Senior Software Engineer - Motion Planning, Secondary Driving System

General Motors; Sunnyvale (CA); Remote; USD 171,000 - 261,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-friendly benefits

Competitive compensation

Relocation assistance

Job summary

General Motors seeks a Senior Software Engineer for the Secondary Driving System on the Embodied AI team. You will design and build production‑quality C++ software spanning ML perception, tracking, prediction, planning and controls to enable safe, fail‑operational behavior.

You will collaborate with experts in perception, state estimation, vehicle dynamics, and safety to ship robust SDS features and mentor fellow engineers while delivering high‑quality, low‑latency software for autonomous

Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in CS/Robotics/EE/ME or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years in production robotics or autonomous systems.
• Strong modern C++ (C++14/17+), Python for tooling.
• Experience in motion planning and controls.
• Experience integrating with perception/prediction pipelines.
• Proven track record delivering reliable autonomous software.
• Strong communication across ML, systems, safety.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize production‑grade C++ software across the SDS stack.
• Design and implement planning and controls algorithms for SDS.
• Collaborate with perception, mapping, localization, and autonomy management.
• Own features end‑to‑end: requirements, design reviews, testing, on‑road work.
• Mentor engineers and promote robust software practices.

Skills

C++ proficiency

Motion planning

Robotics software

Python tooling

Team collaboration

Education

BS/MS/PhD in CS/Robotics/EE/ME

Tools

ROS

Job description

Job Description

About

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 peopleas we aim to makedriving safer, smarter, and more connected, shaping the future of transportation on a global scale.

OurEmbodied AIteams are redefiningwhat’spossible in driverassistanceand automated driving. We pair human‑centered design with cutting‑edge robotics, optimization, and machine learning to create systems that are not just intelligent, but intuitive and trustworthy.

TheSecondary Driving System (SDS)is an independent perception, planning, and controls stack that keeps the vehicle operating safely for a limited time if the primary driving system becomes unavailable, requesting driver takeover and, when needed, executing aMinimal Risk Maneuver (MRM)to bring the vehicle to a safe stop.

The Role

As aSenior Software Engineeron theSecondary Driving System teamwithin Embodied AI, you will be a strong individual contributor working across the autonomy stack, with a particular emphasis onmotion planning and controlsin a robotics context.You’lldesign and build production‑quality C++ software that spansML‑basedperception, tracking, prediction, planning, and controls, enabling SDS to safely handle faults and reach a minimal risk condition when the primary system cannot.

You will collaborate closely with experts inperception, state estimation, vehicle dynamics, systems engineering, and safety to ship robust, fail‑operational behaviors for Super Cruiseand future products.

What You’ll Do (Responsibilities)

• Develop andoptimizeproduction‑grade C++ softwareacross the SDS stack, integrating ML‑basedperception(object detection, tracking, prediction,laneand road features) with analytical planners and classical controllers under tight latency and compute constraints.
• Design and implement planning andcontrolsalgorithmsfor the Secondary Driving System, including lane‑keeping, obstacle avoidance, lane changes to shoulder, and controlled stopping behaviors tailored to MRM scenarios and limited operational horizons.
• Work with partners instate estimation, mapping, localization, and autonomy managementto define and implement interfaces and contracts that enable reliable SDS engagementin response to primary stack failures.
• Own features end‑to‑end: requirements clarification, design reviews, implementation, simulation/HIL bring‑up, on‑road testing, and iteration based on metrics and driver feedback.
• Apply and championsoftware engineering best practices: clean interfaces, code reviews, automated testing, continuous integration, performance profiling, and observability for on‑road incidents.
• Analyze and debug complex integration issues, using logs, telemetry, and principled experiments to root‑cause problems at the intersection ofperception, planning, controls, and vehicle behavior.
• Partner with Safety and Systems Engineering to ensure SDS behaviors and software designs align withfunctional safety, redundancy, and MRM requirements for fail‑operational Eyes‑Off features.
• Mentor and unblock other engineersthrough design discussions, code reviews, and example implementations, helping raise the bar for robustness, clarity, and execution speed on the team.

Minimum Qualifications (Must-Have)

• BS, MS, or PhDin Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, or a related field; or equivalent practical experience.
• 3+ years of professional software engineering experiencebuilding production systems in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or complex real‑time/control systems.
• Strongproficiencyinmodern C++(e.g., C++14/17 or later), with experience in large, multi‑contributor codebases; familiarity withPythonfor tooling, prototyping, and data analysis.
• Experience in motion planning and controls,including: Trajectory generation and tracking, Optimal control / model‑predictive control / trajectory optimization, Classical and modern feedback control design (e.g., PID, LQR, robust control), Handling kinematic and dynamic constraints for ground vehicles
• Experience integrating withperceptionand predictionpipelines (object detection, tracking, prediction,laneor road geometry), even if your core focus is planning and controls.
• Demonstratedtrack recordof deliveringreliable, high‑quality autonomous or robotics software, including testing strategies, metrics, and performance tuning under latency/compute constraints.
• Strongcommunicationand collaboration skills, with the ability to work across disciplines (ML, systems, platform, safety) and drive clarity in ambiguous technical spaces.
• Passion forautomated driving and robotics, and for building systems that measurably improve safety and driver experience.

Preferred Qualifications (Nice-to-Have)

• Background inROSor similar robotics middleware.
• Experience withsafety‑criticalsoftware orworking closely with functional safety teams.
• Hands‑on experience withGPU/accelerator‑based ML inference, model deployment, and performance optimization in production environments.
• BS, MS, or PhDin Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, or a related field; or equivalent practical experience.
• 3+ years of professional software engineering experiencebuilding production systems in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or complex real‑time/control systems.

Compensation

The compensation information is a good faith estimate only. It is based on what a successful applicant might be paidin accordance withapplicable state laws. The compensation may not berepresentative for positionslocatedoutside of the California Bay Area.

• The salary range for L7 (senior) role is $170,600.00 to $261,300.00. 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 incentivepayprogram 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, tuitionassistanceprograms, employeeassistanceprogram, GM vehicle discounts and more.

#GM-AV-1

This role is based remotely, but if the selected candidate lives within a specific mile radius of a GM hub, they will be expected to report to the location three times a week {or other frequency dictated by your manager}.Relocation benefits are available for candidates who qualify under company policy.

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.

Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities (U.S.)

General Motors is committed to being a workplace that is not only free of unlawful discrimination, but one that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. We strongly believe that providing an inclusive workplace creates an environment in which our employees can thrive and develop better products for our customers.

All employment decisions are made on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to sex, race, color, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, disability, pregnancy or maternity status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran or protected veteran, or any other similarly protected status in accordance with federal, state and local laws.

Accommodations

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