Senior Sensor Validation Engineer - Autonomous Driving

General Motors; Washington; Hybrid; USD 153,000 - 234,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & wellbeing benefits

GM vehicle discounts

Relocation assistance

Job summary

General Motors seeks a Senior Sensor Validation Engineer to bridge hardware performance and vehicle integration, developing sensor characterization plans and on-vehicle validation campaigns across camera, lidar, and radar systems.

You will evaluate metrics like SNR, dynamic range, optical distortion, and point cloud density, and coordinate with perception and hardware teams to ensure robust autonomous sensing and validation across multiple programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline. Work equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of dedicated experience in sensor validation, characterization, or test engineering across optical, lidar, or radar systems.
• Demonstrated ability to design vehicle level validation tests.
• Experience with L4 autonomous vehicles and associated behaviors, challenges, and validation needs.
• Strong domain knowledge of sensor physics principles (optics, electromagnetics, wave propagation, photonics, and signal processing).
• Experience using component-level test equipment and lab facilities (darkrooms, collimators, anechoic chambers, etc.).
• Hands-on experience conducting benchtop characterization and on-vehicle validation, including data collection and integration constraints.

Responsibilities

• Develop comprehensive characterization plans for camera, lidar, and radar with quantitative evaluation.
• Develop vehicle validation tests for performance and safety across autonomous driving environments.
• Plan and execute on-vehicle data collection campaigns on closed courses and public roads.
• Evaluate sensor performance metrics (SNR, dynamic range, optical distortion, point cloud density, RCS).
• Translate validated sensor modules from bench to vehicle platforms, analyzing FOV, KOZ, and integration constraints.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with perception and hardware design to root cause system-level anomalies.

Skills

Sensor validation

On-vehicle tests

Sensor physics

Python/MATLAB

Vehicle-level tests

Lidar/radar/camera

PTP timing

Cross-functional

Lab equipment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Optical/Computer Engineering

Tools

Anechoic chambers

Collimators

Target boards

Darkrooms

Job description

General Motors seeks a Senior Sensor Validation Engineer to bridge hardware performance and vehicle integration, developing sensor characterization plans and on-vehicle validation campaigns across camera, lidar, and radar systems.

You will evaluate metrics like SNR, dynamic range, optical distortion, and point cloud density, and coordinate with perception and hardware teams to ensure robust autonomous sensing and validation across multiple programs.