Staff Systems Engineer – Sensor Systems Engineering & Architecture

GM•Sunnyvale, CA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

General Motors is developing hands-off and eyes-off autonomous driving systems intended for broad deployment across consumer vehicles. A foundational requirement for safe, scalable autonomy is that sensing systems perform reliably across the full range of real-world weather conditions. We are seeking a Staff Systems Engineer to join the Sensor Systems Engineering & Architecture team to provide technical leadership in defining how autonomous sensing systems are characterized, specified, and validated under weather and contamination conditions. This role focuses on system-level decisions at the intersection of sensors, perception software, vehicle platforms, and real-world operating environments — ensuring that sensing solutions are technically sound, weather-resilient, and executable in production. In this position, you will lead system-level trade studies, define performance requirements for sensors under adverse weather and contamination scenarios, and develop the technical frameworks used to assess sensor cleaning solutions. You will work closely with perception, validation, platform software, and vehicle integration teams to drive forward a rigorous and scalable approach to weather and cleaning performance assessment. This role is intended for engineers who are comfortable operating in ambiguity, applying first-principles analysis, and providing steady technical direction as systems mature from early development into deployed solutions.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Systems, Electrical, Software, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field
10+ years of experience in systems engineering, system integration, or hardware-intensive product development
Experience working with sensing systems (camera, radar, lidar, or similar) and a technical understanding of the effects of weather and contamination on performance
Experience leading cross-domain technical initiatives for the evaluation and validation of sensor performance
Expertise in requirements decomposition and development
Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in ambiguous problem spaces and drive technical alignment across teams
Experience with Matlab, Python, or other tools to support data analysis and analysis tooling development

Nice To Haves

Master's degree or PhD in Engineering or a related technical discipline
Direct experience characterizing or modeling sensor performance degradation in adverse weather conditions (rain, snow, fog, aerosol, or equivalent) for high-fidelity sensors
Familiarity with weather simulation methodologies, physics-based sensor modeling, or environmental test chamber evaluation
Experience with sensor cleaning systems, including nozzle, air, wiper, or other advanced methods
Experience working on L4 (or equivalent) autonomous vehicle programs or advanced remote sensing platforms
Experience with requirements management tools such as JAMA or DNG
Knowledge of safety-critical system development or functional safety concepts
Experience with system/component validation including vehicle testing, HIL/SIL, simulation, and large-scale data analysis

Responsibilities

Lead system-level trades, requirements decomposition, and integration requirements for autonomous sensor systems across radar, cameras, and lidar with associated cleaning systems
Lead the technical assessment, characterization, and performance benchmarking of sensor systems — including active and passive cleaning mechanisms — across vehicle programs
Translate autonomy and product performance intent into system architectures, functional decompositions, and requirements
Work closely with software platform teams, vehicle integration, hardware teams, perception, and validation teams to manage complex interdependencies and drive forward progress
Ensure system designs meet safety, regulatory, quality, and performance requirements relevant to autonomous vehicle operation in diverse environmental conditions
Drive continuous improvement in sensing system robustness
Clearly document technical decisions, trade-offs, and deliverables.