Staff Systems Engineer - AV Platform

General Motors; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 157,000 - 259,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement plan

Paid vacation & holidays

Company vehicle program

Job summary

General Motors is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to lead cross-functional integration of sensors and compute for autonomous platforms. You will own requirements, architecture reviews, and interface definitions to ensure safety, performance, and reliability in embedded AV systems.

You'll collaborate with hardware, software, and verification teams, mentor junior engineers, and contribute to evolving engineering practices. This hybrid role offers relocation support and an incentive program.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in systems engineering with ownership of complex, safety-critical systems.
• Excellent communication skills across cross-functional teams.
• Experience authoring and maintaining system and interface requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead systems engineering for core AV platform capabilities from requirements through integration and validation.
• Own system and subsystem-level strategy and influence platform-wide decisions.
• Author and maintain requirements, interface definitions, and technical specifications with traceability.
• Lead system and architecture reviews ensuring functional, performance, and reliability requirements for embedded AV platforms.
• Collaborate across hardware, software, and verification teams to ensure cohesive system design.
• Mentor junior engineers and evolve systems engineering practices for autonomous platforms.
• Communicate technical concepts effectively to stakeholders at all levels.

Skills

Systems engineering

Safety-critical systems

Requirements engineering

Cross-functional collaboration

Embedded platforms

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Job Description About the Role

Join us in shaping the future of mobility at General Motors, where innovation drives everything we do. Our team is building next‑generation autonomous platforms — the compute, communications, sensors, and platform software that bring AV vehicles to life safely and at scale.

Why This Role Matters

Autonomous systems rely on seamless integration of sensors and embedded compute platforms. Your work will directly influence reliability, performance, and safety, impacting millions of customers and setting industry benchmarks. As a Senior Systems Engineer, you will be at the heart of this transformation—leading systems engineering efforts that ensure seamless integration of sensors and compute platforms. This role combines technical depth with collaboration, giving you the opportunity to influence subsystem design, optimize performance, and contribute to the reliability and safety of cutting‑edge autonomous technologies. You’ll work alongside world‑class engineers in a fast‑paced, mission‑driven environment where your ideas matter and your impact is real.

What you’ll be doing (Responsibilities)

• Lead systems engineering for core AV platform capabilities -- from requirements through integration and validation.
• Own system and subsystem‑level strategy and influence platform‑wide decisions.
• Author and maintain requirements, interface definitions, and technical specifications with clear traceability through validation and release.
• Lead system and architecture reviews, ensuring designs meet functional, performance, and reliability requirements for embedded AV platforms.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally across hardware, software development, and verification teams to ensure cohesive system design and seamless integration.
• Mentor junior engineers and help evolve our systems engineering practices for autonomous platforms.
• Communicate technical concepts effectively to stakeholders at all levels.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

• 6+ years of experience in systems engineering, with demonstrated ownership of complex, safety critical systems.
• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field or relevant work experience.
• Experience in one or more of the following platform domains: embedded/real‑time OS and containerization; distributed middleware, orchestration, and runtime; low‑level SoC/MCU diagnostics and drivers; functional safety island and on‑SoC safety monitors; platform health and fault management; sensor data pipelines; service‑oriented vehicle communications (e.g., SOME/IP); or on‑vehicle logging and data offload.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively through high‑ambiguity problems in cross‑disciplinary teams.
• Experience authoring and maintaining system/software requirements and interface definitions.

What Will Give You A Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)

• 8+ years of experience in systems engineering and/or embedded systems.
• Experience with functional safety frameworks (ISO 26262, fault detection/maturation/escalation) at the platform layer.
• Ability to read/understand source code (C/C++) and system models.
• Experience working with Ethernet‑based automotive networks (e.g., Automotive Ethernet, TSN).
• Prior experience at a leading AV company or tier 1 automotive supplier.

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 New York, Colorado, California, or Washington. The expected base compensation for this role is: $157,100 - $258,500. Actual base compensation within the identified 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

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.

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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.

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}. The selected candidate will be required to travel <25% for this role. Relocation benefits are available for candidates who qualify under company policy.

About GM

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Why Join Us

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Benefits Overview

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We encourage interested candidates to review the key responsibilities and qualifications for each role and apply for any positions that match their skills and capabilities. 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.

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Our Company

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.

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