General Motors

Body Structure Feasibility Architect

General Motors$100K — $130K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Math, Physics, or relevant field.
  • 8+ years of engineering experience in automotive body structures or product development.
  • Expertise in body structure design and feasibility assessment methods.
  • Proficient in evaluating incomplete concepts and providing clear technical guidance.
  • Experience collaborating across design, CAE, manufacturing, and engineering teams.
  • Excellent communication skills for explaining technical tradeoffs to engineers and leadership.
  • Ability to lead and influence as a senior technical figure without direct managerial roles.

Responsibilities

  • Lead body structure feasibility assessments for new vehicle concepts and major changes.
  • Evaluate proposals to assess technical viability and identify key trade-offs.
  • Collaborate with studio, vehicle architecture, and manufacturing teams to ensure design feasibility.
  • Guide teams through risk identification and concept reviews early in the development phase.
  • Develop and communicate feasibility strategies to leadership and program teams.
  • Balance performance, efficiency, manufacturability, and investment for body structure direction.
  • Facilitate resolution of cross-functional issues and translate expert input into design guidance.

Benefits

  • Hybrid work environment with flexible location attendance required at least three times a week.
  • Opportunity to shape future vehicle concepts at a leading automotive company.
Full Job Description
Job Description

The Role

General Motors is seeking a senior technical leader to serve as a Body Structure Feasibility Architect. This role is focused on early vehicle feasibility, packaging strategy, and what-if studies, helping shape body structure concepts before programs are locked and ensuring design intent can be translated into viable technical solutions.

As a deeply experienced individual contributor, you will work across design, vehicle architecture, CAE, and manufacturing to evaluate concepts, identify risks early, and guide teams toward robust, manufacturable body structure solutions.

What You'll Do (Responsibilities)
  • Lead early-phase body structure feasibility assessments for new vehicle concepts, major architecture changes, and advanced studies.
  • Evaluate packaging, proportion, occupant, and structural concept proposals to determine technical viability and key tradeoffs.
  • Partner closely with studio, vehicle architecture, CAE, and manufacturing teams to align design intent with feasible body structure solutions.
  • Provide expert guidance during concept reviews, integration reviews, and cross-functional workshops to surface risks, alternatives, and recommendations early in the development process.
  • Develop and communicate structural feasibility strategies, including assumptions, risks, options, and recommended paths forward for leadership and program teams.
  • Influence body structure direction by balancing performance, package efficiency, manufacturability, investment, timing, and program complexity.
  • Drive cross-functional issue resolution by coordinating expert input from engineering disciplines and translating that input into actionable design guidance.
  • Support creation of coarse study math, feasibility criteria, and targeted assessments needed to mature concepts into credible program recommendations


Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)
  • Bachelor degree in Engineering, Math, Physics, or other relevant degree
  • 8 years of relevant engineering experience in automotive body structures, vehicle architecture, feasibility, packaging, or product development
  • Deep understanding of body structure design principles, feasibility assessment methods, and cross-functional vehicle integration
  • Strong ability to evaluate early concepts with incomplete information and provide clear technical direction
  • Experience working across design, CAE, manufacturing, and product engineering teams
  • Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain technical tradeoffs to both engineering teams and leadership
  • Demonstrated ability to lead through influence as a senior technical expert without direct people-management responsibility


What Can Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)
  • Advanced degree in engineering or related discipline
  • Experience supporting advanced vehicle development, concept studies, or architecture feasibility work
  • Knowledge of body structure manufacturing considerations, including formability, joining, tolerance, and assembly impacts
  • Deep experience in topology creation, typical sections, multi-model optimization, and linearizing critical load cases
  • Familiarity with translating technical feasibility findings into program recommendations, business framing, and development roadmaps


What Success Looks Like
  • Idealized load paths and sections defined for given assumptions
  • Feasibility risks are identified early, clearly communicated, and addressed before they become program issues
  • Cross-functional teams have a strong technical point of view on body structure direction during concept development
  • Study teams make faster, better-informed decisions on structural concepts, package assumptions, and design tradeoffs
  • Proposed solutions are technically sound, aligned across functions, and practical to execute in future development phases


#LI-KM2
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

About General Motors

General Motors Company engages in the manufacture and sale of cars and trucks in the United States, China, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy. It offers sedans, crossovers, sport utility vehicles, pick-up trucks, coupes, sports/convertibles and hybrid vehicles, hatchbacks/wagons, and vans, as well as mini cars in India. The company also provides parts and accessories, such as iPod and MP3 compatibility, mobility accessories, performance parts, AC parts and services, and merchandise. In addition, it offers vehicle safety, security, and information services. The company provides used vehicles. It offers its products through dealers and distributors. General Motors Company was formerly known as NGMCO, Inc. and changed its name to General Motors Company in July 2009. The company was incorporated in 2009 and is based in Detroit, Michigan. It operates manufacturing facilities in India, the United States, and Canada. General Motors Company operates as a subsidiary of the United States Department of The Treasury. General Motors led global vehicle sales for 77 consecutive years from 1931 through 2007, longer than any other automaker, and is currently among the world's largest automakers by vehicle unit sales. General Motors acts in most countries outside the USA via wholly-owned subsidiaries but operates in China through 10 joint ventures. GM's OnStar subsidiary provides vehicle safety, security, and information services. In 2009, General Motors shed several brands, closing Saturn, Pontiac, and Hummer, and emerged from a government-backed Chapter 11 reorganization. In 2010, GM made an initial public offering IPOs to date and returned to profitability later that year.

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Join the dynamic team at General Motors, a global leader in automotive innovation and technology. At General Motors, we offer unparalleled job opportunities that propel your career forward while contributing to a legacy of engineering excellence.

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Learn more about General Motors
Size
157,000 employees
Market Cap
$46.9 billion
Industry
Net Income
$6.4 billion
Founded
1908
5 Year Trend
-3.2%
Revenue
$122.4 billion
NASDAQ

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