Subsystem Architect: Vehicle Architecture & Trade Studies

GM Defense; Milford Charter Township (MI); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company vehicle program

Job summary

GM Defense is seeking a Subsystem Architect to identify architecture options, lead trade studies, and translate customer needs into subsystem requirements across interior/occupant accommodations, chassis, thermal, and electrical domains. You will partner with design, manufacturing, quality, and program teams to ensure feasible, cost-effective solutions, and support demonstrator builds and documentation.

As a senior contributor, you will drive data-based architecture decisions, manage risk, and

Qualifications

• BSE or BS in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of professional engineering experience in vehicle, subsystem, or product engineering.
• Candidate must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, asylee or refugee).
• Demonstrated experience in vehicle integration, subsystem architecture, or system-level engineering.
• Deep experience across the full breadth of a subsystem, including requirements, interfaces, packaging, performance, cost, validation, and implementation, gained through work on multiple programs.
• Proven ability to evaluate multiple technical alternatives and make data-driven recommendations based on cost, mass, performance, packaging, and timing.
• Strong understanding of engineering theory and the principles of operation of mechanical and/or electrical systems.
• Experience leading or supporting structured trade studies, decision matrices, and technical down-selection activities.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams, including engineering, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, finance, and program management.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex trade-offs to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to identify technical risks, assumptions, and integration constraints early in the product development process.
• Experience creating clear, concise engineering recommendations for leadership and program decision forums.

Responsibilities

• Identify subsystem architecture options and building-block alternatives for new GM Defense vehicle and product applications.
• Lead trade studies that compare technical alternatives using packaging, performance, cost, mass, and timing as primary evaluation criteria.
• Translate product and customer needs into subsystem-level architectural requirements, assumptions, and decision criteria.
• Partner with design, systems, manufacturing, purchasing, quality, finance, and program teams to assess solution feasibility and integration risk.
• Develop recommendation packages that clearly communicate trade-offs, key assumptions, risks, and proposed path forward.
• Support early concept development by evaluating carryover, modified, and new-design subsystem solutions.
• Assess subsystem compatibility with overall vehicle and product architecture, including physical integration and interface impacts.
• Drive alignment on subsystem decisions by facilitating technical reviews and cross-functional discussions.
• Support issue resolution when subsystem architecture decisions affect program execution, integration, build, or test outcomes.
• Support the planning and execution of concept demonstrator builds, including ordering component parts and coordinating material needs.
• Assist in developing build instructions and related technical documentation to enable efficient concept demonstrator assembly.
• Resolve build issues during concept demonstrator execution by working with engineering and build teams to identify root cause and implement corrective actions.
• Assess and address subsystem and vehicle performance issues observed during concept demonstrator builds and evaluations, driving improvements into future architectural recommendations.
• Create and maintain engineering analyses, comparison matrices, and decision documentation to support leadership reviews and program checkpoints.
• Contribute to program planning by identifying architecture-related timing risks, dependency impacts, and decision gates.
• Assist Chief Engineers, Program Engineering Managers, and engineering leaders with technical recommendations, scenario analysis, and product definition decisions.
• Perform other related duties as assigned in support of overall vehicle and program success.

Skills

Subsystem architecture

Trade studies

Requirements management

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven decisions

Engineering analysis

Communication/presentation

U.S. Person

Education

BSE/BS in Engineering

Tools

DFMEA

DVP&R

Job description

GM Defense is seeking a Subsystem Architect to identify architecture options, lead trade studies, and translate customer needs into subsystem requirements across interior/occupant accommodations, chassis, thermal, and electrical domains. You will partner with design, manufacturing, quality, and program teams to ensure feasible, cost-effective solutions, and support demonstrator builds and documentation.

As a senior contributor, you will drive data-based architecture decisions, manage risk, and