Program Manager - Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) Program Development - GM Defense

Description

Hybrid: This role is categorized as hybrid . This means the successful candidate is expected to report to Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan three times per week, at minimum, or other frequency dictated by the business with periodic travel to Concord, NC and customer locations.

About GM Defense:

GM Defense is driving the future of military mobility by leveraging the best-in-class capabilities of General Motors for unmatched innovation, proven performance and breakthrough life-cycle economics! We deliver reliable, affordable, and innovative products across a full spectrum of capabilities – integrated vehicles, power and propulsion, autonomy, mobility, and security!

GM Defense is seeking a highly motivated, dynamic individual looking for an opportunity that will allow them to showcase their talents and have an impact in a strategic growth area. Our ideal candidate thrives in ambiguity and demonstrates problem-solving leadership with limited oversight!

The Role:

The Program Manager – Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) Program Development owns the processes, tools, and cross-functional coordination that keep the ISV portfolio synchronized across contracts, engineering, manufacturing, and sustainment. This role defines, documents, and executes core program processes; drives automation of internal workflows; leads the cost accounting creation and maintenance process; oversees all contract deliverables and Integrated Master Schedules (IMS); develops and executes analytic studies that inform future engineering content, production planning, and investment decisions; and provides direct supervisory leadership for 2–3 Assistant Program Managers supporting ISV integration activities.

The role ensures leadership has timely, accurate, and actionable visibility into performance across cost, schedule, technical risk, and contractual commitments while building team capability, setting priorities, and ensuring consistent execution across assigned program management resources.

What You’ll Do:

1. Portfolio Integration and Baseline Management

Serve as the integration lead across ISV contracts, variants, and work directives, ensuring alignment of scope, schedules, and budgets.

Maintain a clear, consolidated view of ISV program baselines — technical, schedule, and financial — and assess how changes in one area affect the broader portfolio.

Partner with Contracts, Finance, Engineering, Manufacturing, Integrated Product Support (IPS), Quality, and Supply Chain to translate contractual requirements into executable, integrated plans.

Provide day-to-day supervision, work prioritization, coaching, and performance support for 2–3 Assistant Program Managers, ensuring aligned execution of program management tasks, development of team capability, and effective coverage across ISV integration priorities.

2. Process Definition, Documentation, and Execution

Define, document, and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for core ISV program management processes, including contract change flow, CDRL development and review, IMS updates, risk and issue management, and decision forums.

Build and maintain process maps, RACI charts, and checklists that enable repeatable execution across the ISV team.

Monitor adherence to established processes, identify gaps or bottlenecks, and drive corrective actions and continuous improvement.

3. Automation of Internal Program Processes

Identify high-friction, manual activities in ISV program execution and lead efforts to automate or streamline them.

Partner with IT, data, and tool owners to design, pilot, and deploy automation solutions such as SharePoint workflows, dashboards, templates, macros, and low/no-code tools.

Establish and track metrics for each automation initiative, including cycle time, error rate, and touch time, and measure realized benefits.

4.Cost Accounting Process and Financial Integration

Lead the cost accounting creation and maintenance process for ISV Integration activities in close collaboration with Program Finance, Controllership, and Contracts.

Facilitate working sessions to structure new work in accordance with MIL-STD-881 and internal GPN/WBS standards, ensuring traceability between contract scope, work breakdown, and charging structures.

Prepare and submit GPN/WBS requests, track approvals, and maintain current reference tools such as ISV GPN cheat sheets, PEG/WBS masters, and project lists.

Coordinate with Finance to ensure GPN/WBS structures support reporting, invoicing, and audit requirements and that charge lines and authorized personnel remain current.

5. Contract Deliverables, CDRLs, and Integrated Master Schedules

Own the contract deliverables integration plan, ensuring all CDRLs, technical products, and program artifacts are logically tied to IMS tasks, properly resourced, and sequenced to support reviews and milestones.

Oversee development, internal review, and submission of CDRLs, leveraging automation where possible for status tracking, workflows, and performance metrics such as on-time, late, and at-risk.

Work with the IMS lead to maintain a high-quality, resource-informed integrated master schedule that reflects current contract scope, changes, and risks.

Drive regular cross-functional reviews of IMS and deliverable health, highlighting conflicts, constraints, and decision points to leadership.

6. Studies and Decision Support for Future Engineering and Production

Plan and execute trade studies and analytical projects that inform future engineering content, production strategies, sustainment concepts, and business cases for the ISV family of vehicles.

Develop study charters that define the problem statement, scope, options, and timeline and coordinate participation across Engineering, Manufacturing, IPS, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, and Business Development.

Develop clear, data-backed recommendations and decision briefs for internal reviews and customer engagements, including scenario comparisons and sensitivity analyses.

Track decisions and resulting actions, ensuring they are flowed into contracts, baselines, and execution plans.

7. Stakeholder Communication, Risk, and Change Management

Act as a primary integration point of contact for ISV leadership, providing concise, structured updates on process health, automation progress, IMS status, and key studies.

Facilitate regular risk, issue, and opportunity reviews, ensuring items are captured, assessed, mitigated, and linked to schedule and deliverables.

Coordinate change management across the ISV portfolio — including contract modifications, configuration changes, and process updates — to minimize disruption and maintain alignment among internal and external stakeholders.

Prepare and deliver materials for internal program reviews, Army reviews, and senior GM Defense forums focused on ISV integration topics.

Your Skills and Abilities (Required Qualifications)

Bachelor’s degree required.

Candidate must either be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, asylee or refugee) or a non-U.S. Person who is eligible to obtain any required export control authorization.

U.S. citizenship required to comply with federal government contract provision expressly restricting role to U.S. citizens.

10+ years of relevant experience

Proficiency in program or project management, preferably in automotive, aerospace, defense, or a similarly complex product environment.

Demonstrated experience leading integrated schedules, contract deliverables, and cross-functional teams on programs.

Strong working knowledge of structured program management practices, including WBS, IMS, and risk & issue management.

Proficiency with core program management tools such as Microsoft Project or equivalent scheduling tools, Excel, and PowerPoint, with the ability to learn production process scheduling and cost accounting software.

Excellent communication skills with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear narratives for leadership, customers, and functional teams.

What Will Give You a Competitive Advantage (Preferred Qualification)

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Systems Management, or a related field.

Master’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

Direct experience with U.S. Department of Defense programs, including familiarity with CDRLs, IMS expectations, and MIL-STD-881 or similar standards.

Experience in light tactical vehicles or ground combat systems programs.

Hands-on experience with process design, documentation, and automation, including SharePoint/Power Platform solutions, scripting, or workflow tools.

Exposure to Earned Value Management (EVM), cost/schedule integration, or equivalent performance management frameworks.

Familiarity with GM or GM Defense processes and governance related to contracting, timekeeping, and program financials.

Success Measures

Success in this role will be measured by:

Quality, clarity, and adoption of ISV program processes and documentation across the stakeholder community.

Reduction in cycle time and rework for key internal processes through effective automation.

Health and integrity of cost accounting structures and IMS, including timely reflection of changes and strong linkage between scope, schedule, and cost.

On-time, high-quality delivery of contract deliverables and decision-support studies that enable informed choices on engineering content, production plans, and investments.

Positive feedback from leadership and cross-functional partners on the ability to integrate activities, anticipate issues, and drive disciplined, data-informed execution across the ISV portfolio.

#GMD

U.S. citizenship required pursuant to government contract.

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 <25% for this role.

This job is not eligible for relocation benefits. Any relocation costs would be the responsibility of the selected candidate.

The position is subject to export control restrictions and requires the successful candidate to be either a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, asylee or refugee) or a non-U.S. Person who is eligible to obtain any required export control authorization

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.

Total Rewards | 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

General Motors offers opportunities to all job seekers including individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to assist with your job search or application for employment, email us Show email or call us at Show phone number. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.