Principal Software Engineer – Embedded Software Platform

General Motors

Principal engineer setting architecture and technical direction for General Motors’ embedded software platforms. Modernizing CI, build, test, and delivery systems for software-defined vehicles.

Posted 9/3/2026full-timeMilford • California, Missouri, Texas • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $226,000 - $407,100 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in defining multi-year technical direction and architecture for cross-domain engineering platforms, with a strong focus on embedded and real-time software systems. Proven ability to influence technical decisions and lead teams in high-stakes environments while ensuring quality and reliability.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Multi-Year Technical DirectionEmbedded Software ArchitectureProduction Engineering PlatformsTechnical Influence Across OrganizationsPython Proficiency

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Embedded SoftwareReal-Time Software ArchitectureSoftware Delivery SystemsCI/CDTest AutomationInfrastructure as CodeAPIsPlatform ReliabilityLinuxGit

Soft Skills

Exceptional JudgmentComplex Tradeoff CommunicationMentoring Technical Leaders

Tools & Technologies

Cloud PlatformsVirtualizationContinuous IntegrationTest-System ModernizationBuild-System Modernization

Certifications & Qualifications

ISO 26262ASPICEMISRAAUTOSAR

Industry Keywords

AutomotiveAerospaceDefenseIndustrialSafety-Critical

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

CloudCyber SecurityLinuxPython

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Set multi-year technical direction and target-state architecture for broad, cross-domain engineering platform capabilities
Identify systemic constraints and define strategy, investment priorities, and sequencing across the software lifecycle
Resolve consequential architectural tradeoffs spanning organizations, product lines, suppliers, technology stacks, and delivery cadences
Establish enterprise principles, standards, governance, reliability expectations, and decision frameworks
Create leverage through platforms, automation, reusable patterns, data, and operating models
Influence senior and executive leaders with recommendations grounded in technical judgment, risk, cost, quality, and business impact
Lead through other technical leaders by developing principal and staff engineers and strengthening communities of practice
Remain selectively hands-on in high-value or high-risk technical problems
Define future-state architecture and multi-year roadmap for the assigned domain
Establish decision rights and alignment across independent teams and delivery organizations
Lead resolution of cross-domain risks involving architecture, quality, security, reliability, cost, scalability, and delivery continuity
Advise senior and executive leadership on investments, program risk, platform health, and enterprise tradeoffs
Convene architecture reviews and technical communities across engineering, validation, cloud, cybersecurity, quality, program management, and suppliers
Sponsor platform capabilities, automation, data models, and self-service experiences
Define success measures and use evidence to prioritize improvements and verify impact
Mentor staff- and principal-level engineers and strengthen the technical leadership pipeline
Represent GM’s technical direction with internal and external partners
Travel less than 25%

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, software engineering, systems engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
Typically 15 or more years of experience developing, integrating, deploying, or validating software systems, including substantial experience leading architecture across organizations
Deep understanding of embedded and real-time software architecture
Record of delivering high-quality safety-critical or mission-critical products
Enterprise or multi-organization technical influence and ability to align leaders and teams without direct authority
Exceptional judgment in ambiguous, high-consequence technical decisions
Ability to communicate complex tradeoffs to technical and executive audiences
Strong experience with production engineering platforms, software delivery systems, or engineering productivity capabilities
Proficiency in Python and at least one additional language used in software or engineering-tooling environments
Significant depth in at least one specialization area and breadth to connect it to the others
Experience designing or governing systems involving embedded software, Linux, Git, CI/CD, cloud platforms, infrastructure as code, test automation, artifact management, data, APIs, or platform reliability
Specialization-specific experience in virtualization and CI infrastructure, continuous integration and quality gating, test-system modernization, or build-system modernization
Preferred: experience in automotive, aerospace, defense, industrial, embedded, real-time, regulated, or safety-critical environments
Preferred: knowledge of functional safety, ISO 26262, cybersecurity engineering, ASPICE, MISRA, AUTOSAR, or related practices
Preferred: vehicle-level integration and validation experience, including SIL, CoSIM, vECU, HIL, benches, physical systems, or virtual and hardware-based environments
Preferred: record of creating enterprise standards, platform strategies, technical communities, developer self-service, reliability objectives, or measurable productivity improvements
Advanced degree in a related technical field is preferred

Benefits

Comp & perks

Incentive pay program with payouts based on company performance, job level, and individual performance
Medical, dental, and vision benefits
Health Savings Account
Flexible Spending Accounts
Retirement savings plan
Sickness and accident benefits
Life insurance
Paid vacation and holidays
Tuition assistance programs
Employee assistance program
GM vehicle discounts
Company vehicle evaluation program, subject to motor vehicle report review
Relocation benefits may be available