Job DescriptionAt 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.
About the Team The Local Planner Controller team builds optimization-based planning and control software for GM's Super Cruise system. The team formulates and solves online optimization problems that balance kinematic feasibility, collision avoidance, and ride comfort, and plays a central role in delivering safe, comfortable vehicle behavior through the Local Planner Controller and related guardrails systems.
The Role We are looking for a Robotics Controls Engineer to join GM's Local Planner Controller team. In this role, you will work on challenging problems in trajectory optimization, vehicle dynamics, estimation, and closed-loop controls that support Super Cruise and other advanced driver assistance capabilities.
What You'll Do - Develop and deliver vehicle dynamics, planning, and controls software that supports safe and comfortable behavior in GM's Super Cruise system.
- Implement, test, and refine optimization and control algorithms for trajectory tracking, constraint handling, and motion execution under real-world vehicle and environment limits.
- Partner with more senior engineers to break down ambiguous technical problems, evaluate tradeoffs, and translate algorithmic ideas into robust production-quality software.
- Contribute to technical reviews, code reviews, validation efforts, and day-to-day engineering execution using strong software engineering best practices.
- Work closely with cross-functional teams across perception, prediction, localization, systems, safety, simulation, and evaluation to integrate solutions and debug end-to-end behavior.
- Improve software reliability and development velocity through testing, tooling, continuous integration, and thoughtful iteration on team processes.
- Contribute to GM engineering culture through clear communication, collaboration, ownership, and a strong learning mindset.
Required Qualifications - Master's degree with 2+ years of relevant experience, or PhD, in Robotics, Controls, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or a related field.
- Strong foundation in optimal control, trajectory optimization, motion planning, or numerical optimization.
- Strong understanding of classical and modern feedback control theory and techniques.
- Solid understanding of vehicle dynamics, robotics dynamics, or related physical system modeling.
- Proficiency in C++ and Python for research or production software development.
- Demonstrated ability to translate algorithms into reliable software in a collaborative engineering environment.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively across disciplines.
- Passion for autonomous driving, robotics, or advanced driver assistance technologies.
Preferred Qualifications - Industry or research experience in robotics, autonomous vehicles, ADAS, or safety-critical systems.
- Experience with model predictive control, constrained optimization, or trajectory generation for real-world robotic systems.
- Familiarity with ROS or similar robotics middleware.
- Experience developing or validating software for embedded or real-time control systems.
- Experience working with simulation, closed-loop evaluation, or system-level performance analysis.
- Exposure to estimation, prediction, or planning/control interfaces in autonomous systems.
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 $138,200-$211,700. 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:
- 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.
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