Staff Designer, Vehicle OS, Partner Integration

General Motors•Warren, MI

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The GM Human Interface Design – Vehicle Studio is seeking an experienced Staff Designer, Partner Integration to lead the integration of Google and Apple partner ecosystems into GM’s in-vehicle infotainment experiences. In this role, you will be the primary design point of contact for requirements from Google Automotive Services (GAS), Google Built-In, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay, translating their evolving UX and certification guidelines into coherent, brand-right experiences across GM infotainment systems. You will collaborate with product managers, engineers, and partner teams at Google and Apple to interpret, clarify, and iterate on requirements, ensuring GM’s infotainment design meets partner expectations while preserving our design vision, safety standards, and brand identity. The ideal candidate combines deep in-vehicle UI expertise with strong systems thinking and a passion for working at the intersection of design, requirements, and platform constraints.

Requirements

9+ years of experience designing digital interfaces for web, mobile, or in-vehicle interfaces.
Formal training or degree in Interface Design, Visual Design, Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related discipline.
Strong portfolio demonstrating end‑to‑end product design, including problem framing, interaction design, visual design, and design systems, ideally with examples involving platform or partner constraints.
Proven experience designing for at least one of the following: Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Google Built‑In, GAS, or other OEM‑partnered platform ecosystems.
Demonstrated ability to interpret complex requirement documents (UX guidelines, certification specs, safety/driver workload rules) and translate them into clear, production-ready design solutions.
Proficiency in design tools such as Figma and Adobe Creative Suite, with familiarity in motion and interaction prototyping.
Proven ownership of complex, multi-state systems from concept through production.
Strong systems thinking - understanding how requirements scale across global patterns, design systems, and multi‑program rollouts.
Ability to exercise design restraint, balancing aesthetics, usability, performance, and certification constraints.
Demonstrated success collaborating with cross-functional partners (engineering, software, safety, product, human factors, brand) to resolve complex design challenges.
Strong problem-solving and organizational skills, with experience managing multiple programs or variants in parallel.
Excellent visual, verbal, and written communication skills, especially when explaining complex behaviors and design rationale.
Growth mindset with openness to continuous learning, feedback, and iteration.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience partnering with Google Automotive Services, Google Maps, Android Auto, or Apple CarPlay teams, or equivalent large ecosystem partners.
Prior work on infotainment, projection, navigation, media, or digital key / wallet experiences in production vehicles.
Familiarity with GAS UX requirements, Android Auto / CarPlay certification guidelines, driver workload and automotive safety standards.
Experience working in lean or agile product development environments, including rapid iteration and validation.
Strong understanding of accessibility, legibility, and inclusive design in low-attention, in-vehicle contexts.
Proficiency in interactive prototyping (software and/or hardware).
Experience mentoring or influencing other designers, contributing to design direction beyond immediate project ownership.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary design liaison for Google and Apple partner platforms (GAS, Google Built‑In, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay) for GM infotainment.
Interpret partner UX specifications, certification checklists, and design guidelines, and translate them into clear, actionable design requirements for GM infotainment and gmUI design systems.
Lead design exploration that balances partner requirements, safety & regulatory constraints, and GM brand & usability standards, documenting trade‑offs and recommendations.
Create and maintain reference flows, pattern libraries, and Figma artifacts that capture “GM interpretations” of partner requirements (e.g., onboarding, permissions, media, navigation, projection, voice, digital key, wallet flows).
Collaborate with Product Management and Engineering to shape requirements early, providing design feedback on feasibility, UX debt, and risk to certification or customer experience.
Partner with Google and Apple design/UX teams to review proposals, clarify intent, and iterate on solutions when requirements conflict with vehicle context, driver workload, or GM experience frameworks.
Drive and document design responses to requirement changes (e.g., new GAS features, Android/AA protocol changes, CarPlay updates), including impact assessments and proposed design updates across programs and model years.
Support certification and validation efforts by providing design specifications, redlines, and UX rationales for partner audits, internal reviews, and 3rd‑party certification partners.
Synthesize customer feedback (e.g., JD Power, Compass, CX research) into design enhancements for partner‑driven experiences and collaborate with product teams on prioritization.
Participate in and lead design critiques and cross‑team reviews, representing the partner‑integration perspective and ensuring consistency across clusters, center stack, and auxiliary displays.
Mentor designers working on partner‑related features, sharing best practices on reading specs, working with external partners, and designing within complex requirement ecosystems.