Business Manager

GM•Detroit, MI

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Our electric future is now! Factory ZERO is an automotive assembly plant at the forefront of product and manufacturing processes. We develop and sustain the manufacturing enablers needed to quickly bring to market some of the most sophisticated and innovative electric vehicles, aligned with GM’s corporate vision of “Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, Zero Congestion.” The Business Manager is responsible for leading day‑to‑day operations for an assigned manufacturing area, with a strong focus on safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people development . This role provides leadership to Group Leaders and cross‑functional partners to ensure stable operations, effective problem solving, and continuous improvement in support of the plant’s business plan and launch objectives.

Requirements

3 years of experience working in a manufacturing environment
Ability to rotate shifts and work overtime as needed
Proven leadership in managing unionized teams and salaried staff
Strong background in change management, team building, and business planning
Proficiency in BPD, and process improvement methodologies

Nice To Haves

Experience as a Business Manager, Group Leader, or similar leadership role in high‑volume manufacturing.
Working knowledge of lean manufacturing / GMS systems, standardization, and continuous improvement.
Experience working in a unionized manufacturing environment and partnering closely with HR/LR.
Demonstrated success in launching new products, processes, or lines and stabilizing operations post‑launch.

Responsibilities

Lead daily operations
Own performance for a defined area (e.g., General Assembly Trim / Chassis), including safety, quality, throughput, scrap, overtime, and budget.
Run structured daily management routines (start‑up meetings, tier reviews, end‑of-shift reviews) to track performance and close gaps.
Drive safety and quality
Champion a safety‑first culture; ensure compliance with all safety standards, audits, and corrective actions.
Ensure robust containment, root-cause analysis, and permanent corrective actions for quality issues impacting the area.
Own the business plan and metrics
Deploy the Business Plan for your area, aligning targets and actions for safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people.
Review key performance indicators with your team, identify trends, and drive countermeasures when performance is off plan.
Lead people and talent
Provide direction, coaching, and feedback to Group Leaders and salaried staff.
Support hourly team engagement, performance, and development in partnership with Group Leaders and HR/LR.
Ensure staffing, training, and onboarding plans support current production and future launches.
Standardization and continuous improvement
Ensure disciplined adherence to standard work, documented processes, and change control.
Facilitate problem‑solving and continuous improvement activities (e.g., kaizen, 5‑Why, A3) to remove waste and improve stability.
Partner with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, GSC, and Maintenance to deliver sustainable improvements.
Launch and change management
Support program / model launches, engineering changes, and capacity changes in your area.
Coordinate readiness across people, process, equipment, and material; mitigate launch risks and escalate issues as needed.
Cross‑functional collaboration
Collaborate with Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Materials, HR/LR, Finance , and other Business Managers to support end-to-end value stream performance.
Represent your area in plant reviews and support cross-area problem solving.