Autonomous Vehicle Test Engineer

General Motors LLC; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 98,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Health Savings Account

Flexible Spending Accounts

Retirement savings plan

Sickness and accident benefits

Life insurance

Paid vacation & holidays

Tuition assistance programs

Employee assistance program

GM vehicle discounts

Job summary

General Motors LLC in Sunnyvale, CA is seeking an Autonomous Vehicle Test Engineer to plan, execute, and report on AV testing across defined scenarios. You will collaborate with the AV Test Lead, Systems Engineering, vehicle integration, software engineering, and cross-functional teams to perform AV scenario testing, regression testing, and system validation.

The role requires 2–4 years of automotive/AV engineering experience and a Bachelor's degree in Engineering.

Qualifications

• 2–4 years overall in automotive, consumer, or AV engineering experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Computer, or related field) or equivalent practical experience.

Responsibilities

• Execute defined AV test scenarios on vehicles, following safety procedures and ensuring data accuracy and alignment with program test objectives.
• Triage and diagnose basic software and hardware issues, reproducing issues and escalating complex findings to developers, systems engineering, and vehicle integration for root‑cause analysis.
• Analyze vehicle and autonomy data at a foundational level, transforming logs into clear observations and contributing to validation reports, defect tracking, and release‑readiness assessments.
• Support the setup and use of test tools and logging systems, including Vector, Intrepid, INCA, d-Space, and other measurement/automation platforms.
• Assist with cross‑functional test pipelines—tracking requests, test execution status, and progress updates in collaboration with software engineering, operations, and systems engineering.
• Ensure test quality and documentation completeness by maintaining accurate test cases, results, and traceability in tools such as Jira, Confluence, and other test management platforms.
• Execute verification tasks for new builds, validate integration points across the autonomy stack, and confirm performance against acceptance criteria with guidance from senior team members.
• Contribute to continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance test coverage, automation, data workflows, and operational efficiency, and by adopting best practices and standards.

Skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Test planning

SDLC knowledge

Data analysis

Jira/Confluence

CAN/Ethernet basics

Troubleshooting

Issue replication

Education

Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Computer, or related)

Tools

Vector

Intrepid

INCA

dSpace

Jira

Confluence

Slack

Job description

Job Description Overview

The Autonomous Vehicle Test Engineer (AVTE) is responsible for planning, executing, and reporting on autonomous vehicle testing activities across established and evolving test scenarios. The AVTE works closely with the AV Test Lead, Systems Engineering, vehicle integration engineers, software engineering, and cross‑functional teams to perform AV scenario testing, regression testing, and system validation. This role contributes technical support and hands‑on execution under the guidance of senior engineers and leads and is not expected to serve as a technical lead or mentor.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute defined AV test scenarios on vehicles, following safety procedures and ensuring data accuracy and alignment with program test objectives.
• Triage and diagnose basic software and hardware issues, reproducing issues and escalating complex findings to developers, systems engineering, and vehicle integration for root‑cause analysis.
• Analyze vehicle and autonomy data at a foundational level, transforming logs into clear observations and contributing to validation reports, defect tracking, and release‑readiness assessments.
• Support the setup and use of test tools and logging systems, including Vector, Intrepid, INCA, d-Space, and other measurement/automation platforms.
• Assist with cross‑functional test pipelines—tracking requests, test execution status, and progress updates in collaboration with software engineering, operations, and systems engineering.
• Ensure test quality and documentation completeness by maintaining accurate test cases, results, and traceability in tools such as Jira, Confluence, and other test management platforms.
• Execute verification tasks for new builds, validate integration points across the autonomy stack, and confirm performance against acceptance criteria with guidance from senior team members.
• Contribute to continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance test coverage, automation, data workflows, and operational efficiency, and by adopting best practices and standards.

Technical Skills

• Solid cross‑functional collaboration skills; able to work effectively with software and hardware teams.
• Ability to follow and help develop detailed test plans and procedures; familiarity with writing test cases.
• Working knowledge of integration processes, validation methods, and the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
• Fundamental troubleshooting, data analysis, and test result reporting skills.
• Familiarity with test management and collaboration tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Slack).
• Foundational understanding of automotive networks and protocols (CAN, Ethernet, LIN).
• Basic understanding of vehicle/autonomy data and integration testing; ability to learn new tools and methods quickly.
• Exposure to software integration and logging tools (Vector, Intrepid, INCA, dSpace) is preferred; willingness to upskill is expected.
• Ability to assist in debugging software stacks and to partner with developers on issue resolution.
• Knowledge of hardware/software interfaces and the autonomy software stack for assigned systems (introductory to intermediate level).
• Familiarity with software release tools and environments (e.g., Jenkins, Artifactory, SPR, Linux).
• Experience contributing to development from early build through launch (coursework, internships, or prior roles).

Preferred Qualifications

• Testing AV systems/robotics (or equivalent internships/co‑op/project experience).
• Internship or project experience in vehicle or subsystem integration.
• Exposure to software‑defined vehicle platforms.
• Level 2 driving certification or ability to obtain.
• Introductory programming skills in Python, Java, C++, or TypeScript/JavaScript.
• Basic understanding of system software concepts (drivers, filesystems, sockets) on Linux and/or QNX.

Required Qualifications

• 2–4 years overall in automotive, consumer, or AV engineering experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Computer, or related field) or equivalent practical experience.

Professional Skills

• Strong organization and prioritization for managing assigned test tasks and requests.
• Clear, concise communication and effective collaboration with engineering, operations, and technician teams.
• Proactive problem‑solving mindset and willingness to learn in evolving test scenarios.
• High attention to detail and adherence to safety and compliance requirements.
• Ability to operate effectively in a dynamic, fast‑paced environment with guidance from senior staff.

Compensation

The compensation information is a good faith estimate only. It is based on what a successful applicant might be paid in accordance with applicable state laws. The compensation may not be representative for positions located outside of NewYork, Colorado, California, or Washington. The salary range for this role is $98,300 to $150,200. The actual base salary a successful candidate will be offered within this range will vary based on factors relevant to the position. Bonus Potential: An incentive pay program offers payouts based on company performance, job level, and individual performance.

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Health Savings Account
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Retirement savings plan
• Sickness and accident benefits
• Life insurance
• Paid vacation & holidays
• Tuition assistance programs
• Employee assistance program
• GM vehicle discounts
• and more

About GM

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.

Why Join Us

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.

Benefits Overview

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.

Non‑Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities (U.S.)

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.

Accommodations

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.

Our Company

We are leading the change to make our world better, safer and more equitable for all through our actions and how we behave.

Our Culture

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.

Explore our global locations

We are determined to lead change for the world through technology, ingenuity and harnessing the creativity of our diverse team. Join us to help lead the change that will make our world better, safer and more equitable for all by becoming a member of GM’s Talent Community (beamery.com).