2026 Summer Intern – AV Architecture & System Design (PhD)
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Job Location:
Sunnyvale, CA - USA
Monthly Salary:
Not Disclosed
Posted on:
3 days ago
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
Job Description
To helpfacilitateadministration of relocation benefits if you are selected please apply using the permanent address you would move from.
Work Arrangement
Hybrid:This internship is categorized ashybrid.The selected intern is expected to report to the office up to three times per week or asdeterminedby the team.
Location
- Sunnyvale California
About the Team
TheAutonomous Vehicle (AV)Architecture & System Designorganization plays a critical role in designing and delivering the foundational architecture foractive safetyassisteddriving hands-off and eyes-off drivingacross GMs product lines. Our team:
Owns end-to-endsystem and sensing requirementsforAutonomyfeatures
Definessystem architecturespanning compute sensing networking and software integration
Delivers bothdevelopment and retail fleet data collectionto support AV system development andlarge-scale validationacross vehicle programs
We work closely with autonomy software vehicle integration data and validation teams to bring safe scalable autonomous capabilities to GM customers.
About the Role
As a2026 Summer Intern (PhD)on the AV Architecture & System Design team you will help develop aSynthetic Novel Architecture Prototyping & Simulation Environmentthat accelerates exploration offuture AV system architectures.
You will help:
Evolve the framework that models end-to-end AV system architectures (sensing compute and data flows)
Update and adapt theAV software stackto run on these new architectures in simulation
Use oursystem evaluation frameworkto analyze detailedtrade-offsbetween alternative system architectures product requirements and thecost and complexity of vehicle integration
WhatYoullDo
Contribute to theSynthetic Novel Architecture Prototyping & Simulation Environment extending models of sensingcompute and networking for future AV products.
Integrate and adapt components of theAV stacktooperatewithin new system architecture configurations in simulation.
Use oursystem evaluation frameworkand data pipelines to quantify trade-offs between architectures along axes such as safety performance robustness and scalability.
Analyzecost and integration complexityimpacts of different architecture choices across multiple GM vehicle programs.
Prototype and evaluatenovel AV system architectures from high-level concepts down to concrete testable configurations.
Collaborate with autonomy software vehicle integration data and validation teams to align architecture concepts with real-world constraints.
Communicate findings and recommendations through clear technical documentation presentations and design discussions.
Required Qualifications
Currently enrolled in aPhD programinComputer Science Electrical/Computer Engineering Robotics ora relatedSTEM field.
Solid understanding of modernstate-of-the-artautonomy/AV system architectures includingperception prediction planning and control pipelines.
Very strongPython and C programming skills with experience developing and debugging production-quality code.
Experience withdata pipelines(e.g. building or using data tooling for large-scale logs or experiments) andtraining machine learning models(e.g.perception representation learning or decision-making).
Ability to reasonaboutsystems-level trade-offs(latency bandwidth reliability safety margins compute/memory footprint).
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
Strong communicationskills and a collaborative mindset.
Able to work full-time (40 hoursper week) during the internship period.
Preferred Qualifications
Research or project experience inautonomous vehicles advanced driverassistancesystems (ADAS) or robotics.
Experience withsimulation environmentsfor AV/robotics (e.g. sensor simulation HIL/SIL scenario-based testing).
Familiarity withsystems architectureconcepts (e.g. distributed systems real-time systems safety-critical software middleware).
Experience working withlarge-scale datasetsand experimentation frameworks for evaluating ML or AV system performance.
Experience withROS/ROS2or similar robotics middleware is a plus.
Demonstrated ability to ramp up quickly on complex codebases and ship impactful changes with limited iteration.
Intent toreturn to your degree programafter the completion of the internship.
Target graduation date betweenDecember 2026 and June 2028(or similartimeframealigned with continuation of PhD studies).
Compensation
The monthly salary range for this role is$13100 per month.
GM will provide aone-time lump sum taxable stipend paymentto eligible students selected for the2026 Student Program.
WhatYoullGetFromUs (Benefits)
Paid US GM Holidays
GM Family First Vehicle Discount Program
Result-based potential for growth within GM
Intern events to network with company leaders and peers
About GM
Our vision is a world with Zero Crashes Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion and we embrace the responsibility to lead the change that will make our world better safer and more equitable for all.
Why Join Us
We believe we all must make a choice every day individually and collectively to drive meaningful change through our words our deeds and our culture. Every day we want every employee to feel they belong to one General Motors team.
Benefits Overview
From day one were looking out for your well-beingat work and at homeso you can focus on realizing your ambitions. Learn how GM supports a rewarding career that rewards you personally by visiting Total Rewards resources.
Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities (U.S.)
General Motors is committed to being a workplace that is not only free of unlawful discrimination but one that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. We strongly believe that providing an inclusive workplace creates an environment in which our employees can thrive and develop better products for our customers.
All employment decisions are made on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to sex race color national origin citizenship status religion age disability pregnancy or maternity status sexual orientation gender identity status as a veteran or protected veteran or any other similarly protected status in accordance with federal state and local laws.
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.
Accommodations
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Required Experience:
Intern
Key Skills
- Microsoft Office
- Public Relations
- Google Docs
- Data Collection
- MailChimp
- Microsoft Word
- Dermal Fillers
- Microsoft Powerpoint
- Research Experience
- Microsoft Excel
- Adobe Photoshop
- Writing Skills
About Company
GM is home to Chevrolet, Buick, GMC & Cadillac and has been leading the auto industry for over a century. See how we create a vehicle for every drive.
