Supplier Liaison Automation Manager

Job Description

Work Arrangement:

This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to Warren, MI three times per week, at minimum.

Estimating approximately 30% travel annually.

The Role:

This role serves as the primary liaison between GM and multiple suppliers to ensure alignment, execution discipline, and steadfast progress across supplier-managed Value-Added Assembly (VAA) projects supporting GMNA. The position is responsible for coordinating supplier activities, removing roadblocks, supporting contract and execution alignment, and ensuring project goals, timing, and objectives are clearly communicated across suppliers, integrators, cross-functional teams, and leadership.

Key responsibilities include verifying supplier project planning, integration, validation, implementation readiness, and productionization to support successful launch execution and continuous improvement. The role provides technical direction and oversight for outside vendor sources, supports supplier buyoffs and APQP acceptance testing, verifies Supplier Continuous Process Improvement Team initiatives, supports Quality Readiness Reviews, and provides leadership updates on supplier launch readiness status, open issues, and escalation needs.

The position also supports supplier cost savings and cost avoidance by analyzing engineering budget trade-offs, evaluating manual versus SMART automation opportunities, incorporating lessons learned into standards and workflows, and providing input for supplier “what-if” studies. This role helps mitigate supplier downtime that could impact assembly operations by driving timely closure of Problem Resolution Tracking System items, validating post-SORP readiness, supporting supplier change requests and decision notices, and ensuring issues are rapidly escalated and resolved to protect production continuity.

GM Behaviors: 

• Commitment to Customers

• Innovate and Embrace Change 

• Lead as One Team

What You’ll Do (Responsibilities):

• Support pull ahead Supplier managed VAA modules including verifying planning, integration, validation, and productionizing responsibilities maximizing efficiency to reduce piece price.

• Lead resolution and negotiation strategies between GM and multiple integrators.

• Verify Supplier Continuous Process Improvement Team initiatives and implementation status and readiness.

• Analyze Supplier Engineering Budget trade offs (manual vs SMART automation).

• Support Quality Readiness Reviews.

• Provide Leadership updates for Supplier Launch Readiness Status.

• Continuous improvement Leadership via Problem Resolution Tracking System remediation.

• Supports supplier change requests/decision notices.

• Verify Supplier Post SORP down time with Problem Resolution Tracking System items closed on time, and validation on time.

• Roadblock remover for multiple supplier projects.

• Provide input for Supplier “What if” Studies.

• High level of problem solving and issue resolution aptitude.

• Technical capability with knowledge of automated processes.

• Providing technical direction to and oversight of outside vendor sources (Supplier buyoffs, APQP acceptance testing).

• Effectively communicate all pertinent information regarding goals, project timelines, or objectives to concurrently to multiple and leadership.

• Review initiatives and open issues, rapid escalation of issues and/or roadblocks.

• Incorporate lessons learned and cost savings initiatives into standards, workflows to support future Supplier projects and read across to external teams.

• Performance management responsibilities for contract engineers. 

• Liaison for contract/execution alignment between multiple Suppliers.

• Lead resolution and negotiation strategies between GM and multiple integrators.

• Verify Supplier Continuous Process Improvement Team initiatives and implementation status and readiness.

• Analyze Supplier Engineering Budget trade offs (manual vs SMART automation).

• Support Quality Readiness Reviews.

• Provide Leadership updates for Supplier Launch Readiness Status.

• Continuous improvement Leadership via Problem Resolution Tracking System remediation.

• Supports supplier change requests/decision notices.

• Verify Supplier Post SORP down time with Problem Resolution Tracking System items closed on time, and validation on time.

• Roadblock remover for multiple supplier projects.

• Provide input for Supplier “What if” Studies.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications):

• 7+ years of experience in Manufacturing Operations.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical field, or equivalent professional experience.

• Demonstrate excellent level of analytical ability, communication and interpersonal skills required to build relationships with team members and customers to solve problems and resolve issues.

• Previous experience as Project Lead, with the ability to coordinate resources, provide leadership updates, create, and manage critical timelines. report status, and support rapid escalation were required.

• Ability to efficiently manage multiple issues in a fast-paced work environment.

• Strong technical capability working with industrial electrical systems regulations, design and maintenance, automation, and controls systems. 

• Strong knowledge of Automotive Assembly application and operations.

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple and significantly complex projects and assignments with highest level of autonomy and accountability for results.

• Demonstrates initiative by reaching beyond work assigned to improve output and/or help others.

• Proven ability in project management skills and ability to teach others.

• Proven desire and ability to manage/coach performance of direct reports.

• Travel for Supplier support and verification as required.

What Can Give You a Competitive Advantage (Preferred Qualifications)

• Thorough knowledge of Manufacturing Processes and Equipment and how it relates to VAA Modules.

• Strong passion for customer relations, effective communication and interpersonal savvy



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 on a regular basis (25-50%) 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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