Senior Vehicle Systems Engineer

General Motors LLC; Brighton Charter Township (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

On-site role

Job summary

General Motors seeks a Senior Vehicle Systems Engineer to lead hands-on sensor integration and data collection for next‑gen sensing systems in Detroit/Milford test programs. You will coordinate testing, troubleshoot sensor and software issues, and collaborate with embedded, sensor, and perception teams.

The role requires 5+ years in sensor integration or hardware test engineering, a strong engineering background, and proven cross‑functional communication skills; travel <25% is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in sensor integration, embedded software testing, sensor validation, or hardware test engineering.
• Hands-on experience testing sensors (camera, lidar, radar, or acoustic) onto vehicles or complex hardware platforms.

Responsibilities

• Determine and validate sensor placement on test vehicles and confirm FOV and KOZ.
• Identify and mitigate integration issues before late-stage fixes.
• Lead or support sensor testing across optical and radar sensors.
• Debug and evaluate communication, timing, diagnostics, and other software issues.
• Collaborate on test and validation plan development and cross-functional teams.
• Document findings and test results comprehensively.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, related field

Job description

Job Description General Motors is developing hands-off and eyes-off autonomous driving systems intended for broad deployment across consumer vehicles. As part of this effort, GM is investing in sensors and architectures that can be integrated, validated, and operated reliably at scale across diverse vehicle programs and operating environments. We are seeking a Senior Vehicle Systems Engineer for hands‑on work supporting our test and data collection vehicles in support of the design of future sensing systems. In this role you’ll have the opportunity to work hands on with next‑generation sensors to support eyes‑off driving and the vehicle platforms they’re integrated on. You’ll work cross‑functionally to coordinate integration, support testing, root cause sensor and software problems, support data collection campaigns, and other associated activities. You’ll have the opportunity to work hands‑on with the vehicles at our Detroit and Milford locations with travel to various other test sites on as needed basis.

What You’ll Do

• Determine and validate physical sensor placement on test and donor vehicles partnering directly with Integration Plan and execute on‑vehicle data collection: get test vehicles moving in parking lots, on closed courses, and on public roads to confirm sensor placement, field of view (FOV), and identify physical interferences early
• Identify and mitigate physical/mechanical integration issues (e.g., incomplete ISP development on a camera, occlusion, keep‑out zone violations) before they become late‑stage, costly fixes
• Lead or support sensor specific testing across optical and radar sensors
• Debug and evaluate communication, timing, diagnostics, and other software related issues on development and production systems
• Collaborate on test and validation plan development to ensure scope and completeness
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with embedded system teams, sensor teams, and perception teams to root cause sensor and software issues as part of integrated testing
• Document findings and test results in a complete and comprehensive manner

Your Skills & Abilities

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent practical experience
• 5+ years of experience in sensor integration, embedded software testing, sensor validation, or hardware test engineering
• Hands‑on experience testing sensors (camera, lidar, radar, or acoustic) onto vehicles or complex hardware platforms
• Working knowledge of camera, lidars, radars and associated concepts such as sensor field‑of‑view (FOV), keep‑out zone (KOZ), mounting tolerance concepts, and how they translate into fixture and bracket design
• Comfortable planning and executing on‑vehicle data collection, including coordinating driving activities across parking lots, closed courses, and public roads
• Strong computer skills and understanding of networking and automotive communication busses
• Strong cross‑functional communication skills

What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience working on L4 autonomous vehicle programs
• Experience working in the automotive sector
• Familiarity with autonomous vehicle sensor suites and AV‑specific integration constraints
• Experience standing up test infrastructure or tooling (e.g., mobile test rigs) from scratch
• Ability to program and develop tooling, dashboards, or data analytics

This role is categorized as onsite. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location on a full‑time basis. The selected candidate will be required to travel <25% for this role. Relocation benefits are available for candidates who qualify under company policy. The position is subject to export control restrictions and requires the successful candidate to be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, asylee or refugee).

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