Exterior Creative Designer - Performance Studio

Motorsport Network, LLC; Warren, Northern (MI, KY); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

General Motors’ Global Design - Performance Studio seeks a Creative Designer to contribute to exterior performance design for GM performance vehicles, aero packages, and accessories. The role emphasizes hands-on design, sketches, renderings, and 3D models.

You will collaborate with cross-functional teams at the GM Global Technical Center – Design Center West in Warren, MI, driving design concepts from ideation to production while aligning with brand DNA and performance targets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Transportation Design, Industrial Design, or a related field.
• 2+ years of automotive exterior design experience with a strong portfolio showing performance-oriented design.
• Experience developing exterior design themes from concept through production with clay and digital sculpting teams.

Responsibilities

• Drive the creative development of exterior performance design concepts from ideation through production execution.
• Define and communicate a compelling performance design vision aligned with brand DNA and GM strategy.
• Generate high-quality sketches, renderings, and 3D models exploring proportion, surface, graphics, and aero elements.

Skills

Exterior design

Proportion & aerodynamics

Sketching & visualization

3D collaboration

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Transportation/Industrial Design

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Alias

Blender

VRED

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

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