Manager, Strategy & Operations, Brand & Product Communications

General Motors•Detroit, MI

5d•$140,100 - $186,700•Remote

About The Position

This is a senior strategic communications role with direct accountability for shaping and running the business of the function. The Manager, Strategy & Operations, Brand & Product Communications will serve as a trusted partner to the Vice President, Brand & Product Communications, operating across strategic planning, communications operations, executive support, organizational alignment and decision support. This high-judgment position will suit someone with chief of staff experience who can move seamlessly between shaping the work, sharpening the thinking, and designing and driving the operating rhythm behind it. The right person will help ensure that the organization is focused on the right priorities, that major pieces of work are grounded in strategic insight, and that the function operates with a consistently high standard of clarity, rigor, operational discipline and business relevance. This role will require a strong communications operator with real strategic depth. They must be able to work across brands, products, corporate priorities, issues, events, leadership moments and internal touchpoints, while partnering closely with senior leaders and cross-functional teams to turn complex inputs into clear recommendations, persuasive narratives, executable plans and well-structured decisions. You will also help set the quality and operational bar for the function. You will work with leaders across the team to ensure strategies, operating plans, presentations, briefing materials, narratives, updates and leadership documents are not simply well written, but well argued, insight-led, operationally grounded and aligned to business priorities.

Requirements

10+ years of experience across strategic communications, executive communications, business planning, communications operations, chief of staff work, corporate strategy, brand strategy or related fields.
Meaningful experience supporting a senior leader in a role that required judgment, discretion, prioritization, operational rigor and strong cross-functional influence.
A strong track record developing high-quality strategic materials for senior executives, including presentations, narratives, briefing documents, talking points, recommendations and organizational communications.
Demonstrated success working across a complex matrixed organization and influencing senior stakeholders across multiple functions.
Proven ability to move between strategy and execution. This person must be equally comfortable shaping the narrative, pressure-testing the substance, designing the operating approach and helping drive the follow-through.
Exceptional writer and editor with the ability to make complex material clear, concise, persuasive and decision-useful.
Strong strategic thinker with the ability to identify the signal in the noise, clarify the central issue, frame actionable recommendations and translate them into workable plans.
Excellent business judgment and organizational instincts. Ability to understand the broader context around a decision, not just the communications dimension, and to reflect that in both strategy and operations.
High level of executive presence, maturity and discretion. Comfortable operating in sensitive situations and handling confidential information.
Strong operating discipline. Able to design and manage multiple workstreams, maintain momentum across priorities, create structure in ambiguity and build repeatable processes that scale.
Ability to challenge constructively, give direct feedback and improve the quality and operational readiness of work across a team.

Nice To Haves

Experience in automotive, mobility, consumer brand, corporate affairs, public affairs, marketing communications or another fast-paced, high-visibility environment.
Experience in a role that combined strategic communications with business planning, communications operations, chief of staff responsibilities or senior executive support.
Experience working in a highly matrixed global organization with multiple brands, senior stakeholders and competing priorities.

Responsibilities

Lead high-impact plans that turn business priorities and product/brand moments into clear narratives, strategies and decision-ready materials.
Own executive presentations and briefs that are insight-led, audience-focused, actionable and aligned to the business.
Serve as a strategic partner to the Vice President on planning, prioritization and execution, calling out what needs attention or decision.
Design and refine the operating rhythm so direction becomes clear owners, timelines, metrics and follow-through.
Build and improve core operating mechanisms – calendars, intake, prioritization, reviews, templates and playbooks.
Align communications plans with budgets, headcount and KPIs, using performance insights to guide priorities, resourcing and process.
Work across communications, marketing, product, brand, operations, HR, finance and executives to synthesize inputs and drive alignment.
Act as connective tissue for the business, influencing without authority and knowing when to drive, challenge, escalate or simplify.
Turn ambiguity and complexity into clear choices, practical recommendations and executable plans.
Raise the bar on analysis, writing, structure and executive readiness, strengthening both the quality and impact of communications work.