General Motors

Principal Software Engineer, Simulation Engine

General Motors • $296K — $453K *
Sunnyvale, CA 94087In-Person
Consumer Technology
11 - 15 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Machine Learning, or related field, or equivalent professional experience.
  • 12+ years of relevant software engineering experience with ownership of complex platforms.
  • Expert programming skills in modern C++ and Python, with deep systems engineering expertise.
  • Proven ability to define technical strategy and deliver cross-functional initiatives.
  • Experience serving as an architectural authority across teams or products.
  • Track record of influencing senior leaders around tradeoffs and investments.
  • Exceptional communication skills for conveying complex technical topics.

Responsibilities

  • Define and champion the long-term technical vision for simulation and validation infrastructure.
  • Establish architectural principles for scalable and high-fidelity simulation.
  • Identify technical opportunities and risks, translating them into actionable plans.
  • Lead resolutions for complex, cross-organizational technical issues.
  • Set direction for simulation abstractions, APIs, and modeling standards.
  • Drive adoption of common platforms to increase development velocity.
  • Mentor engineering leaders and teams on technical direction and strategy.

Benefits

  • Variety of health and wellbeing benefit programs including medical, dental, and vision.
  • Retirement savings plan and tuition assistance programs available.
  • Paid vacation and holidays.
  • Employee assistance program to support personal and professional needs.
  • GM vehicle discounts for employees.
  • Eligibility for a company vehicle evaluation program after clearance of motor vehicle report.
Full Job Description
Job Description
The Role

The Simulation organization is solving one of the most challenging problems in autonomous driving: rigorously evaluating the performance, safety, and limitations of the autonomous driving software stack before it reaches public roads.

As a Principal Software Engineer on the Simulation Engine team, you will define the technical direction for the simulation platforms that enable high-fidelity, high-performance validation of the autonomy stack and the gym environments used to train reinforcement learning models. You will operate at the intersection of autonomous driving, simulation, machine learning, infrastructure, and developer productivity, shaping capabilities that influence the broader engineering organization.

This role is for a recognized technical leader who can turn ambiguous, high-impact problems into durable platform strategy and measurable engineering outcomes. You will establish architectural direction, align senior leaders across organizations, raise engineering standards, and create leverage for teams building, training, testing, and validating autonomous driving systems.

What You'll Do
  • Define and champion the long-term technical vision, architecture, and strategic roadmap for simulation, validation, and reinforcement learning infrastructure.
  • Establish architectural principles and platform strategies that enable scalable, high-fidelity, deterministic, and performant simulation across the autonomy organization.
  • Identify the most consequential technical opportunities and systemic risks across simulation workflows, translating them into prioritized investments and clear execution plans.
  • Lead the resolution of complex, cross-organizational technical problems that span autonomy software, machine learning, validation, infrastructure, data, and developer tooling.
  • Set direction for core simulation abstractions, APIs, execution models, scenario and sensor modeling, quality standards, and integration patterns.
  • Drive adoption of common platforms and engineering practices across teams, reducing fragmentation and increasing development and validation velocity.
  • Influence investment decisions, technical priorities, and organizational alignment through clear written proposals, architecture reviews, and executive-level communication.
  • Sponsor and guide high-impact initiatives from strategy and problem definition through delivery, adoption, operational maturity, and continuous improvement.
  • Define measurable standards for fidelity, performance, reliability, determinism, scalability, and developer experience, and use them to drive sustained improvement.
  • Serve as a senior technical advisor and multiplier for engineering leaders and teams, mentoring principal, staff, and senior engineers through technical direction and sponsorship.
  • Represent the organization's technical perspective in broader company forums and, when appropriate, in the external autonomous driving and simulation communities.
Your Skills & Abilities
  • Bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Machine Learning, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
  • 12+ years of relevant software engineering experience, including significant ownership of complex, production-quality platforms or systems.
  • Expert programming ability in modern C++ and Python, with deep expertise in object-oriented design, software architecture, and systems engineering.
  • Demonstrated record of defining technical strategy and delivering transformational, cross-functional initiatives with broad organizational impact.
  • Experience serving as an architectural authority across multiple teams, products, or engineering organizations.
  • Track record of influencing senior technical and business leaders and aligning organizations around difficult tradeoffs and long-term investments.
  • Strong customer orientation, with experience converting developer, researcher, or validation needs into widely adopted platform capabilities.
  • Demonstrated ability to improve engineering quality, velocity, reliability, or operational effectiveness at organizational scale.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to make complex technical topics clear to diverse audiences.
  • Passion for safe, fully electric, self-driving technology and its potential impact on the world.

What Will Give You A Competitive Edge
  • Deep experience building, extending, or operating autonomous vehicle or robotics simulation platforms.
  • Experience with game engines or physics platforms such as Unity, Unreal Engine, or PhysX.
  • Experience designing reinforcement learning environments, training infrastructure, or simulation-based machine learning systems.


Compensation

  • The salary range for this role is $296,300 and $453,900. 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."

About General Motors

General Motors Company engages in the manufacture and sale of cars and trucks in the United States, China, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy. It offers sedans, crossovers, sport utility vehicles, pick-up trucks, coupes, sports/convertibles and hybrid vehicles, hatchbacks/wagons, and vans, as well as mini cars in India. The company also provides parts and accessories, such as iPod and MP3 compatibility, mobility accessories, performance parts, AC parts and services, and merchandise. In addition, it offers vehicle safety, security, and information services. The company provides used vehicles. It offers its products through dealers and distributors. General Motors Company was formerly known as NGMCO, Inc. and changed its name to General Motors Company in July 2009. The company was incorporated in 2009 and is based in Detroit, Michigan. It operates manufacturing facilities in India, the United States, and Canada. General Motors Company operates as a subsidiary of the United States Department of The Treasury. General Motors led global vehicle sales for 77 consecutive years from 1931 through 2007, longer than any other automaker, and is currently among the world's largest automakers by vehicle unit sales. General Motors acts in most countries outside the USA via wholly-owned subsidiaries but operates in China through 10 joint ventures. GM's OnStar subsidiary provides vehicle safety, security, and information services. In 2009, General Motors shed several brands, closing Saturn, Pontiac, and Hummer, and emerged from a government-backed Chapter 11 reorganization. In 2010, GM made an initial public offering IPOs to date and returned to profitability later that year.

General Motors Careers

Join the dynamic team at General Motors, a global leader in automotive innovation and technology. At General Motors, we offer unparalleled job opportunities that propel your career forward while contributing to a legacy of engineering excellence.

Work You’ll Do

Embark on a career with General Motors to drive the future of mobility. Our team is dedicated to redefining the automotive landscape through innovation and leadership in electric vehicles and sustainable solutions. By joining us, you will be part of a culture that values diversity, teamwork, and continuous professional growth.

Transform Your Career

General Motors is not just a company; it's a community where you can grow your skills alongside the best in the industry. Our leadership is committed to providing every employee—from interns to senior professionals—with opportunities for career advancement, leadership development, and diversity training.

Innovate and Lead

At General Motors, innovation is at the core of everything we do. From research and development to manufacturing, our teams work collaboratively to lead the industry with cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices. We encourage our employees to think big and push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Join Our Global Team

As part of our global workforce, you will collaborate with talented individuals who are passionate about shaping the future of transportation. General Motors offers a variety of career paths in engineering, design, IT, marketing, and more. With over 155,000 employees worldwide, our network provides expansive opportunities for networking and professional development.

Internship Programs and Employment Benefits

Start your career journey with a General Motors internship, where you can apply your academic knowledge to real-world projects. Our internships provide a robust foundation in the automotive industry, with mentorship from experienced leaders. Full-time employees enjoy a wealth of benefits, including comprehensive health care, retirement plans, and performance bonuses, ensuring that your hard work is rewarded.

Explore Job Opportunities

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a recent graduate, General Motors offers positions that leverage your unique skills. Our hiring process is designed to identify and nurture talent, focusing on aligning your capabilities with the right opportunities for growth within the company.

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Customize your subscription to receive job alerts, latest news, and insider tips tailored to your preferences. Discover the exciting and rewarding career opportunities available at General Motors. Embark on a journey of growth, innovation, and leadership at General Motors. Shape your future in an environment that fosters diversity, learning, and the pursuit of excellence. Join us and redefine the roads of tomorrow.
Learn more about General Motors
Size
157,000 employees
Market Cap
$46.9 billion
Industry
Manufacturing & Automotive
Net Income
$6.4 billion
Founded
1908
5 Year Trend
-3.2%
Revenue
$122.4 billion
NASDAQ
GM
* Ladders Estimates

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