Staff Robotics Engineer - Planning and Controls

General Motors; Sunnyvale (CA); Remote; USD 185,000 - 335,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company vehicle program

Relocation benefits

GM vehicle discounts

Job summary

General Motors seeks a Technical Lead in Embodied AI to own multi-quarter roadmaps for vehicle dynamics and controls software, and to guide architecture across perception, prediction and planning systems. You will drive verification, safety and performance while mentoring engineers in a fast-paced, inclusive setting.

The role emphasizes cross-functional leadership, system design for safety-critical autonomous software, and collaboration with Safety and Product teams to ship high-quality features.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or MS in controls, optimization, path planning; BS with experience may be considered.
• 5+ years of experience in motion planning or related field.
• Deep understanding of optimal controls and trajectory optimization.
• Expertise in Planning and Controls system design.
• Experience with C++/Python in a large distributed development environment.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Passion for self-driving technology; robotics/ROS background a plus.
• Experience designing software applications for safety-critical systems.
• Experience building and managing engineering teams (5+ years in motion planning).

Responsibilities

• Shape multi-quarter roadmap designs for vehicle dynamics and controls software.
• Architect and implement system designs with perception, prediction and planning interfaces.
• Lead technical reviews and drive software engineering best practices.
• Contribute to Active Safety, Driver Assistance, and Super Cruise development.
• Mentor engineers across teams, raising the bar on technical judgment and delivery.
• Establish verification and validation strategies including simulation and on-road testing.
• Collaborate with Safety, Systems Engineering, and Product to generate onboard requirements.
• Deliver reliable software through CI, automated testing, and code reviews.

Skills

Optimal controls

Trajectory optimization

Vehicle dynamics

Planning & controls

C++/Python

Software architecture

Communication skills

Education

PhD/MS in controls

BS in related field

Tools

C++/Python

Job description

About GM

Job Description About GM 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 people as we aim to make driving safer, smarter, and more connected, shaping the future of transportation on a global scale.

About the Role

As a Technical Lead you will be an individual contributor in the Local Planner Controller team within Embodied AI. We formulate and solve optimization problems online, considering kinematic feasibility, collision avoidance and ride comfort. In this role, you will provide cross-functional technical leadership for vehicle dynamics, estimation and controls systems used in GMs Super Cruise system. You will define the technical vision and multi-quarter roadmap for vehicle dynamics and controls software, drive design quality from architecture through validation, and align multiple teams to ship reliable, scalable autonomy capabilities that meet company goals.

Responsibilities

• Shape the technical vision by owning multi-quarter roadmap designs for vehicle dynamics and controls software.
• Architect and implement system designs and interface contracts with perception, prediction and planning systems, ensuring deliverables meet performance targets and safety constraints.
• Lead technical reviews and drive software engineering best practices across the team and the larger organization.
• Contribute to Active Safety, Driver Assistance, and Super Cruise development.
• Guide other developers through system design and implementation focusing on safety, comfort, and compute efficiency.
• Establish verification and validation strategies for the vehicle dynamics and controls software, including simulation and on-road testing validation gates.
• Partner with Safety, Systems Engineering, and Product to generate requirements for onboard systems.
• Lead root-cause investigations for complex integration issues, using data-driven techniques and principled experimentation, proactively creating test plans for new features and defining useful metrics for analyzing performance Mentor engineers across teams, raising the bar on technical judgment, design quality, and execution discipline without direct people management responsibilities.
• Improve and deliver reliable software through continuous integration, automated testing, and code reviews.
• Develop and oversee top-tier software engineers within a dynamic, fast-paced, and inclusive setting.
• Help define, build, and embody GM engineering culture and principles.

Required Qualifications

Ph.D., M.S. in controls, optimization, path planning, or related. B.S. with strong work experience in the field may be considered 5+ years of experience in motion planning or related field

• Deep understanding of optimal controls and trajectory optimization algorithms.
• Good grasp of classical and modern feedback control theory and techniques.
• Solid understanding of vehicle dynamics.
• A demonstrated track record of building high quality autonomous software systems.
• Deep expertise in Planning and Controls system design.
• Experience with C++/Python in a large, distributed development environment.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Passion for self-driving technology and its potential impact on the world.
• Bonus points! A background in robotics, ROS, or the AV/ADAS industry.
• Experience in numerical optimization algorithms.
• Experience designing software applications for safety critical systems.
• Experience building and managing engineering teams 5+ years of experience in motion planning or related field.

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 $185,100.00 to $335,300.00. 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 incentive pay program 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, tuition assistance programs, employee assistance program, GM vehicle discounts and more. This job may be eligible for relocation benefits.

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.

Location

#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}. The selected candidate will be required to travel <25% for this role. This job may be eligible for relocation benefits.

Vision

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.

Applicants in the recruitment process may be required, where applicable, to successfully complete a role-related assessment(s) and/or a pre-employment screening prior to beginning employment.

To learn more, visit How we Hire.

Accommodations

General Motors offers opportunities to all job seekers including individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to assist with your job search or application for employment, email us or call us at 1-800-865-7580. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.

Discover GM

We are leading the change to make our world better, safer and more equitable for all through our actions and how we behave. Learn more about: Our Company Our Culture How we hire Our diverse team of employees bring their collective passion for engineering, technology and design to deliver on our vision of a world with Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion. We are looking for adventure-seekers and imaginative thought leaders to help us transform mobility. Explore our global locations We are determined to lead change for the world through technology, ingenuity and harnessing the creativity of our diverse team. Join us to help lead the change that will make our world better, safer and more equitable for all by becoming a member of GM’s Talent Community (beamery.com).

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