Principal Software Engineer - Vehicle Test Platforms

General Motors Company

Job Overview

Location

Remote - Washington

Job Type

Full-time

Full Job Description

📋 Description

• As a Principal Software Engineer on the Virtual Test Platforms team at General Motors, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of vehicle development by defining, architecting, and delivering scalable virtualization technologies that accelerate innovation, improve quality, and enhance reliability across GM’s next-generation vehicles. Your work will directly impact how GM tests and validates complex embedded systems—from low-level controllers to infotainment platforms—ensuring safer, smarter, and more secure vehicles reach market faster.
• You will lead high-impact technical initiatives as both a hands-on contributor and a technical mentor, driving the design and implementation of production-grade virtual test platforms that unblock cross-functional teams across GM’s global engineering organization. This includes writing clean, maintainable code in Java, Go, or C/C++, creating reusable frameworks and reference implementations, and establishing best practices that scale knowledge and elevate engineering excellence enterprise-wide.
• Day-to-day, you will collaborate with product, platform, and security teams through design reviews and technical forums to align virtual testing strategies with broader vehicle development goals; mentor and coach individual contributors to grow their technical depth and influence; produce clear documentation and guidance that enables widespread adoption of virtual test methodologies; and continuously evaluate emerging technologies to improve the scalability, observability, and security of GM’s virtual test infrastructure.
• You will operate within GM’s Virtual Test Platforms team—a specialized group dedicated to advancing the state of the art in virtualized testing for automotive systems—where your expertise will help bridge hardware and software validation in increasingly complex, distributed environments. This team sits at the intersection of systems engineering, cloud-native technologies, and automotive innovation, offering a unique opportunity to influence how one of the world’s largest automakers tests and validates its future mobility solutions.
• In this role, you will deepen your mastery of large-scale distributed systems, cloud-native architectures, and embedded software validation while gaining strategic influence across GM’s engineering landscape. You will have the opportunity to shape technical standards, drive cultural improvements in testing and observability practices, and leave a lasting legacy by enabling faster, safer, and more reliable vehicle development cycles—directly contributing to GM’s vision of Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, and Zero Congestion.

🎯 Requirements

• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience with a focus on building and operating production systems at scale.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Proven experience leading complex, cross-team technical initiatives as a staff or principal-level engineer, including influencing without authority.
• Strong proficiency in at least one of Java, Go, or C/C++, with demonstrated ability to learn and apply additional languages as needed.
• Deep understanding of software architecture and design principles, including distributed systems, scalability, reliability, and fault tolerance.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders and build strong partnerships across organizations.

🏖️ Benefits

• Competitive base salary range of $216,000–$320,000, with actual compensation based on experience, location, and performance.
• Eligibility for incentive pay through GM’s performance-based bonus program, tied to company, job level, and individual results.
• Comprehensive health and wellbeing benefits including medical, dental, vision, Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), and retirement savings plans.
• Additional perks such as life insurance, sickness and accident benefits, paid vacation and holidays, tuition assistance, employee assistance program, and exclusive GM vehicle discounts.
• Potential eligibility for relocation benefits and the flexibility of a fully remote work arrangement, allowing you to work from anywhere in the United States.

Skills & Technologies

Java

Senior

Remote

$216k-320k

Degree Required

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General Motors Company

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About General Motors Company

General Motors Company designs, manufactures, and markets cars, trucks, crossovers, and automobile parts worldwide under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac brands. It also provides automotive financing through GM Financial and invests in electric and autonomous vehicle technologies, including the Ultium battery platform. Founded in 1908 and headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, GM operates manufacturing, assembly, and distribution facilities across North America, South America, Asia, and other regions.

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