Creative Design Group - Design Quality

General Motors•Warren, MI

About The Position

The CMF Appearance Quality Development Lead drives the development and delivery of assigned material commodities from early design intent through production launch. This role ensures that color, grain, gloss, and haptic characteristics meet the highest standards for appearance quality and program requirements while bringing the CMF vision to life across GM vehicle programs and brands. Working at the intersection of design, engineering, purchasing, suppliers, and global teams, the Development Lead translates design targets into production-ready materials. This includes guiding supplier development, validating materials, establishing production approval masters, approving second-source solutions, supporting launch activities, and advancing material strategies, technologies, and continuous-improvement initiatives.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Design, Engineering, or a related discipline.
Exceptional visual color acuity.
5+ years of experience in automotive appearance or materials development
Experience evaluating and developing color, grain, gloss, and haptic characteristics.
Demonstrated ability to visually assess materials for appearance attributes and quality concerns.
Automotive product experience in color and trim, materials development, or a related field.
Broad understanding of material types and their performance characteristics.
Working knowledge of material manufacturing processes.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to influence and collaborate at all levels of an organization.
Ability to interact positively and professionally with internal and external partners.
Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective cross-functional relationships.
Strong project and program management skills, including disciplined follow-through.
Highly detail-oriented, organized, and effective at prioritizing work.
Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to create and deliver clear, compelling presentations to leadership.
Proven ability to collaborate effectively across functions and global regions.
Creativity, curiosity, and an innovative mindset.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge and experience across a variety of material commodities
Previous experience developing color and material masters

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end material development for assigned commodities across all GM brands and vehicle programs.
Deliver material developments that meet design intent, appearance quality standards, and production program requirements.
Partner directly with material suppliers to review and refine material submissions for construction, color, and other appearance attributes.
Collaborate with CMF Designers to establish and achieve appearance targets for new colors and materials
Maintain CMF brand and material strategies, ensuring alignment across the global portfolio.
Collaborate with Materials Engineering on new material development, technical readiness, and issue resolution.
Create and maintain trim transmittals in the GRANTA system.
Track development status for assigned programs and deliver milestones on time.
Support program development status reviews and production approval master readiness activities.
Proactively identify, escalate, and resolve issues related to assigned commodities.
Partner with Thierry to review and approve master samples.
Support the Appearance Quality Appearance Definition team and the CTDAR process.
Support the Appearance Quality Launch team throughout the Appearance Approval Review process.
Coordinate with regional counterparts to align and execute global material developments.
Build and maintain strong strategic relationships with internal partners and external suppliers.
Research and evaluate new materials and technologies to enhance future product offerings.
Participate in cross-functional projects and continuous process-improvement initiatives.