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 $185,100 to $335,300. 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. \#GM-AV-1 This role is based remotely, but if the selected candidate lives within a specific mile radius of a GM hub, they will be expected to report to the location three times a week {or other frequency dictated by your manager}. The selected candidate will be required to travel