Zone Manufacturing Engineer – General Assembly (Vehicle Assembly)

Job Description

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.

The Role

As a Zone Manufacturing Engineer, you will own a defined zone in General Assembly and lead it from concept through launch to steady-state production. You will work largely autonomously with occasional guidance, applying your expertise in equipment/tooling, process flow, and material movement to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality vehicle assembly. This role operates in both centralized manufacturing engineering and plant environments where creativity, initiative, and independent judgment are critical.

What You’ll Do

Zone Ownership & Launch Execution

• Lead all new programs, model changes, and current production activities within an assigned General Assembly zone.

• Ensure all tooling, conveyors, material handling, and automation requirements for the zone are defined, procured, installed, and validated per launch timelines.

• Define all zone-related changes, including product and manufacturing requirements (tooling, workstation setup, facilities, conveyance, etc.).

• Develop and maintain visual management for the zone during project installation and validation; lead regular review meetings.

• Support build events at the plant, resolve launch issues, and ensure lessons learned from previous launches are captured and applied.

Process & Tooling Engineering

• Lead development of robust manufacturing processes, including sequence and flow of operations for effective utilization of people, material, machines, and facilities.

• Design, specify, and integrate equipment and tooling, from concept through construction, plant installation, launch, and continuous improvement.

• Develop tooling Statements of Requirements (SORs) and manage tooling, stations, or specific technology projects to timing, cost, and performance targets.

• Support the design, build, and validation of tools with suppliers; provide technical direction and oversight to external partners.

• Ensure design documentation and spare parts planning are completed to support long-term equipment reliability.

• Complete all tooling/equipment-related launch tasks and documentation required by the launch team.

Cross-Functional Integration & Planning

• Lead interfaces with cross-functional partners (Process, Materials, Product Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Operations, etc.) to develop and align on common tooling, processes, and standards across the department and related groups.

• Participate in product and cross-functional meetings to support product/process interface and manufacturability.

• Participate in regular integration planning meetings (install requirements, phasing, pull-ahead plans, conveyance interface, etc.).

• Support development of material plans and part presentation for zone process content.

• Lead deep-dive reviews of process development and implementation for the assigned zone.

Material Flow & Logistics Integration

• Develop efficient material flow concepts and strategies for future material movement into and within the zone.

• Support creation of business cases for critical tooling-to-container interfaces and material presentation strategies.

Quality, Risk & Safety

• Complete process risk assessments (such as PFMEA) for assigned programs to identify and mitigate process risks.

• Support execution of build validation plans and integrate lessons learned into zone designs and processes.

• Participate in safety observation activities and partner with safety/ergonomics teams to ensure tools, workstations, and processes meet or exceed company standards.

Systems, Documentation & Governance

• Maintain status of process change requests and related documentation in engineering and manufacturing systems.

• Support virtual or digital builds to validate process and tooling readiness prior to physical builds.

• Maintain zone tooling requirements and cross-check against standard and special tool lists.

• Define specialized power tool and fastening requirements and coordinate with appropriate stakeholders.

• Ensure maintenance training is on track for all critical equipment in the zone.

• Support program financial reviews related to zone tooling, equipment, and process investments.

Work Environment

• Work will involve some weekends, holidays, off-shift support, and travel, which may be extensive at times during product program launches.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

• 2–4 years of experience in Manufacturing.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical field; equivalent relevant manufacturing experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.

• Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems independently and drive issues to resolution.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across functions and levels.

• Proven ability to manage multiple, highly complex projects and assignments with a high degree of autonomy and accountability for results.

• Demonstrated initiative in going beyond assigned work to improve outputs and support others.

• Strong project management skills (planning, risk management, stakeholder alignment, and execution to timeline).

• Flexibility with changing work hours and environments to meet project timelines and support plant operating schedules.

• Willingness and ability to work weekends and holidays as required.

• Ability to travel, sometimes extensively, during product program launches.

• Demonstrated analytical ability and interpersonal skills to build relationships, solve problems, and resolve issues with team members and stakeholders.

What Can Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)

• 1–2 years of experience in the automotive industry.

• Extensive knowledge of company safety and design standards.

• Experience with:

  • General Assembly tooling, conveyors, and automation.
  • Development and application of PFMEA or similar risk assessment tools in launch environments.
  • Digital build tools and manufacturing engineering systems, including standard tooling and equipment databases.

#LI-MH1

GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. Do not apply for this role if you will need GM immigration sponsorship now or in the future. This includes direct company sponsorship, entry of GM as the immigration employer of record on a government form, and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (e.g., H1-B, OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc).

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 at least 50% or more on a frequent basis.

This job may be eligible for relocation benefits.

About GM

Our vision is a world with Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion and we embrace the responsibility to lead the change that will make our world better, safer and more equitable for all.

Why Join Us

We believe we all must make a choice every day – individually and collectively – to drive meaningful change through our words, our deeds and our culture. Every day, we want every employee to feel they belong to one General Motors team.

Benefits Overview

From day one, we're looking out for your well-being–at work and at home–so you can focus on realizing your ambitions. Learn how GM supports a rewarding career that rewards you personally by visiting Total Rewards resources.

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We encourage interested candidates to review the key responsibilities and qualifications for each role and apply for any positions that match their skills and capabilities. Applicants in the recruitment process may be required, where applicable, to successfully complete a role-related assessment(s) and/or a pre-employment screening prior to beginning employment. To learn more, visit How we Hire.

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