Design Program Manager – Portfolio Management

General Motors•Austin, TX

4d•Remote

About The Position

The Role As the Human Interface Design Portfolio Manager, you will define the Design portfolio planning activities across the Human Interface Design (HID) team landscape and execute robust portfolio management processes aligned with cross functional organizational goals and software design strategic objectives. The ideal candidate has extensive program management expertise, excels in cross‑functional leadership, and embodies a proactive, pragmatic approach—tackling tasks with enthusiasm and a commitment to delivering results.

Requirements

BS in Business, Engineering, Human Centered disciplines, or equivalent experience demonstrating strong analytical and operational capability.
7+ years of experience in Project Management, Product Management, or Operations leadership managing large, diverse, and multiprogram portfolios spanning complex ecosystems such as software, hardware, services, or automotive systems.
Proven ability to plan, manage, and optimize portfolios at scale, including multi-year roadmaps, cross-platform design initiatives, and high-dependency workstreams (e.g., Vehicle OS generations, mobile apps, web properties, design systems, and advanced UX).
Expertise in portfolio management frameworks and capacity planning tools, including the Atlassian suite, Jira Advanced Roadmaps, Power BI, and related enterprise systems.
Ability to interpret technical documentation, UX workflows, and design system dependencies and translate them into actionable portfolio and resource plans.
Demonstrated strength in building data driven forecasts, scenario models, and resource strategies to inform leadership decisions.
Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to synthesize complexity into clear narratives for Directors, VPs, Tech Leads, PMs, and Designers.
Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills with a demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority across multiple functions and levels.
Proven ability to operate in ambiguity, create clarity, and lead teams through changing tools, processes, and operating models.
Calm under pressure, skilled at managing escalations, resetting expectations, and navigating competing priorities in fast-moving environments.
Analytical mindset with a commitment to continuous improvement in systems, processes, and operational rigor.

Nice To Haves

10+ years of experience leading project, product, or portfolio management efforts within complex, multiplatform ecosystems—ideally spanning software, hardware, services, or automotive domains.
Demonstrated ability to operate in ambiguity while creating clarity for cross functional functional teams, guiding partners through shifting tools, processes, and operating models.
Proven change leadership experience, especially in environments undergoing largescale transformation across systems, operating models, or organizational structures
Experience building or scaling portfolio management and governance frameworks that support multiyear planning, capacity modeling, and strategic prioritization across large design or product organizations.
Familiarity with automotive product development, complex ecosystems where timing, dependencies, and cross functional alignment are critical to success.
Professional certifications such as PMP, PRINCE2, Six Sigma, or Certified ScrumMaster

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end portfolio and resource management across the Human Interface Design organization, spanning Vehicle OS generations, Mobile Apps, Web Properties, Foundations, and Advanced UX workstreams to create a comprehensive design roadmap.
Partner with the Director of Design Operations, Directors of Design, and Product and Engineering Portfolio managers to design, refine, and operationalize a 3–5-year view of what HID is doing, why it matters, and how it connects to GM, Vehicle OS, Vehicle HW, Foundations and Web & App strategy
Apply deep domain knowledge across HID’s multiplatform ecosystem to build capacity models and multi-year staffing scenarios to identify risks, constraints, and interdependencies early, and develop clear mitigation strategies and action plans that maintain alignment and momentum across teams.
Relentlessly prioritize the portfolio, map dependencies early, tracks mitigations, and partner with Product and Engineering portfolio peers and senior HID leadership to co-own cross-functional roadmaps and reduce escalations.
Use strategic influencing and relationship building skills to align teams and leaders around shared priorities, ensuring work is appropriately staffed and consistently delivered.
Demonstrate professional courage and operational urgency, motivating collaborators to elevate engagement, meet commitments, and navigate ambiguity with confidence.
Employ modern portfolio management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, Lean) and leverage GM enterprise tools—including the Atlassian suite, Jira Advanced Roadmaps, and Power BI—to own operational alignment and cross-org visibility.
Communicate portfolio health, outcomes, and risks with transparency, tailoring insights and narratives for Directors, VPs, and cross-functional partners.
Contribute thought leadership, role model effective operational behaviors, and mentor others to elevate HID’s portfolio management maturity and operational excellence.