Lead Interior Designer

Job Description

Work Arrangement 
This role is categorized as on-site. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to Advanced Technical Center in Shanghai, China full time.

The Role -

The Lead Interior Designer is responsible for defining and driving the creative direction of vehicle interiors for GM brands serving China and global markets. This role leads interior theme development from early advanced concepts through production execution, ensuring that designs deliver compelling customer experiences, express brand DNA, and meet feasibility, quality, and cost targets.

You will guide a small team of interior designers, collaborate closely with UX/HMI, CMF, Studio Engineering, VSE, Product Planning, and Customer Research, and represent GM China Design in key reviews and clinics.

What You’ll Do -

• Lead interior design themes for assigned programs (advanced and production) from early sketch to final CAS/digital model and design freeze.

• Translate brand strategy, China customer insights, and technology roadmaps into clear, differentiated interior concepts.

• Generate and review high-quality sketches, storyboards, digital renderings, and VR/3D presentations that communicate spatial concepts, UX flows, and CMF direction.

• Partner with UX/HMI and CMF teams to create holistic interior experiences that integrate displays, lighting, controls, materials, and sound.

• Work closely with Studio Engineering and Packaging to ensure concepts are technically feasible, manufacturable, and aligned with safety, ergonomic, and regulatory requirements.

• Drive interior design deliverables and gateways in line with the Design GVDP process, ensuring timing, quality, and alignment with global and regional leadership expectations.

• Prepare and present design proposals in studio reviews, Design Leadership Team (DLT) reviews, GDRs, and executive design forums, incorporating feedback into refined solutions.

• Support customer clinics, research activities, and VR evaluations, defining stimuli and synthesizing learnings back into design directions.

• Provide creative leadership, mentoring, and day-to-day guidance for junior and senior interior designers within the team.

• Partner with Global Design studios to align China proposals with global brand language while championing China-specific needs and innovation.

• Ensure all design work adheres to GM standards for craftsmanship, surface quality, proportion, and user-centered design.

• Contribute to advanced and exploratory interior projects, including new interaction models, future cockpit concepts, and AI- or data-enabled experiences.

• Maintain a strong awareness of competitive benchmarks, design trends, and emerging technologies relevant to automotive interiors and in-cabin experience.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

• Education (minimum): BA or MA degree in Transportation, Automotive, or Industrial design, or equivalent experience

• 5+ years of professional work experience in automotive design, preferably with international experience at prominent European OEM studios or design houses

• Comprehensive Interior design ability that begins with creating innovative and relevant design concepts, fresh new design themes, cohesive and attractive design proposals, and continues all the way to the completion of a 3D vision (i.e. 3D digital and full-size clay models)

• Superb professional sketching and rendering skills, 2D visual communication is very important

• Capable of conceptual thinking and cross functional collaborative work

• Desire, ability and dedication of total involvement in a holistic design process

• Good understanding of user needs in different scenarios; able to improve the user experience via design

This role is categorized as onsite. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location on a full-time basis.

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.

Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities

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.

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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