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
General Motors has a vision of Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, and Zero Congestion, and your work will be a key part of this vision. As part of the Battery, Propulsion, and Sustainability organization, the Circular Economy Engineer Sustainable Materials Engineer will lead the quantification and recommendation of sustainable and circular materials in GM products. You will lead strategies to acquire and apply data to assess and communicate the environmental impacts of material choices. You will lead the integration of emerging regulations on sustainable and circular materials into product development and identify opportunities to embed circular design strategies that enhance material reuse and recovery across the vehicle lifecycle.
What You’ll Do
- Develop recommendations for GM’s sustainable product attribute and improve the quantification of sustainable and circular materials within GM products.
- Collaborate with key stakeholders including Design, Engineering, and the Sustainable Customer Experience team to integrate sustainable and circular materials and metrics into the Global Vehicle Development Process.
- Develop data strategies for sustainable materials and partner across teams to evaluate environmental impact, Scope 3 emissions, circularity performance, and navigate decision making through interpretation of results and evaluation of tradeoffs.
- Provide technical expertise to substantiate product claims.
- Serve as a sustainable materials SME, guiding integration of circular design strategies that maximize material circularity across the vehicle lifecycle.
- Engage with internal Global Public Policy teams to address emerging regulations related to sustainable materials in the vehicle.
- Collaborate with industry groups, suppliers, and internal teams to advance sustainable materials, recycling technologies, and material recovery solutions that enhance the circularity of GM products.
- Manage external reporting for sustainable materials, including contributing to GM’s annual public sustainability report.
- Work closely with communications team to showcase GM's sustainable and circular materials efforts, including potentially speaking publicly about our team’s work.
Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)
- Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering, Material Science, Metallurgy, Chemistry, or other related Degree
- 5+ years of materials engineering within the automotive industry or other relevant engineering experience
- Ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize work, analyze data in the context of business strategy and provide recommendations.
- High level of interpersonal skills to work effectively within a team environment
- Persuasive communication and presentation skills
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity
- Deep technical experience in automotive materials and recycling technologies
- Authentic commitment to the EV transition, a zero emissions future for GM, and a more sustainable world
- Ability to travel 5-10%
What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)
- 3+ years of sustainability or sustainable materials experience
- Familiarity with Granta material intelligence software and International Material Data System (IMDS)
- Knowledge of automotive design, engineering and manufacturing processes and material engineering standards
- Experience with Life Cycle Assessment standards and software
- Masters Degree or other advanced certifications
