Staff Systems Engineer – AV Sensing Design at General Motors in Sunnyvale, CA

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 staff systems engineer to join the AV team to provide technical leadership in defining how autonomous sensing systems are architected and integrated across GM’s autonomy programs. This role focuses on sensor suite design at the intersection of sensors, Perception, Behaviors, and vehicle integration, ensuring that sensing solutions are technically sound, aligned with product intent, and executable in production. In this position, you will apply your specific areas of expertise to develop solutions to novel challenges as you lead system‑level trade studies, perform detailed analysis on individual sensors, and define multi-modality sensor suites spanning camera, radar, lidar, and more. You will work closely with AI/ML, simulation, data collection, platform software, and vehicle integration teams to address real engineering challenges. This role is for engineers who thrive in navigating ambiguous problem spaces and bring clarity to cross-functional teams with data-driven solutions. What You’ll Do You will get the opportunity to contribute to one or more of the following: Lead system level trade studies for the design of multi-modality sensor systems supported by detailed modeling of performance and AV behavioral impacts Develop detailed performance specifications for sensors supported by a strong understanding of sensor physics and signal processing Assess performance against product needs to assess risk, quantify impact, and drive continuous improvement Work closely with cross-functional stakeholders such as simulation, vehicle integration, perception, localization, and validation teams to manage complex interdependencies Clearly document technical decisions, trade‑offs, and deliverables. Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications) Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline 10+ years of experience with B.S. with significant sensor related experience Demonstrated leadership experience executing cross-functional initiatives across system architecture, data collection, analysis, integration, or other related activity Experience developing multi-modality sensing systems (camera, radar, lidar, or similar), their definition, usage, and integration Technical depth in signal processing, link analysis, or ML across at least one relevant sensing modality Understand the challenges of self-driving and how those map to sensor needs Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in ambiguous problem spaces and drive technical alignment across teams Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate detailed technical information Working knowledge of Matlab, Python, or other languages to support data analysis and analysis tooling development What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications) Experience in one or more of the following areas is a plus: Master’s or PhD degree in engineering or a related technical discipline Experience developing systems for occupantless self-driving autonomous vehicles or advanced remote sensing platforms Significant experience with automotive autonomy focused SPAD lidars and/or imaging radar data and failure modes Experience developing and leading system/component validation strategy, including use case definition, test protocol development, vehicle testing, HIL/SIL, simulation, and/or large‑scale data analysis Experience analyzing extrinsic calibration, pointing accuracy tolerance stacks, and similar concepts Autonomous vehicle behavior modeling and assessment Experience with sensor simulation model development Compensation : The compensa