and influence by crafting compelling narratives that shape product direction and business strategy.

Key Characteristics

• Proven leadership in managing and mentoring researchers , setting a high bar for research quality, insight depth, and strategic impact.

• Mastery of generative and evaluative methods, with the ability to guide others in method selection, execution, and synthesis .

• Strategic thinker who translates research into product priorities, business opportunities, and cross-functional alignment .

• Strong collaborator with experience influencing product, design, engineering, and business partners.

• Growth mindset and adaptability in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

• Ability to direct and produce great work in short timeframes , multi-task across different projects and platforms and adapt to the ever-changing priorities of the business.

Responsibilities

• Design and lead mixed-methods research studies including live studies, unmoderated studies, field studies, participatory design, heuristic evaluations, and remote usability testing.

• Guide your team in synthesizing insights and aligning research outcomes with business and design strategy.

• Partner with internal and external teams to integrate research with analytics, market data, and operational metrics.

• Represent the voice of our customers in strategic planning and product development.

• Contribute to the evolution of research workflows, governance, and standards across the organization.

• Communicate findings through high-impact presentations and visual storytelling.

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 (e.g., H1-B, OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc). This role is categorized as remote. This means the selected candidate may be based anywhere in the country of work and is not expected to report to a GM worksite unless directed by their manager.
About GM

Our vision is a world with Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion and we embrace the responsibility to lead the change that will make our world better, safer and more equitable for all.

Why Join Us

We believe we all must make a choice every day - individually and collectively - to drive meaningful change through our words, our deeds and our culture. Every day, we want every employee to feel they belong to one General Motors team.

Benefits Overview

From day one, we're looking out for your well-being-at work and at home-so you can focus on realizing your ambitions. Learn how GM supports a rewarding career that rewards you personally by visiting Total Rewards resources .

Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities (U.S.)

General Motors is committed to being a workplace that is not only free of unlawful discrimination, but one that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. We strongly believe that providing an inclusive workplace creates an environment in which our employees can thrive and develop better products for our customers.

All employment decisions are made on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to sex, race, color, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, disability, pregnancy or maternity status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran or protected veteran, or any other similarly protected status in accordance with federal, state and local laws.

We encourage interested candidates to review the key responsibilities and qualifications for each role and apply for any positions that match their skills and capabilities. Applicants in the recruitment process may be required, where applicable, to successfully complete a role-related assessment(s) and/or a pre-employment screening prior to beginning employment. To learn more, visit How we Hire .

Accommodations

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