Staff/Thermal System Architect

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 Staff Thermal System Architect and Thermal System Architect primary responsibilities are to provide technical leadership and guidance for the development and integration of the thermal system inclusive of propulsion, cabin and vehicle thermal management. In these roles, you will be responsible for configuration of all thermal components, ensuring alignment with defined strategies, criteria compliance, and program specific desires. Candidates must be knowledgeable of all internal and external components of the thermal system and how they work together to deliver with quality the performance requirements set per the vehicle level technical specifications. They must drive a consistent design execution across all platforms while balancing subsystem level tradeoffs, studio and program “wins”.     Candidates must hold selves and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely and cost-effective results, without compromising integrity, safety or quality. Be proficient at communication and leading an indirect global team maintaining connection via well-organized and efficient system review forums. These roles require a leader who can think creatively under pressure, make sound technical and business decisions with incomplete information, work calmly in a highly ambiguous and frequently changing program portfolio, and influence across organizations to protect vehicle-level thermal performance, customer experience, and program imperatives. Candidates must be comfortable providing technical presentations to internal, program and cross functional leadership. What You’ll Do Technical           Champion cross-commodity integration (Thermal, HVAC, PTC, Aero, Structures, Propulsion, Controls, Energy, Calibration) to deliver cohesive vehicle-level thermal performance. Own and drive thermal system integration for active thermal domains (coolant and refrigerant loops, HVAC, Propulsion Cooling, airflow, thermal protection of sensitive components) through early architecture and development phases. Lead the team in creative problem solving for complex thermal performance conflicts. Proficient use of trade matrices (performance vs. cost, mass, energy, packaging), to enable proper leadership decision making especially under compressed timing . Guide use of analytical tools and methods (e.g., 0D/1D/3D analysis, simulation, virtual builds, sensitivity studies) to rapidly evaluate alternatives and recommend data-driven solutions. Ensure accurate and timely documentation of technical decisions, risks, and mitigations in GM systems (e.g., VTS tools, GDM, peer review records). Provide consistent support in CITs, SDITs, VCITs and VPITs .  Emphasize technical direction within these forums.                    Lead program specific thermal system benchmarking , evaluating competitor designs, performance, and integration strategies, identifying opportunities to enhance performance, efficiency, integration and cost-effectiveness in our system. Ensure robust handoffs from AVD to execution teams with clear VTS, system mechanisms, thermal load cases, and lessons learned. 8th Level System Architect (in addition to above) Champion architectural cross-commodity integration (Thermal, HVAC, PTC, Aero, Structures, Propulsion, Controls, Energy, Calibration) to deliver cohesive vehicle-level thermal performance. Drives improvements