Entry Level System Safety Researcher

Job Description

The Role:  

GM R&D is seeking a System Safety Researcher to work on research, assessment, and methodological advancement in system safety and safety assurance. You will perform safety analyses, develop and improve safety cases, define claims and sufficiency criteria with domain experts, integrate evidence across disciplines, and ensure alignment with product evolution, regulatory expectations, and industry best practices. The role works across engineering, research, AI/ML, systems engineering, functional safety, cybersecurity, validation, product safety, legal, regulatory, and leadership teams to strengthen traceability, evidence quality, and safety decisions.

Conduct research and work on the development, assessment, and continuous improvement of system safety analyses for complex products and safety-critical systems. As part of the system safety case development, evaluate safety arguments, evidence strategies, and sufficiency criteria to support safe technology development and align with regulatory expectations, industry best practices, and enterprise safety objectives.

Join General Motors Research & Development as a System Safety Researcher. You will contribute research and thought leadership in system safety, safety assurance, and evidence-based decision-making across current and emerging technology areas.

What You’ll Do:    

• Conduct the research, development, governance, and continuous improvement of safety analyses and system safety cases for complex products and safety-critical systems.
• Support system safety evaluation of newly developed technologies within R&D by defining evaluation approaches, reviewing evidence, identifying gaps, and communicating recommendations.
• Author and present safety-case materials for product submissions, audits, internal reviews, external assessments, and executive or regulatory audiences.
• Integrate and assess evidence from systems engineering, AI/ML, functional safety, cybersecurity, validation, product safety, and other relevant disciplines.
• Perform impact analyses when system scope, architecture, operating context, platform, or release changes affect safety claims, criteria, or evidence.
• Improve compliance, traceability, and evidence-tracking processes, including opportunities to automate safety-evidence collection across the engineering lifecycle.
• Surface safety gaps, evidence weaknesses, and emerging risks, and drive timely escalation and resolution through appropriate forums.
• Align safety-case claims with applicable standards, guidance, and best practices, including UL 4600, ISO 26262, ISO 21448, AVSC guidance, and ISO/PAS 8800.
• Research emerging approaches in AI/ML safety validation, probabilistic safety arguments, evidence sufficiency, and structured safety-case development; synthesize findings into recommendations.

Required Qualifications:     

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, Robotics, Safety Management, or a related technical field.

• Must be graduating between August 2026 - June 2027

• Able to work fulltime, 40 hours per week

• Green Card Holder or US Citizen
• Relevant experience in systems engineering, system safety, safety assurance, program leadership, or other complex software-intensive safety-critical environments.
• Demonstrated experience developing, supporting, or assessing safety cases, assurance cases, or equivalent structured safety arguments.
• Knowledge of functional safety and safety assurance concepts, including ISO 26262 (FuSa), ISO 21448 (SOTIF), ISO/PAS 8800 (AI safety), and UL 4600.
• Ability to decompose safety goals into clear requirements and evidence needs, synthesize ambiguous technical data, and evaluate evidence sufficiency.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical audiences.
• Passion for system safety research, safety assurance, and the safe deployment of complex technologies.

Preferred Qualifications): 

• Experience in automotive, advanced mobility, product safety, regulatory, certification, or safety-assurance research and practice.
• Understanding of AI/ML safety validation, statistical or probabilistic safety arguments, and evidence-sufficiency evaluation.
• Familiarity with Goal Structuring Notation (GSN) or similar structured argumentation frameworks.
• Experience with requirements management, traceability, and evidence management in safety-critical development lifecycles.

• Experience engaging with external assessors, regulators, standards bodies, research institutions, or industry consortia.

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., H1-B, OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc).

The position is subject to export control restrictions and requires the successful candidate to be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, asylee or refugee).

Work Arrangement: 

Hybrid: This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to Warren, MI three times per week, at minimum [or other frequency dictated by the business].

 To help facilitate administration of relocation benefits if you are selected, please apply using the permanent address you would move from. 

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, 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.

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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