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2026 Summer Intern - Research & Development - Vehicle Crashworthiness and Occupant Safety

Internship
Transportation & Infrastructure
Science
Posted:
December 28, 2025

General Motors

Major automotive manufacturer
72.5
Palpable Score
Apply >view company >

Description

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. THIS INCLUDES DIRECT COMPANY SPONSORSHIP, ENTRY OF GM AS THE IMMIGRATION EMPLOYER OF RECORD ON A GOVERNMENT FORM, AND ANY WORK AUTHORIZATION REQUIRING A WRITTEN SUBMISSION OR OTHER IMMIGRATION SUPPORT FROM THE COMPANY (e.g., H1-B, OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc.)

Hybrid: This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the successful candidate is expected to report in office three times per week, at minimum [or other frequency dictated by the business].

Start dates for this internship role are May 18 & June 15 of 2026.

The Team:

At GM, we look to move humanity forward. We translate breakthrough technologies into vehicles and experience that people love. It all starts with research and development. In the Connected Vehicle Experience Research lab, we transform the mobility experience by creating integrated solutions for safe and connected vehicles that our customers love. We are looking for R&D Interns to research, design, and develop groundbreaking technologies in safety and crashworthiness. In this internship, you will plan and execute collaborative research to generate new knowledge and sophisticated technology for our vehicles. Our culture of "Innovate Now" gives you the opportunity to be creative and implement designs that could possibly be driving around in the near future!

What You Will Do:

• Conduct research and/or experiments to collect required data and validate research ideas in the Connected Vehicle Experience Research Lab (CVER)

• Document and present results. Depending on the assignment, results could lead to external publications and/or intellectual property

• Execute technical and special assignments

• Assist lab management in identifying mega trends in technology and business strategies in the automotive sector

• Develop and execute specific research plans, including concept generation, development, implementation, and validation

• Collaborate effectively with peers, management, operations groups, and outside organizations

Required Qualifications:

• U.S. citizenship required to comply with federal government contract provision expressly restricting role to U.S. citizens.

• Must be a current PhD student or second year Masters student in engineering or science

• Research experience in at least one of the following areas: Vehicle Crashworthiness, Occupant Crash Safety, Injury Biomechanics, Data analysis, Statistical modeling, Machine Learning

• Strong theoretical, experimental and software programming skills

• Ability to work both independently and in teams

• Consistently demonstrate critical thinking and strong teamwork

• Effective verbal and written communication skills

• Excellent persuasion, active listening, delegation, and leadership skills to work effectively with GM internal and external customers

What Will Give You a Competitive Advantage (Preferred Qualifications):

• Prior internship experience in automotive, technology, or manufacturing

• Knowledge of Finite Element Analysis software such as LS-Dyna, Ansys, or Abaqus

• Programming skills in Python, C/C++, Java, or MATLAB

• Knowledge of Machine Learning and Deep Learning

• Outstanding interpersonal and relationship management skills to effectively collaborate with varying levels of the organization as needed

• Demonstrates leadership in field of study, extra-curricular activities, or service organizations

• Strong critical thinking and analytical skills, especially the ability to synthesize large amounts of data involving multiple variables into comprehensive, impactful insights

• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, leading deliverables and goals

• Willingness to ask questions, take initiative and be inventive

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to distill sophisticated subjects to a wider audience

• Emerging partnership and teamwork skills and ability to learn from and share knowledge with co-workers in a rapidly moving environment

• High level of integrity, ability to deal with ambiguity, takes initiative/self-directed

• Evidence of strong character with integrity, honesty, accountability and trust

About the company

General Motors

Company overview
General Motors is an automotive manufacturer that designs, builds, and sells vehicles under brands including Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac. General Motors also runs connected-vehicle software and advanced driver assistance features alongside vehicle manufacturing. The company operates large engineering, manufacturing, and corporate functions, with a major EV and battery supply chain footprint in North America. General Motors sells globally through a mix of direct, dealer, and fleet channels depending on market.

Locations and presence

General Motors is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, with major engineering and manufacturing hubs across the United States and a wide international footprint. Work setup depends on the job, with plant roles typically on-site and some corporate roles labelled hybrid in job postings.

Palpable Score

72.5
/ 100
General Motors offers high-volume entry points through internships, co-ops, and structured rotational hiring, so graduates can find real first-role options without needing niche experience. The hiring journey is outlined more clearly than many industrial employers, but candidate experience still looks uneven in follow-up and pacing across teams. Pay transparency shows up in a lot of student job ads, while recent EV-related layoffs and plant pauses reduce the stability outlook for some early-career paths.
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