2027 Summer Intern - Research and Development - System Safety

GM • Warren, MI

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

General Motors Research & Development is seeking a System Safety Intern to conduct research and advance system safety, safety assurance, and evidence-based decision-making across current and emerging technologies. The intern will contribute to developing, assessing, and continuously improving safety analyses and system safety cases for complex products and safety-critical systems. Work includes evaluating safety arguments, evidence strategies, and sufficiency criteria in support of safe technology development and alignment with regulatory expectations, industry best practices, and enterprise safety objectives.

The role collaborates across engineering, research, AI/ML, systems engineering, functional safety, cybersecurity, validation, product safety, legal, regulatory, and leadership teams. The intern will help strengthen traceability, evidence quality, and safety decisions, and will research emerging methods in AI/ML safety validation, probabilistic safety arguments, evidence sufficiency, and structured safety-case development.

This is a hybrid internship based in Warren, Michigan, with an expectation to report onsite at least three times per week. The internship is for summer 2027, with start dates of May 24 or June 14, 2027. The position requires eligibility to obtain a Secret U.S. security clearance; the U.S. Government requires U.S. citizenship for this clearance. GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role.

Requirements

• Be a current student pursuing an advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, Robotics, Safety Management, or a related technical field.
• Be able to work full-time, 40 hours per week during the summer months.
• Have relevant experience in systems engineering, system safety, safety assurance, program leadership, or other complex software-intensive safety-critical environments.
• Have demonstrated experience developing, supporting, or assessing safety cases, assurance cases, or equivalent structured safety arguments.
• Have knowledge of functional safety and safety assurance concepts, including ISO 26262 (FuSa), ISO 21448 (SOTIF), ISO/PAS 8800 (AI safety), and UL 4600.
• Be able to decompose safety goals into clear requirements and evidence needs, synthesize ambiguous technical data, and evaluate evidence sufficiency.
• Have strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical audiences.
• Have a passion for system safety research, safety assurance, and the safe deployment of complex technologies.
• Be eligible to obtain a Secret U.S. security clearance; U.S. citizenship is required by the U.S. Government for this clearance.
• Not require GM immigration-related sponsorship now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in automotive, advanced mobility, product safety, regulatory, certification, or safety-assurance research and practice.
• Understanding of AI/ML safety validation, statistical or probabilistic safety arguments, and evidence-sufficiency evaluation.
• Familiarity with Goal Structuring Notation (GSN) or similar structured argumentation frameworks.
• Experience with requirements management, traceability, and evidence management in safety-critical development lifecycles.
• Experience engaging with external assessors, regulators, standards bodies, research institutions, or industry consortia.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research, development, governance, and continuous improvement of safety analyses and system safety cases for complex products and safety-critical systems.
• Support system safety evaluations of newly developed R&D technologies by defining evaluation approaches, reviewing evidence, identifying gaps, and communicating recommendations.
• Author and present safety-case materials for product submissions, audits, internal reviews, external assessments, and executive or regulatory audiences.
• Integrate and assess evidence from systems engineering, AI/ML, functional safety, cybersecurity, validation, product safety, and other relevant disciplines.
• Perform impact analyses when changes to system scope, architecture, operating context, platform, or release affect safety claims, criteria, or evidence.
• Improve compliance, traceability, and evidence-tracking processes, including opportunities to automate safety-evidence collection across the engineering lifecycle.
• Identify safety gaps, evidence weaknesses, and emerging risks, and drive timely escalation and resolution through appropriate forums.
• Align safety-case claims with applicable standards, guidance, and best practices, including UL 4600, ISO 26262, ISO 21448, AVSC guidance, and ISO/PAS 8800.
• Research emerging approaches in AI/ML safety validation, probabilistic safety arguments, evidence sufficiency, and structured safety-case development, and synthesize findings into recommendations.

Benefits

• Eligible students selected for the 2027 Student Program will receive a one-time lump-sum taxable stipend to help facilitate administration of relocation benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern