Electrical Hardware Engineer – Central Compute

General Motors LLC; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 136,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

GM vehicle discounts

Total Rewards program

Paid vacation & holidays

Job summary

General Motors in Sunnyvale, CA is seeking a Hardware Engineer – Central Compute to help design, bring up and validate high‑compute ECUs for the SDV2 platform, enabling automated driving and immersive in‑vehicle experiences.

You will work on hardware design, validation, and cross‑functional collaboration across hardware, software, EMC, and manufacturing, focusing on PCIe/Ethernet, power, thermal, iso-26262, and DFMEA considerations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or related field.
• 2–5 years hardware design, electronics, or embedded systems experience.
• Experience with PCIe, Ethernet, USB, DDR and high-speed interfaces.
• Schematic capture and PCB design experience; lab hardware skills.

Responsibilities

• Support hardware design, component selection, and circuit implementation for central compute ECUs.
• Perform electrical analyses including power distribution, signal integrity, thermal considerations, and interface inputs.
• Assist in hardware requirements and interface specifications for SoCs, PMICs, memory, and PHYs.
• Participate in board bring-up, smoke tests, power-on sequencing, and debugging of prototypes.
• Execute bench tests for signal integrity, voltages, thermal performance, and validation.
• Collaborate with silicon partners and cross-functional teams across hardware, software, and systems.
• Contribute to design reviews, documentation, and compliance with GM processes.
• Ensure designs meet ISO 26262, EMC/EMI, and robustness requirements; support DFMEA and traceability.

Skills

Digital electronics

Microprocessors

Power supplies

High-speed interfaces

Schematic capture

PCB design

Lab equipment

Signal integrity

Thermal analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field

Tools

Mentor Xpedition

Mathcad

Job description

Job Description The Role

General Motors is transforming the transportation industry through advanced electrical architectures, high-performance computing, and the integration of ADAS and infotainment capabilities. GM’s Software‑Defined Vehicle 2.0 (SDV2) platform is our next‑generation centralized computing architecture. At the heart of this transformation is an in‑house designed, liquid‑cooled central compute unit, which is going to enable faster development cycles, more efficient software updates and seamless scalability across every GM brand. As a Hardware Engineer – Central Compute, you will contribute to the design, development, and validation of next‑generation high‑compute ECUs that enable automated driving, vehicle intelligence, and immersive digital experiences. This role is ideal for early‑career engineers looking to grow within a world‑class automotive organization.

Key Responsibilities

Hardware Design & Analysis

• Support schematic design, component selection, and circuit implementation for central compute ECUs (ADAS/IVI).
• Perform electrical analysis including power distribution, signal integrity, thermal considerations, and high-speed digital interface layout inputs.
• Assist in defining hardware requirements and interface specifications for SoCs, PMICs, DDR memory, PCIe/Ethernet PHYs, power regulators, and safety components.

Bring-Up & Validation

• Participate in board bring‑up activities, including smoke testing, power‑on sequencing, and debug of early prototype hardware.
• Execute bench‑level testing for signal integrity, voltage/current measurements, thermal performance, and functional validation.
• Work with Staff and Senior engineers on root‑cause analysis for hardware failures.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with silicon partners and internal engineering teams focused on Hardware, Software and/or Feature Development Support coordination with software, systems, mechanical, EMC, manufacturing, and vehicle integration teams.
• Contribute to design reviews and documentation aligned with GM’s Global Vehicle Development Process (GVDP).

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure designs meet automotive standards including ISO 26262, AEC‑Q100/200, EMC/EMI, design robustness, and manufacturability expectations.
• Assist with DFMEA creation, test coverage planning, and hardware validation traceability.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• 2-5 years of experience in hardware design, electronics engineering, or embedded systems (internships/co-ops count).
• Basic knowledge of: Digital electronics, microprocessors, and power supplies
• High‑speed interfaces (PCIe, Ethernet, USB, DDR)
• Schematic capture and PCB design principles
• Hands‑on experience using lab equipment (oscilloscope, multimeter, power supplies, logic analyzers).
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with central compute, ADAS ECUs, infotainment, or embedded computing platforms.
• Understanding of automotive electronics standards and design for reliability.
• Exposure to EMC/EMI test practices or thermal analysis tools.
• Experience with tools such as Microsoft Office, Mentor Xpedition, Mathcad or similar.
• Effective communicator with willingness to learn in a fast‑paced environment.

Compensation

• The salary range for this role is 90,000- 136,200.
• 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.

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