Manager, Strategic Communications & Business Planning

About this role

Description

For consideration, you must live or be willing to relocate to Metro-Detroit or already live in New York. This role will work closely with the VP.

This is a senior strategic communications role with direct accountability for helping lead the business of the function. The Manager, Strategic Communications & Business Planning will serve as a trusted partner to the Vice President, Brand & Product Communications, operating across strategic planning, executive support, narrative development, organizational alignment and decision support.

At its core, this is not an administrative chief of staff role. It is a high-judgment communications and strategy position for someone who can move seamlessly between shaping the work, sharpening the thinking, and driving the operating rhythm behind it. The right person will help ensure that the organization is focused on the right priorities, that major pieces of work are grounded in strategic insight, and that the output of the function reflects a consistently high standard of clarity, rigor and business relevance.

This role requires a strong communications operator with real strategic depth. They must be able to work across brands, products, corporate priorities, issues, events, leadership moments and internal touchpoints, while partnering closely with senior leaders and cross-functional teams to turn complex inputs into clear recommendations, persuasive narratives and well-structured decisions. Recent GM Level 8 expectations emphasize expert-level judgment, strong business acumen, cross-functional problem-solving, broad visibility, and the ability to adapt communication style to persuade across the organization.

You will also help set the quality bar for the function. They will work with leaders across the team to ensure strategies, presentations, briefing materials, narratives, updates and leadership documents are not simply well written, but well argued, insight-led and aligned to business priorities. That expectation is consistent with how GM has framed recent Level 8 communications roles: strategic insight, influence across senior stakeholders, exceptional writing, strong business acumen and the ability to align communications with enterprise strategy.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Communications Planning

Lead the development of high-impact strategic communications plans in support of the Vice President and the broader Brand & Product Communications function. Translate business priorities, organizational shifts, product plans, brand moments and leadership objectives into clear narratives, communications strategies and decision-ready materials.

Drive the development of executive-level presentations, talking points, briefing documents, strategic memos, organizational updates and internal narratives. Ensure each piece of work is clear on the objective, grounded in insight, relevant to the audience and aligned with the broader business context.

Partner with communications leaders across the function to sharpen the strategic quality of their work. Push for stronger thinking, stronger structure and stronger recommendations. Help teams move from activity-driven updates to insight-led communications that clarify what matters, why it matters and what should happen next.

Ensure major documents and presentations developed across the organization reflect a high, consistent standard of strategic rigor, writing quality and executive readiness.

Business Planning and Chief of Staff Support

Act as a strategic partner to the Vice President on planning, prioritization and execution across the function. Help manage the business by identifying what requires attention, where decisions are needed, what is off track and where tighter alignment is required.

Support the operating rhythm of the organization, including leadership meetings, planning cycles, priority setting, follow-up and accountability. Turn broad direction into clear actions, owners, and timelines. Surface issues early, pressure-test assumptions, and help keep work moving.

Develop and maintain an integrated view of the work across the organization so the Vice President has clear visibility into priorities, interdependencies, risks, key decisions and resourcing needs.

Help shape and manage leadership communications, internal engagement moments and organizational messaging in close partnership with functional leads and relevant cross-functional partners. Internal examples elsewhere at GM already describe VP-level support as a blend of strategic messaging, engagement planning, internal editorial coordination and integration of internal and external communications.

Cross-Functional Leadership and Influence

Work fluidly across communications, marketing, product, brand, experiences, operations, HR, finance and executive stakeholders. Build credibility quickly, synthesize diverse inputs and create alignment across groups with different priorities.

Serve as a connective tissue role across the business, helping ensure communications plans and leadership materials are informed by the right inputs and reflect the full context of the work.

Influence without formal authority. Bring judgment, discretion and confidence in high-stakes, high-visibility situations. Know when to drive, when to challenge, when to escalate and when to simplify.

Insight, Judgment and Quality Control

Bring strong strategic instincts to ambiguous and fast-moving work. Distill complexity into clear choices and practical recommendations. Recognize weak logic, vague positioning and underdeveloped narratives, and improve them quickly.

Ensure communications and business planning work is supported by sound analysis, relevant context and clear implications. The role should not simply collect information. It should interpret it, improve it and turn it into direction.

Help leaders across the function raise the standard on writing, structure, preparation and executive readiness. Recent organizational direction in Brand &…