{"id":4089620,"url":"https://alion.io/job/general-motors-senior-software-engineer-manipulation","title":"Senior Software Engineer (Manipulation)","company":{"id":1705,"name":"General Motors","domain":"gm.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/general-motors-europe","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":91,"open_postings":81,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.531,"repost_share":0.037,"time_to_fill_p50_days":13,"computed_at":"2026-11-11T05:49:22Z"}},"role":"Backend","role_family":"Backend","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"remote","remote_scope":"stated_countries","remote_scope_basis":"board_field","remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Mountain View, United States","United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":["US"],"hiring_countries_total":1,"salary":{"min":129400,"max":234100,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":234100},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":6,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":true,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"Drake","optional":false},{"name":"Inverse Kinematics","optional":false},{"name":"Motion Planning","optional":false},{"name":"MoveIt","optional":false},{"name":"OMPL","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"ROS","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-11-11T19:51:52Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-11-11","last_verified_at":"2026-11-11T19:51:52Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":0,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":0},"description":"Job Description\nGeneral Motors is reimagining automation at economy scale to make manufacturing more competitive in the USA.\nYou are a Senior Software Engineer who has deep experience in building manipulation planning and control libraries. The work covers collision-free motion generation, trajectory optimization, and the execution layer that turns a planned motion into repeatable movement on real arms.\nThe target applications are C++, Python, and ROS 2 on FANUC arms and mobile manipulators, under cycle time and reliability requirements. You have the taste to see important problems, the talent to build great solutions and the grit to get it done.\nThis role sits in the core robotics team and works alongside controls and perception engineers.\nThe Opportunity\nBuild and own manipulation planning capability: collision-free planning, trajectory optimization, and time parameterization. \nImplement and tune planners for the target applications, with cycle time as a first-class requirement. \nBuild the collision environment representation from perception output and static scene models. \nImplement Cartesian and constrained motion planning for approach, grasp, and place phases. \nHandle the mobile manipulation cases: planning with base placement, redundancy resolution, and whole-body motion. \nBuild the execution layer that monitors trajectory tracking and reacts to deviation and contact. \nDefine the interface between perception, planning, and control, and keep it clean as the system grows. \nDiagnose planning failures from field data and turn them into regression cases. \nThe Job Requirements\nExperience\n6+ years of professional engineering experience, with 2+ years in motion planning or manipulation. \nExperience deploying manipulation planning on physical arms in a production or field setting. \nExperience meeting a cycle time requirement, not only a feasibility requirement. \nEducation\nM.S. degree or higher in Robotics, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related technical field. \nEquivalent industry experience with demonstrated simulation depth can be considered. \nCore technical background\nStrong grounding in motion planning: sampling-based methods, optimization-based methods, and their respective failure modes. \nSolid kinematics and dynamics: forward and inverse kinematics, redundancy resolution, singularity handling, and Jacobian methods. \nExperience with trajectory optimization and time-optimal path parameterization. \nExperience with collision checking and distance queries, including performance characteristics. \nHands-on experience with MoveIt, OMPL, TrajOpt, Drake, or comparable frameworks. \nStrong C++ plus Python. Hands-on experience with ROS or ROS 2. \nSystems mindset\nAbility to judge how much fidelity a given validation question requires. \nComfortable trading simulation speed against accuracy. \nCollaboration\nAbility to work effectively with remote teams across multiple time zones. \nTreats simulation as a product with internal users. \nNice to have\nExperience with FANUC arms or the FANUC controller interfaces. \nExperience with force control, impedance control, or contact-rich manipulation. \nExperience with mobile manipulation and whole-body control. \nExperience with learned or hybrid planning approaches. \nPrior open-source contributions to MoveIt or the ROS manipulation ecosystem. \nCompensation: 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 the California Bay Area.\nThe salary range for this role is $129,400 to $234,100. The actual base salary a successful candidate will be offered within this range will vary based on factors relevant to the position.\nBonus Potential: An incentive pay program offers payouts based on company performance, job level, and individual performance.\nBenefits: 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.\n\nThis 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}.\n\nRelocation benefits are available for candidates who qualify under company policy.\n\nAbout GM\nOur 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.\nWhy Join Us\nWe 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.\nBenefits Overview\nFrom day one, we're looking out for your well-being-at work and at home-so you can focus on realizing your ambitions. Learn how GM supports a rewarding career that rewards you personally by visiting Total Rewards resources.\nNon-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities (U.S.)\nGeneral 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.\nAll 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.\nWe 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.\nAccommodations\nGeneral Motors offers opportunities to all job seekers including individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to assist with your job search or application for employment, email us or call us at 1-800-865-7580. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.","description_format":"text","description_chars":6881,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":6,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Life insurance","Retirement plans"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":true,"industries":["Automotive Manufacturing"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-11-11T19:51:52Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"adverts_offering_sponsorship_24m":0,"sanctioned_now":false,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 795 · green card filings: 1","filings_12m":795,"filings_prev_12m":812,"green_card_filings_12m":1,"median_offered_wage_usd":147456,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-11-11T07:38:50+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)","US Department of Labor: PERM disclosure data (green cards)"],"filings_for_role_12m":344}],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":0,"expected_fill_days":15,"reasons":["conf:1","win:early","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-11-11T21:20:25Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":234100,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/general-motors-senior-software-engineer-manipulation","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/general-motors-senior-software-engineer-manipulation.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-11T21:20:25Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":41890,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-12T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":1705},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=1705"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fgeneral-motors-senior-software-engineer-manipulation"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":2,"usd":0.2},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fgeneral-motors-senior-software-engineer-manipulation"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fgeneral-motors-senior-software-engineer-manipulation"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/general-motors-senior-software-engineer-manipulation\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fgeneral-motors-senior-software-engineer-manipulation"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":4089620}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"gm.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":4089620},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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