Senior Researcher

Data & AI

General Motors is hiring a Senior Researcher in Los Angeles, California. Posted 14 September 2026. Apply directly on General Motors's own careers site — no account needed.

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Job Description

Work Arrangement

This role is categorized as on-site. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to Advanced Material Lab in Shanghai, China five times per week.

The Role -

The prospective candidate will be responsible for inventing new and/or improving existing battery materials technologies, especially Sodium-ion Battery; and optimizing existing battery cell design to meet multiple battery cell development that can be integrated into future GM products; and driving commercialization of GM’s innovations to production through close collaborations with partners including both internal GM organizations and external research institutes/universities and suppliers.

What You’ll Do -

Research and develop novel and cutting-edge battery materials (specifically cathode and anode) technologies, and solutions for integrating into cell designs and enabling high-perform, low-cost battery for GM’s products.
Generate innovative ideas, initiate new research areas, and establish technical pathways pertaining to improving battery materials properties through crystalline-phase composition designing/tuning, microstructure engineering/modification and/or manufacturing process optimization.
Set research direction and independently lead technology development, validation, and transferring to engineering organization within GM and external partners via commercialization by licensing, interface and collaborate with various material and cell suppliers
Maintain state-of-the-art knowledge in technical areas of responsibility and understand relevance/importance of new technologies to corporate needs.
Effective teamwork with internal and external partners globally
Execute technical assignments independently and communicate results and business value clearly
Write timely and high-quality internal reports
Represent GM through external publications and presentations

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

Knowledge:
Solid background in related areas such as Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Experienced with advanced battery materials (cathode and anode) development, characterization, cell design and fabrication as well as cell testing
Experienced in electrochemistry and cell performance diagnosis and post-mortem analysis
Established in technical community in respective field of study
Skills:
Ability to work both independently and in project teams
Expertise in battery material synthesis, characterization and cell testing
Proficient with advanced analytical technologies for materials from nano-scale to macro-scale level, such as SEM, TEM, 3D-APT and XRD.
Good understanding of thermodynamics/kinetics calculations of phase transformations
Skillful with oral and written communication in English
Experience/Education:
Ph.D. degree in lithium-ion/Sodium ion battery related disciplines such as Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science and Chemical Engineering (or related fields) with emphasis on battery materials (cathode and anode) development and characterization, at least two years of working experience in academic, in battery industry or at automotive OEMs
Preferred: work experience in battery cathode/anode development and processing with research publications; and relevant experience in commercial labs or industrial R&D center
Competencies:
Excellent technical problem-solving capability
Interpersonal traits to work effectively with others in good peer relationships
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Integrity and Trust

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.

Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities

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.

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 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.

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