Job Description

Senior System Safety Engineer - High Voltage Power Distribution

Hybrid: This role is categorized as Hybrid, and the successful candidate is expected to report to the Global Technical Center in Warren, MI or Milford Proving Ground in Milford, MI three times per week, at minimum. This position can be located at either of these 2 locations.

At General Motors, our product teams are redefining mobility. Through a human-centered design process, we create vehicles and experiences that are designed not just to be seen, but to be felt. We’re turning today’s impossible into tomorrow’s standard – from breakthrough hardware and battery systems to intuitive design, intelligent software, and next-generation safety and entertainment features.

Every day, our products move millions of people as we aim to make driving safer, smarter, and more connected, shaping the future of transportation on a global scale.

The Role

As a Senior System Safety Engineer, you will support the safety of General Motors’ high-voltage power distribution systems from concept through validation. You will operate in a fast-paced, highly collaborative engineering environment where safety is designed in—not added later. You will apply system safety processes and analytical methods throughout development to ensure high‑voltage architectures meet functional safety requirements across all operating, environmental, and real‑world customer usage conditions.

You will serve as a technical authority for system safety, translating complex hazards into clear, actionable safety requirements aligned with ISO 26262 and internal GM safety policies. You will partner closely with cross‑functional engineering teams to embed safety into system architecture, hardware, software, and validation strategies, helping ensure GM’s electrified platforms deliver safe, robust, and reliable performance at scale.

What You'll Do

• Perform hazard analysis and risk assessments for systems utilizing high-voltage power, and define safety concepts, operating modes, and mitigation strategies

• Apply functional safety analysis techniques – including functional interface analysis, fault tree analysis, dependent failure analysis, software safety analysis, and hardware integrity analysis – to derive and allocate safety requirements

• Collaborate with hardware, software, service, release, manufacturing, and advanced engineering teams to ensure safety requirements are understood, feasible, and properly implemented

• Provide expert system safety guidance to product engineering teams to support timely resolution of development, validation, and launch-related safety issues

• Lead informal and formal peer reviews of safety work products, and develop defensible safety cases for high-voltage power distribution systems in accordance with automotive industry standards and GM system safety policies

• Analyze complex field issues, assess risk and severity, and support containment and resolution strategies for safety-related concerns

• Communicate system safety processes, expectations, and best practices across the organization to promote consistent execution

• Utilize change management and configuration management tools to maintain traceability and integrity of safety requirements across the product lifecycle

• Promote common implementation strategies, architectural consistency, and complexity reduction without compromising safety or compliance

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Aeronautical Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience)

• 5+ years of experience in the development of power electronics, or electrical and electromechanical systems and components

• Strong understanding of system verification and validation processes, including requirements traceability and test strategy development

• Familiarity with hardware design principles, software interfaces, and failure modes at both component and system levels

• Solid foundation in engineering theory related to power electronics, electromechanical mechanisms, and control systems

• Knowledge of serial data communication protocols and their application in embedded systems

• Willingness to travel between Warren Technical Center and Milford Proving Grounds as required

What will give you a competitive edge (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience designing or assessing safety mechanisms for automotive high-voltage power electronics or power distribution systems

• Working knowledge of functional safety standards such as ISO 26262, IEC 61508, and/or UL 9540

• Experience contributing to safety cases, production-ready safety documentation, and cross-functional safety reviews

GM DOES NOT PROVIDE IMMIGRATION-RELATED SPONSORSHIP FOR THIS ROLE. DO NOT APPLY FOR THIS ROLE IF YOU WILL NEED GM IMMIGRATION SPONSORSHIP NOW OR IN THE FUTURE. THIS INCLUDES DIRECT COMPANY SPONSORSHIP, ENTRY OF GM AS THE IMMIGRATION EMPLOYER OF RECORD ON A GOVERNMENT FORM, AND ANY WORK AUTHORIZATION REQUIRING A WRITTEN SUBMISSION OR OTHER IMMIGRATION SUPPORT FROM THE COMPANY (e.g., H-1B, OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc.).

This job may be eligible for relocation benefits.

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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

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