Staff Software Engineer, Mapping

Job Description

This role is based remotely but if you live within a 50-mile radius of [Austin, Detroit, Warren, Milford, Mountain View, Sunnyvale], you are expected to report to that location three times a week, at minimum.

About Us

We're on a mission to build the world's most advanced self-driving vehicles to safely connect people to the places, things, and experiences they care about. At GM's Autonomous Vehicle (AV) organization, we're combining cutting-edge research, robust engineering, and large-scale systems to make this future a reality. Our team is developing national-scale, next-generation mapping systems from the ground up-combining robust backend infrastructure with intuitive, performant user interfaces.

The Role

We are looking for a Staff Software Engineer with deep expertise in distributed backend systems to join our Mapping Engineering team. You'll serve as a technical leader responsible for designing and building the scalable systems that power ingestion, storage, access, and delivery of autonomous vehicle maps. You'll partner closely with EMs, Staff / Principal ICs, and cross-functional teams to define the architecture and deliver next gen mapping capabilities that scale to national deployments. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring strong systems thinking, architecture design, and the ability to guide and mentor engineers across teams. You'll operate autonomously, lead cross-functional technical initiatives, and ensure the health, scalability, and performance of our critical mapping pipelines and services.

What You'll Do (Responsibilities)

Architect and implement scalable, reliable, distributed backend systems to support national-scale mapping.

Design and evolve data pipelines and microservices for map ingestion, transformation, storage, and release.

Own end-to-end delivery of high-impact projects, including defining milestones, aligning stakeholders, and mentoring ICs across functions.

Collaborate cross-functionally with Localization, Perception, Simulation, and Offboard teams to define data contracts and ensure system interoperability.

Drive technical excellence by conducting system-level design reviews, mentoring engineers, and setting the standard for code quality, testing, and documentation.

Diagnose and resolve large-scale system issues across services, data pipelines, and production environments.

Serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) in distributed system design, performance optimization, and backend architecture within Mapping and potentially across GM AV.

Help shape technical roadmaps and hiring plans for growing distributed systems expertise across the org.

Minimum Qualifications (Must-Have)

5+ years of experience designing, implementing, and operating scalable distributed systems in production.

Bachelors degree in related field or relevant work experience

Strong proficiency in Python (optional C++, TypeScript), and system-level programming fundamentals.

Deep understanding of databases, caching, data modeling, and service-oriented architecture (SOA).

Proven experience building and deploying distributed systems on major cloud platforms such as Google Cloud, AWS, or Azure.

Experience with data orchestration pipelines and ETL mechanisms (eg. airflow)

BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field, or equivalent industry experience.

Demonstrated success in leading cross-functional technical initiatives, influencing architectural decisions across teams, and mentoring senior engineers.

Preferred Qualifications (Nice-to-Have)

Experience with mapping, geospatial data, or robotics systems (e.g., Localization, Perception).

Familiarity with autonomous vehicle software stack, including the map-data lifecycle and software safety standards.

Experience in CI / CD pipeline design, large-scale deployment strategies, or cloud-native architecture.

Proficiency with Linux systems, container orchestration (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes), and distributed logging / metrics systems.

Knowledge of machine learning data pipelines or HD map labeling infrastructure.

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 New York, Colorado, California, or Washington.

The salary range for this role : is $200,000 to $285,000. 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.

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We encourage interested candidates to review the key responsibilities and qualifications for each role and apply for any positions that match their skills and capabilities. Applicants in the recruitment process may be required, where applicable, to successfully complete a role-related assessment(s) and / or a pre-employment screening prior to beginning employment. To learn more, visit How we Hire () .

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