Staff Software Engineer, Mapping

General Motors is on a mission to build the world’s most advanced self-driving vehicles. They are seeking a Staff Software Engineer with expertise in distributed backend systems to lead the design and implementation of scalable mapping systems for autonomous vehicles.

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

Requirements:

• 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
• 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