Lead Safety systems Engineer

About the role

AIM builds autonomy for the real world - robots that move mountains. Our systems fuse software, hardware, robotics, and mission-critical infrastructure into ruggedized, safety-critical machinery operating on jobsites across the world. We replace decades of manual, error-prone, high-risk work with intelligent machines that reshape how earthmoving is done. Autonomous heavy machinery introduces safety challenges that do not exist in traditional robotics or automotive autonomy.

AIM machines operate in dynamic environments where terrain is constantly changing, multiple machines operate in close proximity, and human workers interact directly with robotic equipment. Safety is therefore not a single subsystem - it is a system-level property that must be designed into every layer of the autonomy stack and operational workflow. We’re building the safety systems, architectures, and validation frameworks that allow autonomous machines to operate reliably around people, equipment, and critical infrastructure.

Responsibilities

You will define and implement the system safety architecture and validation framework for AIM’s autonomous machines. You will work across engineering and operations teams to ensure that safety is designed, validated, and continuously improved across the entire autonomy stack and deployed fleet.

• Lead System Safety Architecture: Define system-level safety architectures across hardware, software, and control systems.
• Develop and Maintain the Safety Case: Develop and maintain the structured system safety case demonstrating that AIM machines are safe for deployment.
• Perform Hazard Analysis and Risk Management: Lead comprehensive hazard analysis across system domains using methodologies such as FMEA, HAZOP, Fault Tree Analysis, STPA.
• Define Operational Design Domains (ODD): Define the environmental and operational conditions under which AIM machines operate safely.
• Design Safe Human-Machine Interaction: Define safe interaction models between machines and human workers.
• Lead Verification and Validation Strategy: Develop system-level verification and validation strategies for safety-critical functionality.
• Build Fleet Safety Observability: Define telemetry and monitoring systems that track safety performance across deployed machines.
• Lead Incident Analysis and Continuous Learning: Establish safety event classification frameworks and lead root cause analysis for safety incidents and near misses.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related technical field. 7+ years of experience designing or validating safety-critical systems. Experience with system safety analysis methods such as FMEA, HAZOP, FTA, or STPA.

• Strong understanding of hardware-software system integration.
• Experience developing verification and validation strategies for complex systems.
• Ability to work across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Strong analytical and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications: Experience developing safety architectures for autonomous systems or robotics platforms. Experience with functional safety standards such as ISO 17757, ISO 19014, ISO 13849, IEC 61508, ISO 26262, SOTIF.

Skills

You think in terms of systems, not components, and understand how safety emerges from complex interactions. You translate safety theory into practical system design decisions. You build safety frameworks that enable engineering teams to design safe systems at scale. You are comfortable operating at the intersection of robotics, software, hardware, and real-world operations.

Benefits

Opportunity to define the safety architecture for real-world autonomous machines. High-impact ownership across AIM’s autonomy stack and deployed fleet. Collaboration with world-class engineers across robotics, software, hardware, and machine learning. Competitive compensation, equity, medical/dental/vision, 401(k), life insurance. Opportunities to see your work operate on machines deployed across the world.