Staff Researcher - Vehicle Compute… at General Motors · Warren

Job Description

At 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.

Staff Researcher - Vehicle Compute Platforms & SoC/MCU Semiconductor Systems

Location: GM Global Technical Center – Warren, MI (Software Defined Vehicle Research Lab) Organization: GM R&D – Electrical and Software Architecture Group

Why this role matters

At GM, a Staff Researcher is a senior-level researcher role, recognized for leading high-impact research, shaping strategy, and representing GM in their field. Join us if you are a passionate researcher with senior-level expertise in semiconductor platforms, embedded compute, and electrical/software architectures for future Software-Defined Vehicles.

GM R&D’s Electrical and Software Architecture group invents, evaluates, optimizes, and matures next-generation in-vehicle architectures, compute platforms, and communication systems that enable GM’s vision of the Software Defined Vehicle. We focus on how SoCs, MCUs, memory, networks, and low-level software come together into robust, safe, and cost-effective automotive platforms, spanning deeply embedded ECUs as well as high-performance compute platforms for infotainment and automated driving.

What you will do

You will be the group’s subject-matter expert for semiconductors and compute platforms, with a focus on SoCs, MCUs, memory subsystems, and associated board-level and platform software technologies for automotive ECUs, infotainment systems, and centralized/automated driving compute platforms. As a Staff Researcher, you are expected to define, propose, and develop research projects in alignment with GM R&D’s strategy and priorities, and to clearly define, communicate and demonstrate the value your work creates for GM and our customers.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead semiconductor-focused research projects that influence GM’s electrical and software architecture roadmaps (central compute, zonal ECUs, domain controllers, edge nodes, infotainment, and automated driving compute platforms).
• Design and implement proof-of-concept prototypes on our R&D lab benches, using evaluation platforms and representative in-vehicle architecture benches to validate concepts before transfer to product teams.
• Represent GM in domestic and international standards bodies and technical meetings (e.g., IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.1), including approximately 10–15% travel and quickly developing deep expertise in Ethernet‑based in‑vehicle protocols and IEEE 802 specifications to effectively navigate and influence complex standardization efforts.
• Evaluate and benchmark SoCs/MCUs and memory technologies (CPU cores, accelerators, interconnects, DDR/LPDDR, flash, NVM, cache hierarchies) for latency, throughput, power, cost, and safety/security trade-offs.
• Explore and prototype new compute and communication concepts using FPGAs, evaluation boards, and custom circuitry to de-risk new architectures and features (e.g., real-time safety-critical functions, mixed‑criticality workloads).
• Contribute to ECU and board-level design concepts, working with internal teams and suppliers on power, clocks, reset, high-speed interfaces (PCIe, Ethernet, DDR), and bring-up strategies.
• Drive low-level software concepts around boot flows, board support packages (BSPs), bare-metal or RTOS-based implementations, device drivers, and hardware abstraction needed for SDV architectures.
• Collaborate closely with GM engineering, purchasing, and suppliers to align semiconductor choices with GM’s long-term architecture, safety, cybersecurity, and cost objectives.
• Seek out and aggressively pursue technology insertion opportunities at GM**,** working with product engineering and program teams to move successful research outcomes into production programs, pilots, or platform roadmaps.
• Publish and protect IP through internal reports, patents, and external publications where appropriate, and represent GM R&D at key technical conferences and workshops.
• Mentor researchers and early-career engineers, helping grow GM’s internal expertise in semiconductor and compute-platform topics.

What you need (Basic Qualifications)

• M.S. in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field; Ph.D. preferred.
• 8+ years of relevant industrial or research experience (or 5+ with a Ph.D.) in semiconductors, SoC/MCU architecture, or embedded compute platforms.
• Deep understanding of modern SoCs/MCUs, including:
  • CPU cores (e.g., Arm, RISC‑V), memory hierarchies, interconnects, and on-chip peripherals.
  • High-speed interfaces (e.g., PCIe, Ethernet, SerDes, DDR/LPDDR, GDDR, NVMe).
• Knowledge of automotive communication protocols (e.g., Ethernet, Time Sensitive Networking Standards, CAN, LIN, PCIe-based architectures, SOME/IP) and in-vehicle networks.
• Hands-on experience in the use of oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and JTAG for board bring-up and debug.
• Experience with ECU or embedded system design and low-level software, such as:
  • Board support packages, bootloaders, bare-metal or RTOS-based implementations, hardware drivers.
  • Integration of low-level software with hardware in lab or bench environments.
• Demonstrated ability to define and execute research projects, from concept and modeling through proof-of-concept implementation and technology transfer to product teams.
• Strong communication and influence skills, including:
  • Presenting complex technical content at multiple levels of detail (lab leadership, cross-functional partners, standards bodies).
  • Building alignment across internal stakeholders and external partners.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working for or closely with a semiconductor company or Tier‑1 supplier, especially on automotive‑grade SoCs/MCUs, memory subsystems, or safety-critical controllers.
• Hands-on experience with FPGA or digital hardware development (Verilog/VHDL, synthesis, timing closure, lab validation)
• Direct contributions to standards bodies (e.g., IEEE 802.x, OPEN Alliance, AUTOSAR) or similar consortia, including proposal authorship, editing, or leading technical subgroups.
• Experience with security and safety architectures at the hardware/platform level (e.g., secure boot, key storage, redundancy, fault containment).
• Prior experience leading cross-company or cross-organizational initiatives, navigating complex stakeholder landscapes, and influencing roadmaps without direct authority.

If you are excited by the idea of bridging semiconductor technology, ECU/board design, low-level software, and industry standards to define the next generation of automotive compute platforms, we encourage you to apply.

About GM

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