Motorsports Vehicle Dynamics Simulation Engineer

About the Role

GM Motorsports is seeking a highly skilled Motorsports Vehicle Dynamics Simulation Engineer to join our team. This role will be instrumental in developing and validating simulation models and the multibody simulation and optimization toolchain to support our motorsport programs. The position may be filled as a Motorsports Vehicle Dynamics Simulation Engineer or Senior Motorsports Vehicle Dynamics Simulation Engineer, with the level determined by the candidate's qualifications, skills, and experience. This role is categorized as hybrid, requiring reporting to a specific location at least 3 times a week.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain accurate and efficient multibody vehicle models using acausal and symbolic modeling frameworks.
• Formulate equations of motion and constraints for complex vehicle mechanisms, including closed kinematic loops.
• Collaborate with engineers and designers to define simulation requirements and validate model results.
• Optimize simulation models for real-time Driver-in-the-Loop (DIL) and numerical optimization applications, including minimum lap time simulation.
• Research and implement state-of-the-art techniques in simulation model development.
• Play a key role in the development of GM Motorsports Simulation toolchain.

Requirements & Tech Stack

For Motorsports Vehicle Dynamics Simulation Engineer

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related field.
• Industry or academic research experience developing multibody dynamics simulation software for vehicles, robotics, biomechanics, off-highway equipment, or related mechanical systems.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, validate, and deploy simulation models and numerical solutions for challenging engineering problems.
• Strong theoretical understanding of multibody formulations, including constraint and closed-loop handling, derivation of equations of motion from first principles, and derivation of Jacobians and Hessians.
• Solid understanding of ODE and DAE solvers and numerical integration methods.
• Ability to program in Python, MATLAB, Julia, or C++.
• Familiarity with software development process – Git, code review, Continuous Integration (CI) / Continuous Deployment (CD) pipelines.
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, with the ability to apply evidence-based approaches to debug simulation issues and improve vehicle model correlation.
• Effective communication skills and the ability to interact well with others.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and work schedules as required by motorsport demands.

For Senior Motorsports Vehicle Dynamics Simulation Engineer

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or a related field.
• Extensive industry or academic research experience architecting and delivering complex multibody dynamics simulation software for vehicles, robotics, biomechanics, off-highway equipment, or related mechanical systems.
• Demonstrated ability to independently architect, validate, and deploy novel simulation methodologies, guide the technical direction of the simulation toolchain, and mentor fellow engineers.
• Expert-level theoretical mastery of multibody formulations, including constraint and closed-loop handling, derivation of equations of motion from first principles, and derivation of Jacobians and Hessians.
• Solid understanding of ODE and DAE solvers and numerical integration methods.
• Ability to program in Python, MATLAB, Julia, or C++.
• Familiarity with software development process – Git, code review, Continuous Integration (CI) / Continuous Deployment (CD) pipelines.
• Advanced analytical and critical-thinking skills, with proven expertise in leading evidence-based root-cause investigations to resolve complex, ambiguous model-correlation issues and drive vehicle model accuracy.
• Effective communication skills and the ability to interact well with others.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and work schedules as required by motorsport demands.

Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)

• Expertise in developing accurate and computationally efficient complex multibody vehicle models in acausal or symbolic modeling frameworks (Modelica, Dymola, CasADi, Maple) or multibody frameworks (Pinocchio, Drake, MuJoCo, JAX, Project Chrono).
• Prior research work on multibody dynamics, numerical methods, or optimization, demonstrated through publications, open-source contributions, or development of a multibody simulation framework.
• Prior motorsport or vehicle dynamics experience, including optimizing simulation models for real-time Driver-in-the-Loop (DIL) simulators and knowledge of motorsport simulation tools and their practical applications in high-performance racing environments.
• In-depth understanding of various aspects of vehicle modeling, including suspension kinematics and advanced tire models.
• Prior experience in numerical optimization and optimal control (direct collocation, multiple shooting, pseudo-spectral methods) for minimum lap time, quasi-static, or Model Predictive Control (MPC) problems, using NLP solvers (IPOPT, SNOPT, KNITRO), linear solvers, and automatic differentiation.
• Familiarity with FMI standards and the use of FMUs in co-simulation and model exchange scenarios for simulation.