Staff Tech Manager - Occupant State, Protection & Comfort Systems

Description

Work Arrangement:

Work Model Type:

This role is categorized as remote.

Our Mission:

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.

The Role:

We are seeking a Staff Technology Manager to define and deliver General Motors’ occupant state, protection, and comfort technology platforms across current and next-generation vehicle architectures.

This role owns the end-to-end technology strategy translating product vision (“what”) into system architecture, requirements, and development roadmaps (“how”). The individual will define system-level direction spanning sensing, safety, and comfort domains, and ensure alignment across product, engineering, and safety organizations.

While not responsible for day-to-day execution, this role provides technical authority and strategic direction. Technology decisions and development plans align to the architectures and strategies defined within this role.

Occupant state, Protection & Comfort Systems:

Occupant systems include comprehensive in-cabin sensing and control capabilities covering all seating positions and occupants (including children and pets) across pre-, during-, and post-vehicle operation. Scope includes:

Occupant state monitoring such as presence detection, classification, pose and position understanding, cognitive and behavioral state estimation, and full-cabin occupancy awareness.

Protection systems include integration with airbags, restraint systems, impact sensing, and safety controllers to ensure optimal occupant safety outcomes.

Comfort systems include seat positioning, thermal management (HVAC), heated/cooled seats, massage functions, lumbar support, and personalization features such as memory and user preferences.

These systems require definition of sensing architectures, modality tradeoffs, system integration strategies, and performance targets across safety, comfort, and user experience domains.

What You’ll Do:

Develop and drive strategic vision for occupant state, protection, and comfort technologies to optimize safety outcomes and customer experience

Define system-level architectures, requirements, and performance targets across sensing, protection, and comfort domains

Translate product roadmaps into technical strategies, development plans, and system definitions

Conduct competitive benchmarking, market analysis, and technology investigations to identify opportunities and industry trends

Determine new technology needs and drive development strategies leveraging internal and supplier capabilities

Develop business cases and strategic recommendations for new technologies and present to senior leadership

Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure system performance and success

Lead cross-functional alignment across product, safety, and engineering organizations

Define rollout and deployment strategies across vehicle programs, architectures, and global variants

Assess system tradeoffs including performance, cost, power, mass, and complexity

Provide technical leadership and direction to execution teams responsible for development and integration

Engage with suppliers and partners to identify and mature emerging technologies.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications):

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or related field.

8+ years of experience in sensing, safety, or vehicle system development.

5+ years of experience in advanced vehicle technology or system architecture development.

Experience with occupant sensing, occupant state monitoring, or safety systems.

Deep understanding of sensing modalities and system-level tradeoffs.

Strong experience defining system architectures and requirements for complex embedded systems.

Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives across multiple organizations.

Strong communication and storytelling skills with the ability to translate complex concepts into strategic direction.

Ability to manage complex technical problems with high autonomy.

What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications):

Master’s degree in electrical engineering, computer science or related technical degree.

10+ years of experience in sensing, safety, or vehicle system developmentExperience with vehicle safety systems and integration.

Experience with sensing technologies such as camera, radar, or other in-cabin modalities.

Understanding of occupant protection systems including airbags and restraints.

Experience with vehicle development processes.

Experience in system architecture, requirements development, and technology strategy.

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.

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 role is categorized as remote. This means the selected candidate may be based anywhere in the country of work and is not expected to report to a GM worksite unless directed by their manager.

About GM

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.

Total Rewards | 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. 

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.

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 View email address on us.fitly.work or call us at View phone number on us.fitly.work. 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.