Technical program manager [h1.location_city]

Job Description

Principal Technical Program Manager - Developer Experience

Hybrid : This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to the Technical Innovation Center in Warren, MI three times per week, at minimum.

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 the Principal Technical Program Manager (TPM) for Developer Experience, you will be a strategic partner to the Director of Developer Experience, driving the enterprise-wide DevOps transformation at General Motors. This is a technical leadership role responsible for orchestrating the shift in how GM builds, secures, and ships software.

You will drive execution of the operational strategy for our developer platform, steward high-stakes vendor relationships, and support the cultural adoption of modern engineering practices. You will act as a force multiplier for the Developer Experience organization, translating technical vision into executed reality across thousands of engineers.

What You’ll Do

Operationalize Strategy & Execution

Translate Vision to Roadmap : Partner with Engineering Directors and Architects to decompose high-level strategic goals (e.g., "Move to GitHub Enterprise," "Adopt AI Coding Assistants") into execution-ready program plans with clear milestones and dependencies.

Drive Delivery Cadence : Establish and manage the operating rhythm of the DevEx organization. You will ensure that critical initiatives are tracking against 2026 targets, identifying blockers early and forcing decisions to keep momentum.

Manage Complexity : Orchestrate complex, multi-quarter initiatives that touch every engineer at GM, ensuring minimal disruption while maximizing velocity.

Governance & Cross-Functional Alignment

Broker Identity & Access Solutions : Drive resolution on complex structural challenges such as Enterprise Managed Users (EMU) and external collaborator access. You will facilitate the necessary alignment at the Director, Executive Director, and VP level between Cyber Security, Legal, and Engineering to codify access models that are both secure and frictionless.

Streamline Policy : Work with compliance partners to shift governance left. You will support the transition from manual "gatekeeping" to automated "Policy as Code," ensuring safety without slowing down the developer loop.

Stewardship of Vendor Partnerships

Optimize Commercial Value : Steward the strategic relationship with key partners, ensuring GM maximizes the ROI on its developer tool spend.

Facilitate Emerging Tech Evaluation : Coordinate the evaluation lifecycle for new tools. You will ensure that pilots are structured effectively to yield clear data on productivity and security impact.

Cultural Transformation & Enablement

Accelerate Adoption : Support the organizational change management required for DevOps success. You will help design and implement engagement models (InnerSource, Community of Practice) that encourage teams to adopt modern standards voluntarily.

Scale Knowledge : Oversee the strategy for developer documentation and "paved road" templates, ensuring that the "right way" to build software at GM is also the easiest way.

Performance Measurement & Value Realization

Establish the Metric Framework : Drive the implementation of engineering efficiency standards (DORA metrics) and developer satisfaction signals (SPACE framework).

Surface Productivity Insights : Gather and synthesize data to answer "How much faster are we?" and present these findings to leadership to justify future investment.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

Strategic Program Leadership : 10+ years of experience leading technical programs, with a focus on DevOps, Cloud, or Platform Engineering.

Education : BS or MS degree in an Engineering-related discipline, or equivalent experience.

Force Multiplier Mindset : Proven ability to act as a "Chief of Staff" or strategic deputy, operating with broad autonomy handling operational friction and cross-functional politics so engineering leaders can focus on architecture and code.

Transformation Experience : A track record of driving large-scale cultural and technical shifts (e.g., Waterfall to Agile, On-Prem to Cloud) in complex, regulated enterprise environments.

Commercial & Vendor Acumen : Experience managing enterprise-scale software vendor relationships and navigating the complexities of vendor integration (licensing, identity, support).

Data-Driven storytelling : Ability to synthesize complex metrics into clear narratives for executive audiences.

Experience with the DevOps Toolchain : Deep expertise in the end-to-end software delivery lifecycle. You understand the intricate interplay between source control, work management, CI / CD automation, and quality / security scanning, and how to integrate them into a seamless "Golden Path" for developers.

Strategic Vision & Execution : Demonstrated ability to define and drive multi-year platform strategies in complex, regulated enterprise environments. You have a track record of taking ambiguous long-term goals and breaking them down into actionable quarters of delivery.

Executive Influence & Alignment : Exceptional stakeholder management skills with the ability to operate as a trusted advisor to senior engineering and IT leaders. You can navigate organizational politics, bridge gaps between conflicting teams, and drive consensus on difficult technical decisions without relying on direct authority.

What will give you a competitive edge (Preferred Qualifications)

"AI-Native" mindset : You are an active practitioner who consistently experiments with the latest AI tools in your own daily work and brings a genuine enthusiasm for their potential to the team.

Navigating Security vs. Velocity : A track record of cross-functional partnering to design access and governance models that satisfy compliance requirements without destroying developer productivity.

Advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or MBA with technical focus.

Company Vehicle : Upon successful completion of a motor vehicle report review, you will be eligible to participate in a company vehicle evaluation program, through which you will be assigned a General Motors vehicle to drive and evaluate. Note : program participants are required to purchase / lease a qualifying GM vehicle every four years unless one of a limited number of exceptions applies.

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 job may be eligible for relocation benefits.

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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 .

Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities (U.S.)

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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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