Principal Robotics Functional Safety Engineer

Hybrid – Fremont, CA

A leading robotics company developing advanced autonomous robotic systems is seeking a Principal Robotics Functional Safety Engineer to help shape functional safety strategy across current and next-generation platforms.

The company’s robotic systems are designed to operate alongside people in real-world industrial environments, including manufacturing, logistics, and distribution. This is a high-impact opportunity for an experienced functional safety engineer who wants to influence system architecture, product development, deployment, and broader engineering safety practices.

About the Role

You will partner with a multidisciplinary functional safety organization and work closely with hardware, software, controls, perception, systems engineering, and product teams to ensure safety is incorporated throughout the development lifecycle and validated in deployed systems.

Depending on your background and the needs of the organization, the position may include deep technical ownership of a particular safety domain, support for customer deployments, mentorship of other engineers, and contribution to broader functional safety strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead functional safety activities from concept through deployment for complex robotic systems.

• Apply relevant machinery, industrial robotics, and functional safety standards, including ISO 13849, IEC 62061, IEC 61508, ANSI/RIA R15.08, and related frameworks.

• Drive architecture-level safety decisions across robotic hardware, embedded software, controls, autonomy, and supporting systems.

• Develop and maintain key functional safety deliverables, including:

  • Risk assessments

  • Safety Requirement Specifications (SRS)

  • FMEDA

  • SISTEMA analyses

  • Validation plans

  • Safety cases

• Define, communicate, validate, and test safety-critical requirements across multidisciplinary engineering teams.

• Support safe integration and deployment of robotic systems in customer and industrial environments.

• Coordinate third-party vendors and testing laboratories supporting verification, validation, and regulatory certification activities.

• Partner with compliance teams on applicable electrical, environmental, hazardous-material, and regulatory requirements.

• Contribute to functional safety architecture for AI/ML-enabled or autonomous functionality, ensuring system behavior remains within defined safety limits.

• Communicate safety strategy, requirements, tradeoffs, and technical risks to engineering leaders, customers, and other stakeholders.

• Track emerging standards and regulatory developments impacting mobile, collaborative, and advanced robotic systems.

• Help establish functional safety strategy and engineering practices across multiple products and programs.

• Mentor engineers and contribute to the continued development of the functional safety organization.

Depending on experience and interest, there may also be opportunities to participate in technical publications, conferences, standards organizations, or industry working groups.

Qualifications

• BS in Robotics, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.

• Approximately 12+ years of robotics or safety-critical engineering experience, including significant experience specifically focused on functional safety.

• Strong knowledge of functional safety lifecycle practices and risk-reduction methodologies.

• Deep familiarity with standards such as ISO 13849, IEC 61508, or comparable functional safety frameworks.

• Familiarity with industrial and mobile robotics safety standards, including ANSI/RIA R15.08 and ISO 10218.

• Experience developing safety architectures and requirements for complex electromechanical systems.

• Experience performing or supporting risk analysis, FMEDA, safety validation, and safety case development.

• Experience working with third-party laboratories or vendors on verification, validation, certification, or compliance efforts.

• Hands-on experience with mobile, autonomous, collaborative, or other dynamic robotic systems.

• Experience coordinating across hardware, software, controls, and systems engineering organizations.

• Experience with functional safety analysis tools such as SISTEMA.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence technical decision-making.

Preferred Experience

• TÜV Functional Safety Engineer certification or similar credential.

• Experience with safety firmware, fault handling, diagnostics, or safe-state logic.

• Experience supporting field deployment or customer integration of robotic or autonomous systems.

• Experience supporting CE marking or similar regulatory certification efforts.

• Familiarity with SOTIF / ISO 21448 and emerging approaches to functional safety for AI/ML-enabled systems.

• Significant industrial mobile robot or autonomous mobile robot safety experience.

• Experience with safety-rated devices and traditional risk-reduction techniques.

• Exposure to dynamically stable, legged, or other advanced robotic platforms.

• MS or PhD in a relevant engineering discipline.

• Participation in standards committees or industry working groups.

• Experience mentoring senior, staff, or principal-level engineers.

Location

Hybrid – Fremont, California

Candidates should be able to work regularly from the Fremont-area office. Relocation assistance may be available for qualified candidates.

Compensation

Anticipated Base Salary: $207,000–$269,000

Final compensation will depend on factors such as experience, technical expertise, scope of responsibility, and location.

The broader compensation package may include:

• Company-sponsored retirement plan with employer contribution

• Equity participation

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Paid time off and company holidays

• Paid parental leave

• Professional development support

• Relocation assistance for eligible hires

• Performance-based bonus opportunities

Applicants must have current authorization to work in the United States.