Principal Machine Learning Scientist - Trajectory Generation

General Motors LLC; United States; On-site; USD 269,000 - 413,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and wellbeing benefits

GM vehicle discounts

Job summary

General Motors LLC is seeking a Principal Technical Lead in Trajectory Generation within the Embodied AI organization. You will drive end-to-end ML solutions for autonomous driving, designing, architecting, and deploying advanced models for real-world navigation and safety.

You will mentor engineers and shape GM’s onboard ML capabilities. Ideal candidates have PhD/masters in CS/Robotics/ML, strong PyTorch/Python skills, and experience scaling large model training pipelines for distributed teams.

Qualifications

• Requires PhD in CS/Robotics/ML or related field.
• Experience with large-scale foundation models and alignment methods.
• Experience deploying models into production environments.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement technologies aligning models with GM’s mission.
• Apply RL, guidance, and selection to improve model performance and safety.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate distillation recipes for onboard driving models.
• Lead projects from ideation to deployment and mentor junior members.

Skills

PyTorch

Python

Foundation Models

Distributed Training

Numpy/Pandas

Apache Spark

Communication

Education

PhD in CS/Robotics/ML

Master’s/PhD in related field

Tools

Python

PyTorch

Job description

Job Description

At General Motors, our product teams are redefining mobility. Through a human-centered design process, we create vehicles and experiences that are designed not just to be seen, but to be felt. We’re turning today’s impossible into tomorrow’s standard —from breakthrough hardware and battery systems to intuitive design, intelligent software, and next-generation safety and entertainment features. Every day, our products move millions of people as we aim to make driving safer, smarter, and more connected, shaping the future of transportation on a global scale.

Role

As a Principal Technical Lead in Trajectory Generation within the Embodied AI organization, you will be a senior individual contributor driving cutting-edge end-to-end machine learning solutions directly impacting autonomous driving performance. Your role is pivotal in designing, architecting, and deploying advanced ML models to reliably and safely navigate diverse real-world scenarios and conditions. You'll lead critical technical initiatives, collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, mentor ML engineers, and significantly shape the future of onboard ML capabilities.

What You'll Do

Design and implement technologies that align our models to GM’s mission. Apply techniques such as RL, guidance, and selection to raise the performance of our models and provide a layer safety and reliability. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate & align distillation recipes of Robotics foundation models for onboard driving models. Conduct research and stay updated on the latest advancements in AI frameworks and libraries. Lead projects from ideation to deployment, documenting learnings and best practices along the way. Mentor junior team members and contribute to a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.

Your Skills & Abilities

Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree in Computer Science with a focus in Robotics and or Machine Learning, or a related field. Proven experience working with large-scale Foundation Models and alignment methods to translate research into real-world impact. Proven experience delivering applied research in the wild and maintaining best practices while working on tight deadlines. Proficiency in frameworks such as PyTorch and languages such as python. Proven experience in building and scaling large model training pipelines that are performant and enable quick iteration by distributed teams. Strong data processing skills using tools like Numpy, Pandas, and Apache Spark. Excellent communication skills to effectively collaborate with diverse teams and stakeholders. Experience deploying foundation models into production environments and understanding the end-to-end process. Previous experience in Robotics or Autonomous Driving.

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 the California Bay Area. The salary range for this role is $ 269,400.00 to $412,600.00. 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

Benefits: GM offers a variety of health and wellbeing benefit programs. Benefit options include 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.

This job may be eligible for relocation benefits.

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.

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Learn more about: Our Company Our Culture How we hire 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. We are looking for adventure-seekers and imaginative thought leaders to help us transform mobility. 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).