Principal Software Engineer - Vehicle AI

General Motors Corporation; Mountain View (CA); Hybrid; USD 239,000 - 366,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company vehicle program

Relocation benefits

Job summary

General Motors seeks an experienced architect to own the In-Vehicle AI Assistant platform across Android and cloud backend, guiding technical strategy with multiple teams. You will define interfaces, ensure low-latency client-server communication, and shape the roadmaps for AI agent integration and system reliability.

The role requires deep expertise in distributed systems, Android/Kotlin/Java, and cloud microservices, with a track record of cross-functional leadership and architecture vision at

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience required.
• 12+ years of software development delivering large-scale distributed systems.
• Experience with client-server architecture and low-latency networking required.

Responsibilities

• Define and own end-to-end architecture for In-Vehicle AI Assistant across Android client and cloud backend.
• Drive cross-functional technical strategy with Cloud AI/ML, UX, Product, Security, and Data teams.
• Architect hybrid edge-cloud orchestration balancing latency, bandwidth, cost, and offline reliability.
• Establish API protocols for high-performance real-time client-server communication (gRPC, streaming).
• Evaluate AI/ML frameworks and LLM orchestration for in-cabin systems.
• Mentor Staff/Senior engineers and drive architectural excellence across pods.

Skills

Android architecture (Kotlin/Java)

Distributed systems

Cross-functional leadership

Low-latency networks

Client-server patterns

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering

Master’s or Ph.D. in CS/EE (preferred)

Tools

REST

gRPC

Streaming APIs

Android client (Kotlin/Java)

Cloud microservices

Job description

What You’ll Do

Define and own the end-to-end architecture for GM’s In-Vehicle AI Assistant platform across both the Android client application layer and cloud backend integration services. Drive cross-functional technical strategy, collaborating with Cloud AI/ML, In-Cabin UX, Product Management, Security, and Data Engineering teams to align system boundaries and interface contracts. Architect the hybrid edge-cloud orchestration layer, optimizing trade-offs between on-device latency, network bandwidth, cloud compute cost, and offline reliability. Establish engineering standards and API protocols for high-performance, real-time client-server communication using gRPC and streaming audio/text interfaces. Evaluate and integrate emerging Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AI/ML) agent frameworks, large language model orchestrators, and tool execution engines into the in-cabin assistant ecosystem. Unblock critical architectural dependencies across multiple engineering pods, resolving complex trade-offs in system reliability, privacy, and data streaming. Drive platform-wide testing, evaluation pipelines, and telemetry standards to measure end-to-end voice latency, response accuracy, and system health. Mentor and grow Staff and Senior engineers across client and backend disciplines, fostering a culture of technical rigor and architectural excellence.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or equivalent practical experience. 12+ years of professional software development experience, with a proven track record of designing large-scale distributed systems spanning client applications and cloud microservices. Broad technical depth across client-side Android architecture (Kotlin/Java) and backend cloud integration (microservices, REST, gRPC, streaming APIs). Demonstrated history of cross-functional (XFN) technical leadership, driving architectural alignment and consensus across multiple engineering organizations. Deep expertise in client-server interaction patterns, state synchronization, and low-latency network communication protocols. Proven ability to define multi-year technical roadmaps and translate high-level product vision into concrete, scalable platform architectures.

What Can Give You a Competitive Advantage (Preferred Qualifications)

Master’s or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. Technical domain expertise in conversational AI architectures, voice assistant frameworks, or agentic LLM orchestration layers. Familiarity with Android Automotive OS (AAOS) applications or in-cabin system constraints. Background in edge-cloud hybrid computing, including client-side machine learning execution and server-side model streaming. Exceptional technical communication skills, with a track record of articulating complex architectural trade-offs to senior leadership and non-technical stakeholders.

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 ($238,700 - $365,700). 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.

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.

This Job may be eligible for relocation benefits.

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.

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We encourage interested candidates to review the key responsibilities and qualifications for each role and apply for any positions that match their skills and capabilities.

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