Staff Program Manager, Incident Management - AV Development

General Motors•Milford, MI

10d•Remote

About The Position

The Staff Program Manager, Incident Management – Autonomous Vehicle Development is the strategic leader responsible for the full lifecycle of incident response for GM’s AV test operations. This role leads a team of Incident Response Specialists, sets the bar for safety and quality, and ensures GM’s global AV incident response runs with precision, reliability, and compliance. You’ll shape the strategy, elevate cross‑functional alignment, and build a high‑performing team that delivers fast, accurate, and consistent incident management across a mission‑critical program.

Requirements

Deep knowledge of incident response frameworks in AV, mobility, or other complex, safety‑critical environments
7+ years in incident management, including experience as an Incident Commander or lead responder
3+ years of people leadership experience
Proven ability to stay calm, clear, and precise during high‑pressure escalations
Experience briefing senior leadership in real time
Demonstrated experience training teams and reinforcing safety culture
Ability and willingness to participate in a 24/7 on‑call rotation

Nice To Haves

Degree in Emergency Management, Operations, Business, or related field
Experience with legal hold/evidentiary requests, law‑enforcement interactions, and regulatory communications
Background in highly regulated industries (Automotive, Aviation, Maritime, Rail, etc.)
Certifications such as NIMS/ICS, ITIL, or equivalent
Strong analytical skills; experience with tools like Looker

Responsibilities

Set the Strategy: Own the incident response vision, roadmap, playbooks, escalation models, and quality standards for AV operations. Align engineering, operations, safety, legal, and executive partners around clear, disciplined incident response processes.
Lead & Develop the Team: Manage and mentor Incident Response Specialists; drive accountability, growth, and team cohesion. Foster a culture rooted in safety, precision, continuous improvement, and psychological safety.
Crisis & Incident Command: Oversee the response for major incidents affecting the AV fleet to minimize safety and operational impacts. Provide executive‑level clarity during fast‑moving events while ensuring disciplined, real‑time response operations. Serve as the an escalation point for critical, fleet‑impacting, or reputationally sensitive incidents.
Technical & Cross‑Functional Leadership: Partner closely with technical experts to diagnose issues across software, hardware, and systems. Coordinate response efforts with engineering, operations, safety, legal, communications, and executives; ensure accurate documentation and aligned messaging.
Process Excellence: Build and continually improve tools, workflows, and best practices to increase response speed, clarity, and quality. Provide actionable insights for Legal, Safety, Regulatory, and Communications teams.
Communication & Compliance: Deliver timely updates during incidents; support legal inquiries, regulatory reporting, and law‑enforcement requests. Review DMV/NHTSA requirements and influence policy, compliance, and documentation updates.
Training & Enablement: Lead onboarding and ongoing training for incident responders and cross‑functional partners. Develop and run incident exercises to strengthen readiness and reinforce safety culture.