Agile Release Train Lead

Job Description

Work Arrangement:

Hybrid: This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to Milford or Warren, Michigan three times per week, at minimum.

Our Mission:

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:

The Agile Release Train (ART) Lead is a servant leader and coach for the ART. They are responsible for facilitating ART-level coordination events and processes, and for supporting agile teams in consistently delivering value. The ART Lead engages with stakeholders, escalates and helps resolve impediments, and actively manages cross-team dependencies and risks. 

The ideal candidate exemplifies GM behaviors and competencies. They are passionate about leading the organization forward and shaping the processes, tools, and methods that enhance our agility. They are an active listener who can effectively facilitate meetings and discussions, and they remain adaptable as the Vehicle Mechatronic Embedded Controls (VMEC) organization evolves and adopts scaled agile practices. 

GM is undergoing a major transformation, both in how we operate and in how we will influence the future of transportation. Our VMEC team is on the forefront of this work, emboldening our culture by seeking out determined, innovative individuals who will join our team to help move us forward and achieve our mission. As we continue to transform our organization utilizing agile processes and principles, we are seeking experienced, motivated, and forward-thinking engineers to join our team. 

As an ART Lead, you will have the opportunity to support your agile teams by providing coaching and guidance. You will be expected to lead by example, challenge the status quo and promote an environment of continuous improvement, experimentation, and innovation. With your excellent listening skills, facilitation, and conflict-resolution skills, you will help VMEC continue to implement work methods required to advance an agile software development team. 

What You'll Do: 

• Facilitate Program Increment (PI) planning, visualize and manage the flow of features and capabilities from ideation to analysis, implementation, and release. 

• Outline business and technical goals that development teams intend to achieve and the relationship to program objectives. 

• Coach the ART on agile software development and course correct any anti-patterns. 

• Manage and coordinate large and complex development projects, facilitate synchronization events (i.e. meetings and processes) and coordinate between multi-functional development teams, both inside and outside of VMEC. 

• Help manage risk and dependencies between teams. Escalate and track impediments. Provide input on resourcing to address critical bottlenecks. 

• Facilitate system demos that provide an integrated view of new features for the iteration delivered by all the teams on the project. 

• Represent the development teams in front of senior leadership to provide status updates, acquire feedback or approval. 

• Perform a critical role in the data-driven decision-making process. Create and interpret metrics to guide the organization to continuously improve.  Analyze data used to track key performance indexes providing insights and context to the results.  

• Create an environment of continuous improvement by facilitating Inspect and Adapt workshops and coaching team members on agile software development principles.  

• Initiate strategic efforts to enhance product development workflow and process.  

• Stay abreast of industry trends, new technologies, and competitive products. 

• Create an environment of psychological safety, coach and mentor less experienced engineers and actively support communities of practice. 

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications):

<