Description

Government & Contract Research and Development Lead – R&D

GM Research & Development is seeking a Government & Contract Research and Development (CRAD) Lead to expand and manage a portfolio of externally funded research programs with U.S. and international government agencies, national laboratories, and contract research sponsors. This role is responsible for identifying high‑impact opportunities, leading capture and proposal activities, and securing funding that advances GM R&D Research Programs and enterprise priorities. The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of the government R&D ecosystem, demonstrated success in capture management and proposal execution, and strong cross‑functional leadership skills.

What You Will Do

Strategy & Portfolio Development

Develop and execute a multi‑year external research funding strategy aligned to GM R&D Research Programs, technology roadmaps, and business priorities.
Translate R&D program objectives and results into clear, compelling value propositions for government and contract research sponsors.
Partner with Research Program Leads, Lab Group Managers, and R&D leadership to prioritize opportunities that accelerate technology research and transitions.

External Engagement & Ecosystem Leadership

Lead GM R&D engagement with government agencies, national laboratories, consortia, and other contract research sponsors (e.g., DoD, DOE, DOT, NHTSA, NSF, DARPA).
Build and sustain trusted relationships with program managers, contracting officers, and technical counterparts.
Represent GM R&D at industry days, technical interchange meetings, and sponsor workshops; synthesize and communicate insights.

Opportunity Identification, Capture & Proposal Leadership

Identify and assess RFPs, RFIs, OTAs, and other funding mechanisms for strategic and technical alignment.
Lead capture planning, including concept shaping, partner and competitor analysis, and development of win strategies.
Serve as CRAD lead for priority proposals, coordinating cross‑functional teams through proposal development, compliance, review, pricing inputs, and submission.
Ensure proposals clearly articulate technical approach, schedule, risk management, IP/data rights, and measurable outcomes aligned with sponsor needs and GM strategy.
Assess opportunities identified by the broader R&D organization and integrate into the process. Make recommendations about if proposals should be pursued, including working with relevant Research Leads on assessing the viability and priority of the proposal.
Work closely with the government contracts and compliance organization as part of proposal preparation.

Award Transition, Governance & Reporting

Lead transition from award to execution, ensuring clear roles, deliverables, and reporting expectations.
Track funded project performance against technical, schedule, and financial milestones.
Ensure compliance with export control, data handling, security, and contracting requirements in coordination with Legal, IP, Export Compliance, and GM Defense.
Maintain and report status of the external research pipeline and portfolio to R&D leadership.

What You Need

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physical sciences, computer science, public policy, business, or a related field.
10+ years of experience in government‑funded R&D, defense or transportation research, or technology‑focused business development/capture.
Demonstrated success leading and winning competitive government or contract research awards (e.g., DoD, DOE, DOT, NHTSA, NSF, DARPA).
Strong understanding of government R&D funding and acquisition mechanisms.
Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams through complex capture and proposal efforts under tight deadlines.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including development of technical proposals and executive‑level briefings.
Ability to build and sustain effective relationships with government sponsors and internal technical leaders.

Additional Skills and Experience

Advanced degree (M.S., Ph.D., MBA).
Experience with vehicle systems, mobility, safety, autonomy, defense, or advanced manufacturing research.
Prior experience working within or closely with U.S. government R&D organizations or major government contractors.
Active or prior U.S. government security clearance; ability to obtain a clearance as required.

Additional Information

This role is embedded within GM R&D and works closely with Research Program Leads, Lab Group Managers, and GM Defense.
Travel: up to 20–30% for sponsor meetings, reviews, and key external events.
Location: Warren, MI or Mountain View, CA (hybrid work arrangements may be considered consistent with GM policy).
Position may involve access to export‑controlled information and government‑sponsored programs; compliance with all regulatory requirements is mandatory.

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.)

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.

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

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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.

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