Engineering Technical Lead EMC/ESD - GM Defense

General Motors; Warren (MI); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

General Motors seeks a Technical Lead for EMC and ESD engineering to provide technical leadership for vehicle electrical and electronic systems. You will guide verification strategies, resolve complex issues, and establish robust engineering practices across the product lifecycle.

You will partner with multiple teams to identify risks early, translate requirements into practical system-level solutions, and influence engineering practices for scalable, high-quality products.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical/electronics engineering.
• 10+ years in automotive EMC/ESD and related validation.
• Experience with vehicle-level EMC/ESD development and issue resolution.
• Strong ability to lead technical reviews using data and risk-based judgment.
• Excellent written and verbal cross-functional communication.
• U.S. Person eligibility required.

Responsibilities

• Lead EMC and ESD activities for automotive electrical/electronic systems from concept to production launch.
• Define vehicle-level EMC/ESD strategies, requirements, test plans, and acceptance criteria.
• Drive risk assessments, design reviews, test readiness reviews, and issue-resolution activities.
• Analyze test data and field or development issues to determine root cause and recommend corrective actions.
• Mentor engineers and influence technical decisions across the organization.
• Communicate technical risks, tradeoffs, and recommendations to engineering leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.

Skills

EMC/ESD engineering

Vehicle electrical systems

Root cause analysis

Technical leadership

Cross-functional communication

U.S. Person eligibility

Education

Bachelor’s degree in electrical/electronics engineering

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

EMC/ESD standards

EMC simulation

Regulatory testing

Job description

Job Description

The Role

General Motors is seeking a Technical Lead for Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) and Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) engineering. In this role, you will provide technical leadership for vehicle electrical and electronic systems, helping ensure robust performance, regulatory compliance, and customer satisfaction across the product development lifecycle.

You will partner with electrical, systems, controls, software, packaging, validation, manufacturing, and supplier teams to identify risks early, guide verification strategies, resolve complex issues, and establish consistent engineering practices. The successful candidate will be a recognized technical expert who can translate EMC and ESD requirements into practical system‑level solutions.

At GM, you will help develop the electrical and electronic technologies that enable the next generation of vehicles. This role offers the opportunity to influence vehicle‑level performance, collaborate with experts across the enterprise, and shape the engineering practices used to deliver robust products at scale.

What You’ll Do

• Lead EMC and ESD technical activities for automotive electrical and electronic systems from concept through production launch.
• Define and maintain vehicle‑level EMC and ESD strategies, requirements, test plans, and acceptance criteria.
• Drive risk assessments, design reviews, test readiness reviews, and issue‑resolution activities.
• Analyze test data and field or development issues to determine root cause and recommend corrective actions.
• Guide teams in the application of shielding, grounding, filtering, cable and harness design, enclosure design, layout, and system integration techniques.
• Provide technical direction for immunity, emissions, transient, and ESD evaluations at the component, subsystem, and vehicle levels.
• Partner with test laboratories and engineering teams to ensure repeatable, traceable, and technically sound measurements.
• Collaborate with suppliers to review EMC/ESD designs, test evidence, deviations, and corrective‑action plans.
• Establish reusable methods, tools, lessons learned, and design guidelines that improve first time‑right performance.
• Mentor engineers and influence technical decisions across the organization without relying solely on formal authority.
• Communicate technical risks, tradeoffs, and recommendations clearly to engineering leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in automotive EMC, ESD, electrical systems, electronics validation, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience with vehicle‑or system‑level EMC/ESD development and issue resolution.
• Strong understanding of electromagnetic compatibility fundamentals, signal integrity, grounding, shielding, filtering, harnesses, and system interactions.
• Experience interpreting test results, identifying root causes, and driving corrective actions to closure.
• Ability to lead technical reviews and make sound engineering decisions using data, standards, and risk‑based judgment.
• Strong written, verbal, and cross‑functional communication skills.
• Candidate must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, asylee or refugee).

What Will Give You A Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)

• Master’s degree in electrical engineering or related discipline.
• Experience with automotive EMC/ESD standards, regulatory requirements, and customer or regional compliance expectations.
• Experience with electric vehicles, high‑voltage systems, advanced driver assistance systems, connected vehicles, or zonal/electrical architecture.
• Familiarity with EMC simulation, modeling, instrumentation, data analysis, or automated test methods.
• Experience working directly with suppliers, test laboratories, and global engineering teams.
• Professional engineering license, industry certification, or recognized technical leadership in EMC/ESD.

What Will Make You Successful

• You combine deep EMC/ESD expertise with practical automotive system judgment.
• You identify risks early and turn complex technical problems into clear, executable actions.
• You build alignment across disciplines and can influence decisions at multiple levels.
• You are comfortable moving between detailed technical analysis and executive‑level communication.
• You improve engineering capability by sharing knowledge, standardizing best practices, and developing others.
• You demonstrate ownership, curiosity, accountability, and a commitment to safe, reliable, high‑quality products.

The position is subject to export control restrictions and requires the successful candidate to be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, asylee or refugee). Company Vehicle: Upon successful completion of a motor vehicle report review, you will be eligible to participate in a company vehicle evaluation program, through which you will be assigned a General Motors vehicle to drive and evaluate. Note: program participants are required to purchase/lease a qualifying GM vehicle every four years unless one of a limited number of exceptions applies.

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}. The selected candidate will be required to travel <25% for this role. Relocation benefits are available for candidates who qualify under company policy. This position requires the ability to legally operate a motor vehicle on a regular basis and successfully complete a Motor Vehicle Report review. The position is subject to export control restrictions and requires the successful candidate to be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, asylee or refugee).

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