Senior Software Engineer Motion Planning, Secondary Driving System

Job Description

About
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. Were turning todays impossible into tomorrows 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 peopleas we aim to makedriving safer smarter and more connected shaping the future of transportation on a global scale.

OurEmbodied AIteams are redefiningwhatspossible in driverassistanceand automated driving. We pair humancentered design with cuttingedge robotics optimization and machine learning to create systems that are not just intelligent but intuitive and trustworthy.

TheSecondary Driving System (SDS)is an independent perception planning and controls stack that keeps the vehicle operating safely for a limited time if the primary driving system becomes unavailable requesting driver takeover and when needed executing aMinimal Risk Maneuver (MRM)to bring the vehicle to a safe stop.

The Role

As aSenior Software Engineeron theSecondary Driving System teamwithin Embodied AI you will be a strong individual contributor working across the autonomy stack with a particular emphasis onmotion planning and controlsin a robotics and build productionquality C software that spansMLbasedperception tracking prediction planning and controls enabling SDS to safely handle faults and reach a minimal risk condition when the primary system cannot.

You will collaborate closely with experts inperception state estimation vehicle dynamics systems engineering and safety to ship robust failoperational behaviors for Super Cruiseand future products.

What Youll Do (Responsibilities)

• Develop andoptimizeproductiongrade C softwareacross the SDS stack integrating MLbasedperception(object detection tracking predictionlaneand road features) with analytical planners and classical controllers under tight latency and compute constraints.
• Design and implement planning andcontrolsalgorithmsfor the Secondary Driving System including lanekeeping obstacle avoidance lane changes to shoulder and controlled stopping behaviors tailored to MRM scenarios and limited operational horizons.
• Work with partners instate estimation mapping localization and autonomy managementto define and implement interfaces and contracts that enable reliable SDS engagementin response to primary stack failures.
• Own features endtoend: requirements clarification design reviews implementation simulation/HIL bringup onroad testing and iteration based on metrics and driver feedback.
• Apply and championsoftware engineering best practices: clean interfaces code reviews automated testing continuous integration performance profiling and observability for onroad incidents.
• Analyze and debug complex integration issues using logs telemetry and principled experiments to rootcause problems at the intersection ofperception planning controls and vehicle behavior.
• Partner with Safety and Systems Engineering to ensure SDS behaviors and software designs align withfunctional safety redundancy and MRM requirements for failoperational EyesOff features.
• Mentor and unblock other engineersthrough design discussions code reviews and example implementations helping raise the bar for robustness clarity and execution speed on the team.

Minimum Qualifications (Must-Have)

• BS MS or PhDin Computer Science Robotics Electrical/Mechanical Engineering or a related field; or equivalent practical experience.
• 3 years of professional software engineering experiencebuilding production systems in robotics autonomous vehicles or complex realtime/control systems.
• Strongproficiencyinmodern C(e.g. C14/17 or later) with experience in large multicontributor codebases; familiarity withPythonfor tooling prototyping and data analysis.
• Experience in motion planning and controlsincluding: Trajectory generation and tracking Optimal control / modelpredictive control / trajectory optimization Classical and modern feedback control design (e.g. PID LQR robust control) Handling kinematic and dynamic constraints for ground vehicles
• Experience integrating withperceptionand predictionpipelines (object detection tracking predictionlaneor road geometry) even if your core focus is planning and controls.
• Demonstratedtrack recordof deliveringreliable highquality autonomous or robotics software including testing strategies metrics and performance tuning under latency/compute constraints.
• Strongcommunicationand collaboration skills with the ability to work across disciplines (ML systems platform safety) and drive clarity in ambiguous technical spaces.
• Passion forautomated driving and robotics and for building systems that measurably improve safety and driver experience.

Preferred Qualifications (Nice-to-Have)

• Background inROSor similar robotics middleware.
• Experience withsafetycriticalsoftware orworking closely with functional safety teams.
• Handson experience withGPU/acceleratorbased ML inference model deployment and performance optimization in production environments.
• BS MS or PhDin Computer Science Robotics Electrical/Mechanical Engineering or a related field; or equivalent practical experience.
• 3 years of professional software engineering experiencebuilding production systems in robotics autonomous vehicles or complex realtime/control systems.

Compensation : The compensation information is a good faith estimate only. It is based on what a successful applicant might be paidin accordance withapplicable state laws. The compensation may not berepresentative for positionslocatedoutside of the California Bay Area.

• The salary range for L7 (senior) role is $170600.00 to $261300.00. 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 incentivepayprogram offers payouts based on company performance job level and individual performance.

Benefits :

• Benefits: GM offers a variety of health and wellbeing benefit options include medical dental vision Health Savings Account Flexible Spending Accounts retirement savings plan sickness and accident benefits life insurance paid vacation & holidays tuitionassistanceprograms employeeassistanceprogram GM vehicle discounts and more.

#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. Relocation benefits are available for candidates who qualify under company policy.

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.

Benefits Overview

From day one were looking out for your well-beingat work and at homeso 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

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Required Experience:

Senior IC