Search-careers is hiring a Design Research Manager to help shape the future of enterprise experiences across General Motors and its marquee brands. In this hybrid manager/individual contributor role, you'll collaborate with design, product, engineering, brand, and marketing teams to craft research initiatives that inform user-centered designs.
What You'll Do
- Lead research that supports our strategic vision across complex workflows and enterprise journeys.
- Manage and mentor a team of design researchers, 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.
- 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.
What We're Looking For
- 7+ or more years executing user research to inform interactive product design, with at least 2 years in a leadership or management role.
- Strong portfolio with work samples showcasing expertise in user research.
- Excellent written, visual, and verbal communication skills.
- Expertise of design thinking methods.
- Proficiency in common design user experience research tools (e.g., dScout, Optimal Workshop, Qualtrics, User Testing, and Figma).
- Experience shaping enterprise experiences that span both physical and digital user journeys.
- 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.
- Experience collaborating with data science teams on A/B testing, behavioral analytics, and experimentation.
Technical Stack
- dScout
- Optimal Workshop
- Qualtrics
- User Testing
- Figma
Team & Environment
Part of GM’s Human Interface Design Studio. This is a hybrid people manager/individual contributor role.
Benefits & Compensation
- Compensation range: $140,100 - $186,700
- Medical, dental, vision insurance
- Health Savings Account
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Retirement savings plan
- Sickness and accident benefits
- Life insurance
- Paid vacation & holidays
- Tuition assistance programs
- Employee assistance program
- GM vehicle discounts
- Company vehicle evaluation program (eligibility upon successful motor vehicle report review)
Work Mode
This role is hybrid.
General Motors is committed to being a workplace that is not only free of unlawful discrimination, but one that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. 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.
