Animation Studio Manager Jobs in Michigan (NOW HIRING)

Job Description

Work Arrangement: This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to the office three times per week or other frequency dictated by the business.
The Role
GM Design is seeking a senior creative leader to shape the vision, creative standard, and overall output of the Global Visualization Studio. This role will define and drive how ideas, products, and stories are translated into world-class visual experiences across CGI, animation, photography, video, enhancement, and related visual content.
The studio is being shaped as a connected creative system spanning Foundations, Creative Visualization, and Architecture & Experience, with increasing partnership across Design, Marketing, Communications, and the brand teams. This role is intended to bring stronger creative authorship to that system: clearer design taste, stronger storytelling, better team leadership, and a more consistent quality bar across all output.
The ideal candidate pairs exceptional design judgment, storytelling instinct, and visual leadership with the ability to inspire teams, direct complex creative work, and execute against a clear vision at a global scale. Working across Design, Marketing, Communications, and senior stakeholders, this leader will align creative ambition with business priorities, ensuring the work is strategically sharp, emotionally resonant, and unmistakably on brand.
What You'll Do
- Set and execute the creative vision for the Global Visualization Studio, establishing a clear point of view for how the work should look, feel, and land across GM brands and platforms.
- Lead, inspire, and develop multidisciplinary creative teams across CGI, animation, photography, video, enhancement, and related visual content, fostering high standards, strong collaboration, and continuous growth.
- Direct creative work from concept through final execution, providing art direction, critique, and decision-making that elevates craft, clarity, storytelling, and brand expression.
- Own the studio's creative quality bar, ensuring all output reflects strong design judgment, visual consistency, and premium execution across confidential and public-facing work.
- Shape compelling visual narratives for product storytelling, launches, presentations, campaigns, executive communications, and other high-impact moments across the enterprise.
- Build trusted relationships with Design, Marketing, Communications, and global cross-functional stakeholders to align briefs, priorities, feedback, and execution across regions and programs.
- Coach and grow creative leaders and teams through clear expectations, thoughtful feedback, talent development, and a culture of accountability and creative excellence.
- Partner closely with production, operations, and studio leadership on planning, resourcing, workflows, and delivery, while maintaining clear ownership of creative direction and outcomes.
- Guide external creative partners and vendors when needed, ensuring outside support meets the studio's creative standards and strengthens overall output.
Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)
- Bachelor's degree in design, visual communications, animation, film, fine arts, or a related creative discipline.
- 10+ years of professional experience in creative direction, art direction, design visualization, brand content, or related visual storytelling roles.
- 5+ years of experience leading and developing high-performing multidisciplinary creative teams.
- Demonstrated experience setting and executing creative vision across multiple mediums, including CGI, animation, photography, video, and post-production or enhancement.
- Strong portfolio or body of work that reflects exceptional design taste, storytelling ability, visual judgment, and clear creative authorship.
- Proven ability to lead critique, provide decisive creative feedback, and raise the quality of work through art direction, team development, and creative leadership.
- Experience leading global or cross-regional teams and managing complex stakeholder relationships across functions, regions, and levels.
- Proven ability to translate strategic goals into compelling creative output and guide work from concept through final delivery.
- Strong communication, presentation, and leadership skills, with the ability to influence decisions, build trust, and drive alignment among senior leaders and creative partners.
- Deep understanding of contemporary visual storytelling, brand expression, production workflows, and creative development pipelines.
What Will Give You A Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)
- Experience leading high-end creative visualization, content, or brand storytelling teams within automotive, mobility, luxury, entertainment, fashion, consumer brand, or other design-led industries.
- A strong point of view on premium visual storytelling, with the ability to elevate how products, brands, and ideas are expressed through imagery, motion, film, and crafted visual systems.
- Experience leading teams across multiple disciplines such as CGI, animation, live-action, photography, enhancement, retouching, and post-production.
- Background working with global teams and external creative partners across multiple regions and time zones.
- Experience supporting product launches, reveals, campaigns, executive storytelling, or confidential innovation programs with premium visual content.
- Familiarity with digital production workflows, visualization pipelines, real-time tools, and emerging technologies that support high-end creative development.
- Strong instinct for translating complex design or product ideas into clear, emotionally engaging visual narratives.
- Experience building creative culture, mentoring senior talent, and scaling creative standards across a growing organization.
- Ability to work effectively in close partnership with production and operations leadership, while maintaining clear ownership of creative direction and quality.
Relocation:
Relocation support may be available for the right candidate.
Immigration:

GM DOES NOT PROVIDE IMMIGRATION-RELATED SPONSORSHIP FOR THIS ROLE. DONOT APPLY FOR THIS ROLE IF YOU WILL NEED GM IMMIGRATION SPONSORSHIP (e.g., H-1B, TN,STEM OPT, etc.) NOW OR IN THE FUTURE.

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