Senior Vehicle Motion Controls Platform Engineer – Steering or Suspension

RiseMe; Brighton Charter Township (MI); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

General Motors seeks an experienced automotive controls engineer to lead end-to-end controls for steering or suspension domains, delivering scalable VMCC solutions across vehicle configurations.

You will develop algorithms translating vehicle motion objectives into actuator commands, validate them with model-based methods, HIL/DiL, and in-vehicle tests, and collaborate across controls, software, calibration and program teams.

Qualifications

• MSc or PhD in Controls, Robotics, Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering or equivalent degree with relevant experience.
• 5+ year of relevant experience
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver clear technical reports and presentations.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills.
• Valid driver's license for occasional test support.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end controls design for either the steering or suspension/vertical-motion domain.
• Develop reusable control and estimation algorithms translating vehicle objectives into actuator commands.
• Develop controls for EPS, steer-by-wire, active rear steering (steering-focused) or adaptive/active suspension (suspension-focused).
• Define platform interfaces, control ownership, actuator coordination and calibration strategies.
• Develop vehicle-motion state estimators, observers, sensor-processing and sensor-fusion methods.
• Coordinate with braking, propulsion, rear-steering and other chassis domains.
• Translate dynamics/comfort/controllability objectives into control requirements and metrics.
• Use model-based development, HIL, DiL and in-vehicle testing to calibrate and validate controls.
• Implement algorithms in production-oriented embedded software and support release activities.
• Provide technical leadership, mentor engineers and communicate decisions across teams.

Skills

Strong analytical skills

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Collaboration

Education

MSc or PhD in Controls/Robotics/Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

Tools

DOORS

DNG

JAMA

Job description

Job Description

The Role:

At General Motors, the Vehicle Motion Controls and Estimation (VMCC) Platform Design team develops reusable vehicle-motion control and estimation solutions for future vehicle platforms. This role provides technical leadership in either the steering-controls domain or the suspension and vertical-motion-controls domain, depending on the position.

The steering focus includes electric power steering (EPS), steer-by-wire, and active rear steering. The suspension focus includes semi-active and active suspension and vertical vehicle motion.

In either focus area, you will own the technical domain while helping develop a scalable VMCC platform that supports multiple vehicle configurations, actuator technologies, operating modes, and driver modes.

This role is designed for an experienced automotive controls engineer from a leading OEM or Tier 1 supplier who can lead work from vehicle-dynamics analysis through control- architecture and algorithm design and into production software, calibration, and vehicle validation.

What You'll do:

• Lead end-to-end controls design for either the steering or suspension/vertical-motion domain.
• Develop reusable control and estimation algorithms that translate vehicle-level motion objectives into actuator commands while accounting for system constraints, operating modes, and degraded operation.
• For steering-focused positions, develop controls for EPS, steer-by-wire, and active rear steering, including steering response, driver feedback, desired-state and trajectory tracking, disturbance rejection, mode transitions, and fault-tolerant or degraded operation.
• For suspension-focused positions, develop controls for adaptive and active suspension, including ride, handling, body-motion, wheel-motion, roll, pitch, and heave objectives.
• Define platform interfaces, control ownership, actuator coordination, arbitration, and technology-specific extensions that scale across vehicle configurations.
• Develop vehicle-motion state estimators, observers, sensor-processing and sensor-fusion methods, system-identification approaches, and parameter-estimation techniques that support robust controls performance.
• Coordinate with braking, propulsion, rear-steering, and other chassis domains to deliver cohesive vehicle-motion behavior.
• Translate vehicle-dynamics, ride, handling, stability, comfort, and controllability objectives into control requirements, performance metrics, algorithms, and calibration strategies.
• Use model-based development, vehicle-dynamics simulation, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), driver-in-the-loop (DiL), and in-vehicle testing to design, calibrate, verify, and validate controls.
• Implement algorithms in production-oriented embedded software and support requirements development, interface definition, design reviews, diagnostics, and software-release activities.
• Provide technical leadership, mentor engineers, resolve cross-functional issues, and communicate design decisions across controls, software, systems, calibration, test, and program teams

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

• MSc or PhD in Controls, Robotics, Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering or equivalent degree with relevant experience.
• 5+ year of relevant experience
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver clear technical reports and presentations.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills.
• Valid driver's license for occasional test support.

What Will Give You A Competitive Edge (Preferred Skills)

• Experience writing and understanding software/hardware requirements and interfaces, with exposure to tools such as DOORS, DNG, JAMA, or equivalent.
• Familiarity with automotive product release and specification processes.
• Knowledge of related automotive systems (powertrain, driveline, CAN/LIN networks).
• Experience with advanced test setups (dSPACE HiL, DiL) and/or in-vehicle track testing.

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}. 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.

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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