Technical Specialist - Advanced Seat Structures

Job Description

This role is categorized as hybrid. The selected candidate will be expected to work on-site at the Warren Tech Center at least three days per week, or as otherwise determined by the hiring leader.

• This role is not eligible for relocation assistance.

At General Motors, our product teams are redefining mobility. Through a human-centered design process, we create vehicles and experiences that are designed not just to be seen, but to be felt. We’re turning today’s impossible into tomorrow’s standard —from breakthrough hardware and battery systems to intuitive design, intelligent software, and next-generation safety and entertainment features.

Every day, our products move millions of people as we aim to make driving safer, smarter, and more connected, shaping the future of transportation on a global scale..

About the role: The Technical Specialist – Advanced Seat Structures is the senior individual contributor and domain expert for future seat structure architectures, mechanisms, and enabling technologies. You will lead clean-sheet and advanced concept work (new architectures, mechanisms, composite/lightweight structures) and convert ambiguous customer and vehicle requirements into executable, reusable seat structure strategies. This role operates primarily in advanced vehicle development, partnering closely with Advanced Vehicle Development (AVD), seat just-in-time (JIT) suppliers, Safety, Body-in-White (BIW), Design, Manufacturing, and global regions to define the advanced seat structures roadmap and prepare downstream program teams for successful execution.

Key Responsibilities:

Advanced Architecture & Concept Development:

• Lead development of advanced front and rear seat structure architectures from clean sheet through hand-off to execution teams.

• Translate vehicle-level targets into robust seat structure layouts and mechanism concepts.

• Use CAE, packaging, and kinematic studies to evaluate structural load paths, stiffness, modal behavior, and occupant comfort.

• Capture and standardize advanced architecture enablers (interfaces, mechanisms, joints, materials) for reuse across multiple programs and regions.

Innovation, Benchmarking & Technology Roadmap:

• Lead global competitive benchmarking of seat structures, mechanisms, and materials to identify industry trends and best-in-class solutions.

• Partner with JIT suppliers and GM R&D to scout, evaluate, and prototype new structure and mechanism technologies that support future customer experiences.

• Maintain and update the Advanced Seat Structures roadmap, linking technology opportunities to brand strategies, regulatory changes, and manufacturing constraints.

Safety, Regulatory & Structural Performance:

• Ensure advanced concepts are structurally viable and capable of meeting global safety and regulatory requirements (e.g., FMVSS, ECE, IIHS).

• Define structural targets and validation strategies for new architectures (e.g., whiplash, rear impact, ABTS load cases, seat-belt/buckle integration).

• Support Safety, Performance Integration, and CAE teams in early trade-off studies for advanced concepts.

Manufacturability, Automation & Complexity:

• Collaborate with Manufacturing Engineering, GA plants, and JITs to define automation-friendly seat structure concepts, including joint strategies and part family approaches.

• Evaluate trade-offs between content, complexity, mass, and investment for advanced structures; develop data-driven business cases.

• Promote reuse, corporate common components, and carry-over opportunities across programs and regions to reduce cost and complexity.

Knowledge Management & Mentorship:

• Own and maintain advanced-structures core knowledge (design guidelines, best practices, DFMEA templates, KCDS, interface control documents).

• Lead technical design reviews, peer reviews, and learning sessions for the global seat structures community.

• Mentor Design Release Engineers and designers on advanced structure development and ensure smooth transition from advanced work to production execution.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Influence:

• Act as the primary interface with AVD, Design/Studio, BIW, Safety, Seat JITs, and regional engineering teams (e.g., China, Korea, South America).

• Synthesize complex technical topics (comfort vs. MTM, feature trade-offs, mass/investment impacts, manufacturability limits) into clear, data-driven recommendations.

• Represent Seat Structures in cross-functional advanced workstreams and strategy forums related to future interiors, customer experience, and automation.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline.

• 7+ years post-graduation engineering experience, with significant time on automotive seat structures or closely related structural systems.

• Proven track record developing seat structures from concept through launch, including supplier collaboration and plant support.

• Deep understanding of seat-to-vehicle packaging, occupant ergonomics, and structural integration with BIW/floor systems.

• Demonstrated proficiency in structural analysis (e.g., FEA, modal/rigid-bed analysis) and ability to translate CAE/test results into design recommendations.

• Strong knowledge of global seating safety and regulatory requirements and how they influence architecture decisions.

• Evidence of operating independently on complex, ambiguous technical problems and converting them into executable concepts and strategies.

• Experience with benchmarking and competitive analysis, with the ability to translate insights into GM-relevant solutions.

• Solid business acumen with experience preparing and communicating cost/mass/investment trade studies.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills; able to convey complex structural topics to technical and non-technical audiences.

• Demonstrated collaboration and influence skills across functions and regions, without direct people leadership.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Mechanical, Structural, or closely related Engineering discipline.

• 10+ years of engineering experience, including substantial time in advanced/AVD-style roles or advanced structure/mechanism development.

• Recognized technical leadership in seating, structures, or mechanisms.

• Demonstrated leadership of clean-sheet seat structure architectures that delivered step-change improvements in comfort, headroom, mass, or cost.

• Experience with composite or other lightweight structural materials and related manufacturing processes applied to seat structures.

• DFSS Black Belt and/or advanced problem-solving certification (e.g., Red X) with demonstrated application to structural and system-level issues.

• Direct experience contributing to highly automated manufacturing strategies for structural systems.

• Familiarity with GM engineering processes, GVDP, and collaboration with regional engineering centers on advanced seating concepts.

#LI-JN1

This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location at least 3 times a week {or other frequency dictated by their manager}.

The selected candidate will be required to travel <25% for this role.

This job is not eligible for relocation benefits. Any relocation costs would be the responsibility of the selected candidate.

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