ART Lead - Virtualization and SIL Integration

About The Role  :

General Motors is undergoing a major transformation in how we engineer and validate software-defined vehicles (SDV), investing heavily in virtual test environments and Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) capabilities to support our vision of ZERO Crashes, ZERO Emissions, and ZERO Congestion. 

As the Agile Release Train (ART) Lead – Virtualization and SIL Integration, you will lead the SIL ART responsible for delivering virtual test environments, co-simulation assets, and supporting services used to develop, verify, and validate embedded controllers and calibrations across domains such as propulsion, battery management, chassis/brakes, and body controls. 

You will act as a servant leader and coach for the ART, ensuring flow of value, strong cross-team coordination, and disciplined execution of SAFe/Agile practices, with a particular focus on Jira hygiene, metrics, and cross-scrum alignment. 

Key Responsibilities  

ART Leadership & Execution 

• Lead the Virtualization and SIL Integration ART, aligning teams to program vision, roadmap, and value streams. 

• Facilitate Program Increment (PI) planning, including preparation, execution, and follow-up on objectives, risks, and dependencies. 

• Ensure consistent iteration cadence and ceremonies across scrums (planning, daily stand-ups, reviews, retrospectives). 

• Monitor and drive predictable delivery against ART commitments, using flow and quality metrics to enable continuous improvement. 

• Foster a culture of relentless improvement, transparency, and collaboration across all teams in the train. 

Scrum of Scrums & Cross-Team Coordination 

• Facilitate and continuously improve the Scrum of Scrums for SIL teams, ensuring effective synchronization across multiple scrums. 

• Surface and drive resolution of cross-team impediments, risks, and dependencies (technical, tooling, and organizational). 

• Partner with Product Management, System Architects, and Engineering leaders to align priorities, sequencing, and scope across the ART. 

SILART Jira Hygiene (Features, Needs, Defects) 

• Own SILART Jira hygiene standards and practices: 

• Ensure consistent use of Features, Needs, and Defects across teams. 

• Maintain clear status, ownership, acceptance criteria, and traceability. 

• Support consistent use of Jira structures (epics, features, stories, sub-tasks) aligned to SAFe. 

• Establish and monitor dashboards and metrics (throughput, cycle time, aging WIP, defect trends) to support data-driven decision-making. 

• Coach Scrum Masters, POs, and teams on best practices in Jira usage and workflow design to support flow. 

Iteration Planning, Review & Backlog Management 

• Coordinate iteration planning and reviews across scrums to ensure alignment to ART objectives and milestones. 

• Partner with Product Manager(s), Scrum Managerss, and System Architects to: 

• Refine and prioritize the ART backlog, aligning to SDV and Virtualization roadmap. 

• Ensure stories and enablers are well-defined, sized, and ready prior to iteration planning. 

• Connect technical enablers (e.g., new co-simulation models, vECU integration, CI/CD and virtualization infrastructure) to clear value outcomes. 

• Ensure backlog transparency to stakeholders and leadership. 

ART Sync / Front Door Management 

• Run a regular ART Sync / Front Door forum that: 

• Serves as the intake mechanism for new work, requests, and change in priorities. 

• Triages and routes requests to the right backlog (Feature, Need, Defect) and team. 

• Identifies and manages dependencies with other ARTs and programs (e.g., SDV platform, plant model providers, calibration teams). 

• Maintain clear visibility of upcoming work, capacity constraints, and key milestones for stakeholders. 

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication 

• Provide regular status updates to leadership and stakeholders on ART health, risks, and delivery against objectives. 

• Collaborate with global partners and internal customers leveraging virtual test environments, ensuring customer-centric prioritization. 

• Champion Virtualization and SIL Integration as a key enabler for efficient software development, verification, and validation. 

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)  

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical field. 

• Experience (typically 5+ years) in software or systems development in complex, multi-team environments;

• 3+ years as an RTE/ART Lead, Scrum Master, Delivery Lead, or similar agile leadership role. 

• Strong practical experience with Agile and/or SAFe frameworks, including: 

• Leading PI planning and ART-level ceremonies. 

• Facilitating Scrum of Scrums and cross-team synchronization. 

• Hands-on experience with Jira (or comparable tooling) for: 

• Features/epics, stories, and defect management. 

• Workflow configuration, dashboards, and reporting. 

• Familiarity with virtualization, simulation, or embedded systems development, such as: 

• Software-in-the-Loop (SIL), Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), plant models, or virtual ECUs. 

• Understanding of how virtual test environments support development, verification, and validation of embedded controllers and calibrations. 

• Demonstrated servant leadership, coaching, and facilitation skills. 

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work across disciplines and locations. 

What Can Give You A Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)  

• SAFe certifications (e.g., SAFe RTE, SA, SPC, SASM) or equivalent agile leadership credentials. 

• Experience leading ARTs or programs in: 

• Automotive, aerospace, or other safety-/mission-critical domains. 

• Software-defined vehicle (SDV), embedded controls, or model-based development environments. 

• Experience with one or more of: 

• Co-simulation environments (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink, FMU/FMI-based models). 

• Virtual test environments, virtualization infrastructure, or CI/CD for simulation pipelines. 

• Data and visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, SQL, or similar) for building agile and flow metrics dashboards. 

• Python or Scripting experience for Data acquisition and analysis.  

• Proven track record in: 

• Establishing or maturing Jira hygiene and standards across multiple teams. 

• Using metrics to drive continuous improvement in predictability, quality, and flow. 

• Managing complex dependencies across ARTs, suppliers, and partner organizations. 

Compensation: 

The salary range for this role is $115,000 to $164,600. The actual base salary a successful candidate will be offered within this range will vary based on factors relevant to the position.

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.

Benefits Overview:

The goal of the General Motors of Canada total rewards program is to support the health and well-being of you and your family. Our comprehensive compensation plan currently includes the following benefits, in addition to many others:

• Paid time off including vacation days, holidays, and supplemental benefits for pregnancy, parental and adoption leave;

• Healthcare, dental, and vision benefits;

• Life insurance plans to cover you and your family;

• Company and matching contributions to a Defined Contribution Pension plan to help you save for retirement;

• GM Vehicle Purchase Plan for you, your family and friends.