Director of Digital Ecosystem and Simulation

Description
The Autonomous Robotics Center (ARC) is General Motors' enterprise hub for designing, building, and deploying advanced autonomous robotic solutions that transform how vehicles and parts move through manufacturing and warehousing. ARC combines hardware, software, AI, and systems integration to deliver safe, reliable, and scalable automation that improves safety, quality, and overall productivity aligned with its North Star: zero commissioning, zero programming, zero incidents.
As Director of Digital Ecosystem and Simulation, you will own the strategy, architecture, and end-to-end delivery of ARC's digital tooling portfolio, including the software platform that powers our automation stack and the simulation and digital twin environments that validate it. This is a hands-on leadership role: you will build and lead a high-performing engineering team while remaining close enough to the technology to make sound architectural and design decisions.
What You Will Execute and Deliver
• Platform tooling across the Automation OS stack, including hardware abstraction layer (HAL) interfaces, fleet orchestration services, CI/CD pipelines for automation cells, and a robust developer experience for internal and external consumers.
• Simulation and digital twin infrastructure, including headless virtual controllers, I/O abstraction layers, environment modeling, and integration with physics and 3D engines.
• Toolchain strategy that enables virtual commissioning at the cell level, with containerized, testable automation logic that goes beyond 3D visualization.
• Team building and technical leadership for a growing engineering organization spanning software, simulation, and systems integration.
• Stakeholder alignment and communication across ARC leadership, GM Manufacturing Engineering, and external technology partners to ensure cohesive roadmaps and successful deployments.
Required Qualifications
• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, industrial automation, or robotics, including at least 3 years leading engineering teams.
• Deep, hands-on experience in at least two of the following areas:
- Industrial control systems (e.g., PLC, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP)
- Simulation frameworks
- Robotics middleware (e.g., ROS / ROS2)
- Cloud-native platform development
• Demonstrated understanding of digital twin and simulation architectures, including the critical role of I/O abstraction in achieving reliable, scalable virtual commissioning.
• Proven experience building developer-facing platforms or internal toolchains, not solely end-user applications.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in ambiguity, defining and driving a roadmap in a rapidly evolving environment within a large, matrixed organization.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate between shop-floor realities and software/architecture decisions for diverse stakeholder groups.
Preferred Qualifications (Competitive Edge)
• Experience with containerized simulation environments, headless controllers, or virtual commissioning pipelines in production settings.
• Familiarity with AMR fleet management, multi-agent orchestration, or manufacturing digital twin platforms.
• Background working in brownfield manufacturing environments, with a clear understanding of how to introduce new architectures that must coexist with 30+-year legacy control systems and infrastructure.
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.
Total Rewards | 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
General 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 [email protected] 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.