Optics Photonics Jobs in Michigan (NOW HIRING)

General Motors Research and Development is seeking a Group Manager to lead a multidisciplinary team advancing optical systems, display technologies, user experience, and infotainment demonstrations for future vehicles and mobility experiences. Working within the research strategy and project roadmap established by the Research Program Lead, you will provide technical direction for the group’s assigned work and build the people, partnerships, prototypes, and demonstrations needed to move research from concept through downstream adoption. The role combines deep technical leadership and people‑leader accountability for talent, organization, operating plans, budgets, headcount, execution, and stakeholder alignment. The successful candidate will bring a strong physics background and technical credibility to lead researchers working across optics, photonics, display science, optical modeling, human‑machine interaction, UX, infotainment, and vehicle integration. The candidate will be expected to remain engaged in the technical work while creating the conditions for the team to do its best research and deliver visible, decision‑ready outcomes.

• Lead the day‑to‑day execution of the optics, display, UX, and infotainment research for the the connected immersive experience research program, translating approved objectives and roadmap commitments into focused work plans, staffing, experiments, prototypes, vehicle or laboratory integrations, technical reviews, and decision‑ready demonstrations.
• Provide technical leadership across optical systems, photonics, display science, head up display systems, holography, waveguides, computational optics, sensing, human factors, multimodal interaction, UX, and infotainment, while maintaining research rigor and connecting fundamental science to vehicle‑level experience, usability, manufacturability, safety, reliability, and production feasibility.
• Lead, coach, recruit, and develop a diverse multidisciplinary team; build capability, foster inclusion, encourage initiative and innovation, and maintain clear accountability for execution.
• Own the group’s operating plans, budget, capital, headcount, facilities, tools, staffing, workload, partnerships, and resource allocation within approved program priorities, escalating conflicts, risks, dependencies, and recommended tradeoffs to the Research Program Lead.
• Create compelling UX and infotainment demonstrations that translate research into coherent, polished, and credible in‑vehicle, simulator, laboratory, or other representative experiences, coordinating researchers, designers, software engineers, vehicle‑integration teams, suppliers, universities, and other partners.
• Communicate progress, evidence, readiness, risks, resource needs, and transition opportunities to R&D leadership and stakeholders; support intellectual‑property generation, technology transfer, compliance, safety, quality, data integrity, and responsible research practices without owning the overall research strategy or project roadmap.

• Bachelor’s degree in physics, engineering, applied physics, physical science, or a related technical discipline
• Strong physics background with demonstrated understanding of physical principles relevant to optics, photonics, light‑matter interaction, imaging, displays, perception, or related technologies
• Broad automotive experience spanning R&D and the vehicle‑development lifecycle, with the ability to connect research, engineering, design, product, manufacturing, supplier, and vehicle‑integration needs
• Significant progressive experience in research, advanced engineering, optical systems, display technologies, vehicle technology, UX, infotainment, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams and delivering complex R&D programs or technology portfolios
• Proven ability to translate research strategy into executable technical work, manage ambiguity, make evidence‑based decisions, and connect research outcomes to product or business impact
• Demonstrated initiative and innovation, including proactively identifying opportunities, starting high‑value work, challenging conventional approaches, and turning novel ideas into credible demonstrations or vehicle‑relevant outcomes
• Experience with optics, optical system design, display technologies, head up display systems, holography, waveguides, photonics, computational optics, optical modeling, or related fields
• Experience translating research into prototypes, integrated demonstrations, validated concepts, or production‑ready technologies
• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, headcount, staffing, workload, schedules, risks, suppliers, and external partnerships
• Strong written, verbal, visual, and executive communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non‑specialist audiences
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusion, talent development, coaching, research integrity, safety, quality, and continuous improvement

• Master’s or Ph.D. in physics, applied physics, optics, photonics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, human factors, or a related discipline
• Experience with vehicle displays, head up display systems, augmented‑reality experiences, infotainment, multimodal interaction, human‑machine interfaces, or other advanced in‑vehicle experiences
• Experience creating or leading high‑visibility technical demonstrations for executive, customer, engineering, or product audiences
• Experience with MATLAB, optical design and ray‑tracing tools, computational modeling, machine learning, image processing, simulation, or custom modeling‑code development
• Experience integrating hardware, software, UX, displays, optics, and vehicle systems in laboratory, simulator, prototype, or production environments
• Record of patents, publications, invited presentations, recognized research contributions, or successful technology transitions
• Experience working with global, geographically distributed, cross‑functional, academic, supplier, and startup teams
• Familiarity with formal project‑management, risk‑management, Design for Six Sigma, Lean, Red X, or other continuous‑improvement practices

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). 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}. This job may be eligible for relocation benefits.

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.

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.

From day one, we’re looking out for your well-being-at work and at home-so you can focus on realizing your ambitions. Learn how GM supports a rewarding career that rewards you personally by visiting Total Rewards resources.

General Motors is committed to being a workplace that is not only free of unlawful discrimination, but one that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. We strongly believe that providing an inclusive workplace creates an environment in which our employees can thrive and develop better products for our customers. 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.

General Motors offers opportunities to all job seekers including individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to assist with your job search or application for employment, email us or call us at 1-800-865-7580. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.

We encourage interested candidates to review the key responsibilities and qualifications for each role and apply for any positions that match your 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.

Our diverse team of employees bring their collective passion for engineering, technology and design to deliver on our vision of a world with Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion. We are looking for adventure‑seekers and imaginative thought leaders to help us transform mobility. We are determined to lead change for the world through technology, ingenuity and harnessing the creativity of our diverse team.

Please note that filling out the form below will not add you to our Talent Community automatically; you will need to use the link above.

As a part of our Talent Community, you will receive updates about GM, open roles, career insights and more.