Staff Systems Engineer - AV Architecture
Generalmotors· Automotive· Oct 15, 2026 · 13d ago
Sunnyvale, CA
In office
Full-time
Staff
$160K–$291K
6+ years exp
Job description
Job Description
At General Motors, we are building on our long-standing legacy of innovation and leadership in advanced driving technologies, exemplified by our industry-leading hands-off driving system, Super Cruise®. Our Autonomous Vehicles (AV) program is driven by a bold ambition to deliver expanded product portfolios that push the boundaries of safe, reliable autonomous and assisted driving experiences. Central to this mission is our Architecture and System Design team, a critical hub that operates at the intersection of requirement definition, architecture and system design, integration, and validation across the AV organization. This team ensures a cohesive and robust system architecture that enables seamless integration of our AV technologies and delivers the high standards of safety and performance our customers expect.
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Staff Systems Engineer to lead AV system architecture initiatives across one or more products and functional areas.
You will be responsible for defining and managing system-level requirements and architectures, optimizing resource allocation across computational and networking subsystems, and working closely with software and hardware teams to ensure seamless integration of vehicle platform components. This role is highly collaborative, strategic, and technical, influencing platform roadmaps and long-term technical direction.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the end-to-end systems engineering for embedded autonomous vehicle (AV) and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) platforms.
Define, document, and manage system-level requirements, ensuring traceability and alignment with product and safety goals.
Develop and maintain hardware, software, and safety related system architectures.
Balance trade-offs in compute resources (CPU, GPU, NPU), memory (RAM), and communication bandwidth (Ethernet) for hardware and .
Perform system resource allocation, profiling, and optimization to meet performance, power, latency, and reliability targets.
Define logical and functional architectures to decompose the system, define data flows and subsystem interactions, and specify how the systems will meet safety and performance requirements.
Collaborate cross-functionally with autonomy software, firmware, hardware, validation, and vehicle integration teams to ensure cohesive system design and implementation.
Drive technical roadmap planning and contribute to strategic decisions on future platform capabilities and scalability.
Identify risks and develop mitigation strategies related to system integration and performance.
Mentor junior engineers and foster a culture of technical excellence and innovation within the team.
Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
Minimum 6 years of systems engineering experience, ideally within embedded systems, automotive, robotics, or related industries.
Proven track record of leading system architecture design for complex embedded platforms.
Deep understanding of AV/ADAS domain including embedded computing platforms, sensor integration, and ML-driven approaches to solving autonomy, and robotics problems.
Hands-on experience with system modeling, simulation tools, and requirements management frameworks.
Familiarity with automotive safety standards and practices is a plus.
Excellent communication skills and demonstrated ability to work effectively in cross-disciplinary teams.
Proven ability to navigate and solve problems characterized by high ambiguity
Exceptional candidates may also have
Advanced degree (MS or PhD) with a focus on embedded systems, systems engineering, or related fields.
Experience with embedded Linux or RTOS environments in automotive or robotics applications.
Familiarity with system-level debugging, profiling, and telemetry tools.
Prior experience at a leading AV company or tier 1 automotive supplier.
Strong leadership skills with experience mentoring engineers and leading technical projects.
Experience contributing to strategic technical roadmaps and platform evolution.
6 years of professional work experience
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 the California Bay Area.
The salary range for this role is $160,200.00 to $290,700.00. 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 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, tuition assistance programs, employee assistance program, GM vehicle discounts and more.
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 remote; however, the selected candidate must live in an approved city within the assigned territory or be willing to relocate. The candidate will be required to relocate, or already reside in the approved city no later than the timeline provided at offer. 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
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, 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 or call us at 1-800-865-7580. 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.
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