Sr. Manager Software Engineering - Experience Prototyping

General Motors•Warren, MI

1d•$238,700 - $365,700•Hybrid

About The Position

General Motors pioneers the innovations that move and connect people to what matters. We see a world with zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion. As we move toward this vision, software plays an integral role as it becomes more prominent in our vehicles. Our ambition in Software & Services Product Management is to build a world-class software development culture that is part of the company’s shared vision. We are creating an elite portfolio of software-defined vehicles by tightly integrating software, hardware, and services to create complete and compelling vehicle experiences for our customers. As Senior Manager, Software Engineering – Experience Prototyping, Vehicle Product Management you will lead the Experience Prototyping engineering team responsible for defining and delivering next‑generation software experiences across web, mobile, and embedded platforms—both in and outside the vehicle. This role reports to the Director, Experience Prototyping – Vehicle Product Management, with a dotted‑line relationship to the mainline Software Engineering organization. You will be responsible for multiple leaders, and their engineering teams, who rapidly build functional prototypes and technical experiments that inform product roadmaps, requirements, and platform investments. Our team collaborates across product management, hardware engineering prototyping and design to ensure that the experiences we prototype are aligned with user needs, technical realities, and GM’s strategic goals. While your primary focus is on strategy, people leadership, and outcomes, you are expected to be a hands-on leader with deep software engineering and architecture skills. This role requires a strong technical foundation across front and back-end technologies, cloud-based services, AI/ML, the ability to navigate ambiguity, and a passion for disciplined innovation at scale.

Requirements

12+ years of professional software engineering experience across web, mobile, and/or embedded platforms.
5+ years of experience as a people leader, including leading multiple teams and/or engineering managers in complex, matrixed environments.
Demonstrated experience leading innovation, prototyping, or early‑stage product discovery efforts, not only production delivery.
Strong technical foundation in modern full‑stack development, with the ability to evaluate architecture, design, and code across front end, back end, and mobile.
Experience decomposing broad concepts into clear work items and experiments that engineering teams can execute rapidly.
Exceptional strategic thinking and the ability to connect customer needs, technical possibilities, and business outcomes.
Understanding of user‑centered design principles and experience collaborating closely with UX/UI/ID teams.
Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels, including senior leadership.
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field, or equivalent experience.

Nice To Haves

Deep understanding of automotive software and hardware architecture, including in‑vehicle systems, connectivity, and embedded platforms.
Prior experience working with or within General Motors (GM), or strong familiarity with GM’s technology stack, development cycles, and product ecosystem.
Demonstrated ability to bridge technical and business domains in fast‑paced prototyping or advanced engineering environments.
Experience collaborating with cross‑functional teams in large enterprise or automotive settings.
Experience with rapid prototyping and lean product development frameworks (e.g., design sprints, Lean, hypothesis‑driven development).

Responsibilities

Lead the Experience Prototyping engineering team to deliver high‑impact prototypes and experiments and provide direct leadership to 4 engineering leads and their respective teams.
Own Experience Prototyping’s relationship with mainline software engineering to ensure team compliance and utilization of GM’s software engineering standards and best practices while ensuring the team’s autonomy and creativity related to experience and prototype development.
Partner with Experience Prototyping Product, Design, and Hardware Engineering leaders in support and optimization of a framework that translates ambiguous concepts into clear hypotheses, experiments, and prototype work.
Ensure prototypes are sound with clear paths for handoff to product and delivery teams as appropriate.
Lead, develop, and retain a high‑performing, inclusive engineering team
Represent Experience Prototyping engineering in senior cross‑functional forums, using evidence from experiments to influence product, platform, and investment decisions.
Be responsible for software engineering costs and reporting for the Experience Prototyping team