Building an Engineering Edge at GM: How Cross-Functional Experience Drives Vehicle Innovation
Engineering innovation in the automotive industry requires more than writing software or developing individual vehicle components. Modern vehicles rely on complex interactions between hardware, software, cameras, communication networks, and electronic control systems. Ensuring that all these technologies work together seamlessly requires engineers who understand the vehicle as a complete system.
At General Motors (GM), Ben Rubin, a Senior Software Engineer, demonstrates how broad technical experience can help solve challenging engineering problems and accelerate the development of advanced vehicle technologies. His work focuses on integrating camera systems with vehicle hardware and software, helping ensure that features perform as expected in real-world driving conditions.
One of Rubin’s notable achievements involved preparing a GM vehicle at the company’s site in Israel to operate with a new vehicle computer that was still under development. The vehicle platform had not originally been designed to support the computer, requiring individual systems throughout the vehicle to be adapted to work with the new configuration.
Rubin successfully completed the integration, creating the first vehicle in the world to operate with that specific configuration.
“I adapted all of the vehicle’s systems to the new vehicle computer and built the first vehicle in the world running that configuration,” Rubin explained.
Although the result represented a significant technical accomplishment, the experience behind it reveals a broader lesson about engineering careers. Rubin’s ability to solve the problem was shaped by years of experience across software testing, vehicle testing, simulation, and autonomous vehicle development.
Rather than concentrating on a single discipline throughout his career, he developed a wide understanding of how automotive technologies interact. That combination of skills now supports his work at the intersection of vehicle systems and software integration.
How Previous Experience Helped Solve a Complex Engineering Challenge
The successful integration of the new vehicle computer required a detailed understanding of the vehicle’s electronic architecture. Installing a new computer in a vehicle is not simply a matter of connecting hardware and switching on the system. The computer must communicate correctly with other electronic modules, exchange information through vehicle networks, and support the software functions required for the vehicle to operate.
Rubin’s earlier experience as a test driver gave him the practical knowledge needed to approach these challenges.
“As a test driver, I learned how to work directly with the vehicle’s systems: flashing software versions, sending and reading Controller Area Network (CAN) bus messages, and using tools I still rely on today,” he said.
A Controller Area Network, commonly known as CAN, enables electronic control units within a vehicle to exchange information. These communications support numerous functions, including powertrain operations, vehicle controls, safety systems, and other electronic features.
Understanding how these systems communicate is particularly important when introducing new hardware or software into an existing vehicle architecture. If a module fails to communicate correctly, the problem may originate in the software, the hardware, the network configuration, or the interaction between different systems.
Rubin’s practical experience helped him identify and address these issues rather than treating them as isolated software problems.
The same project presented another challenge involving an infotainment computer that was not communicating with the rest of the vehicle. This type of communication failure can prevent other systems from functioning correctly and delay the development and testing of additional features.
“Solving it required deep knowledge of the vehicle architecture and tools most engineers in the camera group hadn’t worked with,” Rubin explained.
He connected to the vehicle’s internal systems, aligned the infotainment computer with the other electronic modules, and resolved the communication problem.
These examples illustrate the importance of understanding the complete vehicle environment. In increasingly software-defined vehicles, individual components cannot always be developed, tested, and integrated independently. Their performance depends on reliable communication and coordination across the vehicle.
Building a Career Through Different Engineering Roles
Rubin’s technical capabilities developed through a series of roles that exposed him to different aspects of automotive engineering. Although his responsibilities changed over time, each position contributed knowledge that later became valuable in his integration work.
He began his career as a quality assurance student, testing an application that connects with GM vehicles. This initial experience introduced him to automotive software and the processes used to evaluate its performance.
His current team develops camera-related features that connect with the same application. Because Rubin previously worked with the application and understands the people and systems involved in maintaining it, he can approach integration problems with knowledge of both sides of the connection.
This familiarity helps him identify potential compatibility issues and communicate more effectively with developers working on related systems.
His subsequent experience as a test driver expanded his understanding beyond software. Working directly with vehicles allowed him to observe how different systems performed under real operating conditions.
He collaborated with teams involved in research and development, acoustics, and radar, gaining exposure to technologies and engineering processes outside his immediate responsibilities.
“When you spend that much time on the vehicle itself, you develop a feel for where a fault is actually coming from: hardware, software, or the vehicle,” Rubin said.
That distinction is essential in automotive development. A problem that initially appears to be a software defect may instead result from a hardware limitation, an unexpected vehicle response, or a communication issue between electronic modules.
Practical testing experience helps engineers investigate these possibilities systematically.
Vehicle testing also gave Rubin the opportunity to experience the product from a driver’s perspective. Instead of evaluating a feature only through technical measurements or software logs, he could consider whether it worked naturally and reliably during everyday driving.
He also learned how to establish professional test setups inside vehicles and execute testing activities according to planned schedules. These procedural skills remain useful when evaluating new features and investigating problems under controlled conditions.
Understanding the Vehicle Through Simulation and Autonomous Driving
Rubin’s work in simulation and autonomous vehicle development added further dimensions to his technical knowledge.
Simulation provides engineers with a way to evaluate vehicle behavior, software functionality, and system interactions under controlled conditions. It can help teams identify problems before testing a feature in a physical vehicle and explore situations that may be difficult to reproduce consistently on the road.
However, simulation and physical testing provide different perspectives. A simulated environment can offer repeatability, while a real vehicle introduces the complexities of physical hardware, electronic communication, environmental conditions, and actual system behavior.
Rubin’s experience across these environments helped him understand how the two approaches complement one another.
His time in the autonomous vehicle group also introduced him to the operation of the vehicle platform and the role cameras play in supporting advanced vehicle functions.
Cameras are increasingly important in modern vehicles, supporting visibility, driver assistance, parking, and other features. Their operation depends not only on the camera hardware but also on how visual information is processed, communicated, and presented to other vehicle systems.
Understanding these relationships gave Rubin a perspective that was particularly valuable when he joined his current camera integration team.
By combining knowledge of vehicle platforms, camera systems, software, and testing, he could evaluate integration challenges from several angles rather than concentrating on a single component.
Working at the Intersection of Hardware and Software
Rubin describes his current position as a role that connects vehicle systems with software.
“My role sits right on the interface between the vehicle’s systems and the software,” he said.
This interface is where many of the technologies drivers use every day must work together seamlessly.
One example is the dynamic guidelines displayed when a driver reverses. These guidelines change as the steering wheel turns, helping the driver understand the vehicle’s projected path. To function correctly, the system must coordinate information such as steering angle and vehicle speed with the software responsible for generating the display.
If the information is delayed, inaccurate, or inconsistent, the feature may not behave as intended. Testing therefore requires an understanding of how the relevant vehicle systems interact and how to diagnose problems when they do not remain synchronized.
Another example involves turn signals and camera displays. When a driver activates a turn signal, the appropriate camera view may appear on the vehicle’s display, depending on the vehicle’s configuration and feature design. The process requires communication between the driver’s controls, vehicle electronics, camera systems, and infotainment software.
Trailer connections provide another illustration of this complexity. Connecting a trailer can initiate a sequence of electronic events that enables advanced trailering functions. For these features to operate correctly, the vehicle must recognize the relevant conditions and coordinate information across multiple systems.
Vehicle braking, electric vehicle charging, and communication networks also depend on reliable interactions between hardware and software.
For drivers, these processes should feel straightforward. A display should show the correct information, a camera should provide a useful view, and a feature should respond at the appropriate moment.
Behind that experience, however, engineers must ensure that numerous components work together as intended.
Bringing Software From Development Into a Real Vehicle
One of the most important aspects of Rubin’s position is his direct involvement in vehicle-level integration.
Software developers may create and refine features using development environments, testing tools, and simulations. However, integrating that software into a physical vehicle can reveal issues that are not immediately apparent during earlier development stages.
“Because I do the integration on the vehicle, I’m the one who sees the software our developers write actually running in a real car,” Rubin said. “I help them understand whether a feature works and, if it doesn’t, what needs to change.”
This responsibility creates an important connection between software development and practical vehicle performance.
When a feature fails during testing, Rubin can help determine whether the issue relates to the code itself, communication between electronic modules, the vehicle’s configuration, or another part of the system. His understanding of the vehicle allows him to provide developers with more specific information about what is happening and where improvements may be required.
This feedback process can support more effective troubleshooting and help engineering teams refine their products before features reach customers.
The camera systems he works on contribute to everyday driving experiences, including parking, towing, and helping drivers understand their surroundings.
These functions may appear simple from the driver’s perspective, but they depend on the coordinated performance of multiple technologies. Ensuring that the right camera view appears at the right time requires reliable communication, accurate system behavior, and thorough testing.
For Rubin, seeing software operate successfully in a real vehicle is one of the most rewarding aspects of his work. It allows him to connect technical problem-solving with improvements that drivers can experience directly.
Why Broad Technical Knowledge Matters in Modern Automotive Engineering
The automotive industry is undergoing a transformation as vehicles incorporate more software, electronic control systems, connectivity, cameras, and advanced driver assistance technologies.
As these systems become increasingly interconnected, engineering teams must consider how individual components affect the overall vehicle.
Specialists remain essential, but integration work also requires professionals who can communicate across disciplines and understand the relationships between different technologies.
An engineer with experience in software development may be able to identify a coding issue. Someone familiar with vehicle hardware may recognize a physical limitation. An engineer who understands communication networks may identify a problem involving electronic modules.
An integration engineer who understands all three areas can connect these perspectives and investigate the complete problem.
Rubin’s career demonstrates how this broader technical range can become an advantage. His previous roles did not follow a single narrow specialization, yet each provided experience that proved useful in his current responsibilities.
Moving between testing, driving, simulation, and autonomous vehicle development allowed him to build a practical understanding of the vehicle as a complete system.
That knowledge is particularly relevant as automakers continue developing software-defined vehicles, where software capabilities and electronic architecture play an increasingly important role in product functionality.
Rubin’s Advice for Aspiring Engineers
Rubin believes that a career built around integration is not necessarily suitable for everyone. It requires curiosity, independent learning, and a willingness to investigate technologies outside one’s immediate area of responsibility.
“This path isn’t right for everyone. It takes real curiosity and the ability to teach yourself about vehicle systems that often have nothing to do with what you’re working on right now,” he said.
For engineers interested in following a similar route, his recommendation is to develop genuine depth in three interconnected areas: software, hardware, and vehicle systems.
Software knowledge helps engineers understand application behavior, troubleshoot code, and evaluate how features are implemented. Hardware knowledge provides insight into physical components, electronic modules, and their operational limitations. Vehicle systems knowledge explains how those components communicate and work together within the complete platform.
Developing all three areas takes time and practical experience. It also requires a willingness to ask questions, work with other teams, and learn from problems that may initially fall outside an engineer’s expertise.
Rubin changed roles four times over nearly seven years while remaining with GM. Each transition brought him closer to understanding how software operates within a physical vehicle.
His experience suggests that professional development does not always require changing employers or following a strictly linear career path. Moving into different responsibilities within the same organization can provide opportunities to build complementary skills and gain a broader perspective.
Exploring New Opportunities in Automotive Engineering
Ben Rubin’s experience at GM highlights the value of cross-functional knowledge in modern automotive engineering. His successful integration of a new vehicle computer and his work on camera-related features demonstrate how practical vehicle experience, software knowledge, and an understanding of electronic architecture can combine to solve complex technical challenges.
As automotive manufacturers develop increasingly connected and software-driven vehicles, engineers who can bridge the gap between software development and real-world vehicle performance will continue to play an important role.
For aspiring engineers, the key lesson is to remain curious, develop technical depth across multiple disciplines, and seek opportunities to understand how individual systems contribute to the performance of the complete vehicle.
GM’s engineering work provides an example of how varied technical experience can translate into practical innovation, helping transform complex software and hardware interactions into vehicle features that drivers can use with confidence.
Engineers interested in building similar capabilities can explore career opportunities at GM and learn more about the professionals developing software-defined vehicles, advanced camera systems, and connected automotive experiences.
Source Link:https://news.gm.com/
