Exterior Creative Designer - Performance Studio

General Motors; Warren (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

General Motors in Warren, MI seeks a Creative Designer – Performance Studio to contribute to exterior performance design for GM performance vehicles and programs. You will focus on aero packages, exterior graphics, appearance packages, and performance accessories.

The role requires hands-on exterior design expertise, strong sketching/visualization skills, and collaboration with cross-functional partners in a fast-paced studio.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Transportation Design, Industrial Design, or a related field.
• 2+ years of professional experience in automotive exterior design with a strong portfolio.
• Experience developing exterior design themes or sub-programs from concept through production.
• Proficiency in design tools (Adobe Creative Suite, Alias, Blender, VRED) and traditional/digital sketching.

Responsibilities

• Drive exterior performance design concepts from ideation through production.
• Define a compelling performance design vision aligned with brand DNA.
• Create sketches, renderings, and digital models exploring proportion and aero.
• Collaborate with Clay, Digital Sculpting, Engineering, Aerodynamics, Marketing, and Program Management.
• Lead exterior performance appearance programs including body kits and graphics/stripe packages.
• Present design directions in reviews and leverage VR/digital workflows.

Skills

Exterior design

Sketching & visualization

Cross-functional collaboration

3D modeling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Transportation Design or Industrial Design

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Alias

VRED

Blender

Job description

Job Description

The Role

Our Design organization plays a critical role in realizing GM's vision by shaping the emotional and functional character of every vehicle and experience we create. Within Global Design, the General Motors Performance Studio is at the forefront of expressive, driver-focused performance design that elevates our iconic nameplates and future products.

As a Creative Designer – Performance Studio, you will contribute to both advanced and production exterior performance design for General Motors performance vehicles and programs. You will focus on a range of performance-oriented products, including aero packages, exterior graphics, appearance packages, and performance accessories.

The ideal candidate is a highly creative, hands-on exterior designer with a deep understanding of performance vehicle proportion, brand character, aerodynamics, and motorsports-inspired aesthetics. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional partners in a fast-paced studio environment to deliver performance products that are both aspirational and authentic.

What You’ll Do

• Drive the creative development of exterior performance design concepts for new and existing GM performance vehicles, programs, and accessories from early ideation through production execution.
• Define and communicate a compelling performance design vision that aligns with each brand’s DNA and GM's overall design strategy.
• Generate high-quality sketches, renderings, and digital models that explore proportion, surface development, graphics, and aero elements with a strong sense of stance, emotion, and performance authenticity.
• Partner closely with studio leadership, Clay and Digital Sculpting, Engineering, Aerodynamics, Performance Engineering, Marketing, and Program Management to balance design intent with feasibility, performance targets, cost, and timing.
• Lead execution of exterior performance appearance and accessory programs, including body kits, spoilers, splitters, diffusers, wheels, and graphics/stripe packages.
• Champion brand-appropriate performance graphics, color-breaks, and visual signatures that reinforce vehicle identity on both road and track.
• Participate in design reviews, leveraging GM's evolving digital design workflows (including VR reviews, digital visualization, and collaboration tools) to present design directions, gather feedback, refine quality, and accelerate decision-making while staying current on industry, motorsports, and cultural trends related to performance and customization.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

• Bachelor's degree in Transportation Design, Industrial Design, or a related field from an accredited institution.
• 2+ years of professional experience in automotive exterior design with a strong portfolio demonstrating performance-oriented vehicle design, advanced and/or production exterior programs, and high-quality ideation sketches, renderings, and 3D collaboration.
• Demonstrated experience developing exterior design themes or sub-programs from concept through production, working closely with clay and digital sculpting as well as engineering teams.
• Expert-level sketching and visualization skills (traditional and digital) with proficiency in relevant design and visualization tools (such as Adobe Creative Suite, Alias, Blender, VRED, or similar).
• Strong understanding of proportion, surfacing, aero principles, and performance design language, with proven ability to clearly present design intent, collaborate effectively in cross-functional teams, and work on-site at the GM Global Technical Center - Design Center West in Warren, MI with normal corporate flexibility.

What Will Give You A Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience working specifically on performance or motorsports programs (road cars, track cars, racing, or aftermarket performance products).
• Familiarity with GM brands and performance heritage, and enthusiasm for the performance and enthusiast community.
• Experience with VR-based design reviews, real-time visualization, and/or innovative digital design workflows.
• Strong storytelling skills, including the ability to connect design solutions to brand strategy, customer insights, and broader business objectives.

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 onsite. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location on a full-time 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.

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

General Motors is committed to being a workplace that is not only free of unlawful discrimination, but one that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. We strongly believe that providing an inclusive workplace creates an environment in which our employees can thrive and develop better products for our customers.

All employment decisions are made on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to sex, race, color, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, disability, pregnancy or maternity status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran or protected veteran, or any other similarly protected status in accordance with federal, state and local laws.

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.

Accommodations

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