Jonathan Williams’ GM Journey: From Summer Intern to Software & Services Executive
When Jonathan Williams walked into General Motors (GM) as a summer intern in 2006, he expected a typical college internship experience: running errands, shadowing senior staff, maybe preparing a few reports. What he discovered instead was a hands-on role that gave him both responsibility and a front-row seat to one of the world’s most complex industries. Nearly two decades later, Williams now serves as Executive Director of Software & Services Program Management at GM, leading teams that are shaping the company’s transformation into a software-driven mobility powerhouse.
His path was neither accidental nor preordained. Rather, it was built step by step — through curiosity, humility, and a willingness to tackle challenges that kept stretching his skills.
First Steps into GM
Williams’ first internship brought him to GM’s Romulus, Michigan propulsion plant. Instead of clerical work, he found himself embedded in real engineering projects. Assigned to the crankshaft machining line, he worked as a manufacturing engineer and led large-scale machine installations. The experience was formative.
“I assumed I’d be running errands and sending faxes,” Williams recalls. “But that’s not at all what the role was.”
That summer proved to be the beginning of four consecutive GM internships, each offering new lessons and responsibilities. By the time he graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in mechanical engineering in 2010, Williams had already built a foundation of real-world experience that positioned him for a full-time career.
The Power of Internships
Williams’ relationship with GM began before college. Growing up in southeastern Michigan, he attended a high school that offered a GM internship program, so the automaker was already on his radar. But it wasn’t until his freshman year of college that he actively pursued an opportunity. A visit to GM’s booth at a campus career fair sealed the deal, leading to his first official summer placement.
Over the next few years, he completed three internships at Romulus. One of the most impactful roles came when he was asked to step in as a line supervisor. As a college student, he suddenly found himself managing two UAW teams responsible for assembling complete V8 engines.
“It was a really awesome experience to learn to lead with humility and focus on making the team successful,” Williams says. That lesson — leadership is about enabling others, not just asserting authority — would become a guiding principle throughout his career.
For his graduate-level internship, Williams transitioned to GM’s Milford Proving Ground, the company’s expansive test facility. There, he worked on an extended-range electric vehicle project and contributed to three patents in thermal system design. The scale of the work impressed him.
Having an internship in Milford really exposed me to everything that GM was working on,” he says. “It helped show me the size and breadth of the company.
The internships not only sharpened his technical abilities but also equipped him with soft skills — collaboration, adaptability, and communication — that would serve him well as he rose through GM’s ranks.
Choosing GM, Again and Again
Although Williams grew up in Michigan, his family background was in healthcare, not automotive. Engineering was his own pursuit, and internships helped him realize the opportunities the auto industry could offer. Even when he interviewed with other companies, GM kept drawing him back.
“I’ve never been bored here,” Williams says. “I’ve always stayed at GM because I believe in the vision and the mission, but also because I’ve always been given opportunities for something new and challenging.”
After completing his master’s degree in systems engineering, Williams accepted a full-time role at Milford in 2010, continuing the thermal systems work he had started during his internship. That role marked the beginning of a diverse and dynamic career at GM.
Building a Career Across Disciplines
From the start, Williams sought out variety. He moved from technical assignments to leadership roles, taking on responsibilities that expanded both his expertise and his understanding of GM’s operations.
He co-chaired the electrical issues resolution team, served as a design release engineer for instrument clusters, and eventually took on innovation projects that stretched beyond traditional automotive engineering. At one point, he led GM’s e-bike program, treating it like a startup within a global corporation. He also managed exploratory initiatives in energy storage and defense, balancing entrepreneurial thinking with corporate execution.
Later, as Director of Advanced Infotainment, Williams oversaw display strategy and warranty performance. The shift into infotainment underscored GM’s increasing focus on the digital experience inside vehicles, and Williams positioned himself at the forefront of that transition.
Each move reinforced the same theme: he thrived by tackling complex challenges in unfamiliar territory. “The hardest part of transitioning from intern to employee,” he says, “was shifting from 12-week projects to multiyear programs. But that complexity continues to motivate me.
Leading in the Age of Software
Today, as Executive Director of Software & Services Program Management, Williams is responsible for an area that sits at the heart of GM’s future. His team supports nearly everything software-related — from mobile apps and in-vehicle platforms to backend enterprise systems.
The role requires balancing long-term strategy with day-to-day execution. No two days are alike. Some involve planning roadmaps for GM’s transition toward software-defined vehicles; others focus on helping teams hit deadlines for immediate product launches.
“It’s important to ensure my team is not only set up to succeed, focused on scoping and defining the right programs, but also working with their partners to deliver on time with quality,” Williams explains.
The job is demanding, but for Williams, the fast pace and variety are energizing. More importantly, it allows him to play a role in reshaping mobility itself. GM’s vision of smarter, more connected vehicles depends heavily on the software ecosystems his team manages.
“It’s a good fit for me and I expect to be part of this team for a long time,” he says with confidence.
Lessons for the Next Generation
Williams hasn’t forgotten where he started, and he frequently shares advice with interns and early-career professionals. His biggest message: always connect the dots between your work and the company’s bigger mission.
“Think about how the impact you as an intern have links back to GM’s greater strategy,” he advises. “It’s really important to understand the impact you’re making.”
That perspective — combining technical execution with strategic awareness — is what allowed Williams to grow from a college intern into a senior executive at one of the world’s most iconic companies.
From Intern to Influencer
Jonathan Williams’ journey through GM is more than a career progression; it’s a story of how opportunity, curiosity, and adaptability can converge to create impact. Starting on the shop floor at Romulus, moving through leadership roles in assembly and testing, earning patents, and eventually guiding GM’s software and services portfolio, he has demonstrated the value of embracing challenges at every stage.
What began as a student’s summer job has become a career of influence in one of the most rapidly changing industries in the world. For Williams, GM isn’t just an employer — it’s a place where he can help shape the future of mobility.
And for today’s interns who are just beginning their own journeys, his story offers proof that the first step inside a company can be the beginning of something much larger.
