Job Title: Principal Safety Lead
Location: Austin, TX
Salary Range: $200,000 - $250,000 Per Year
Job Type: Direct Hire

Sponsorship: Yes, Company provides visa sponsorship

Job Overview

A leading autonomous mobility company seeks an experienced Principal Safety Lead to direct system safety for autonomous vehicle platforms. You will define and execute safety strategies, lead safety engineers, and ensure compliance with standards like ISO 26262 and ISO 21448. This role builds a world-class safety culture through hazard analysis, requirements management, and cross-team collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, own, and execute the comprehensive system safety strategy for autonomous vehicles.

• Lead and mentor a team of safety engineers, fostering a world-class safety culture.

• Direct safety-related activities, including hazard analysis (HARA), FMEA, FTA, and Safety Case development.

• Ensure compliance with key safety standards such as ISO 26262 and ISO 21448/SOTIF.

• Define and manage safety requirements throughout the product lifecycle from concept to deployment.

• Define, track, and report on key Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs) to improve system safety.

• Collaborate with engineering teams like Planning, Perception, Control, and Hardware to integrate safety.

• Oversee safety verification and validation activities, including simulation and real-world testing.

• Lead safety-critical incident response, investigation, and analysis.

• Act as primary contact for regulatory bodies, certification agencies, and external safety auditors.

Requirements

• Significant (5+ years) professional experience in safety-critical systems like automotive, aerospace, robotics, or autonomous vehicles.

• Proven experience in leadership or management roles, building and mentoring technical teams.

• Strong expertise in functional safety (ISO 26262) and SOTIF (ISO 21448).

• Experience developing and delivering a Safety Case for complex, novel systems.

• Familiarity and practical experience with safety analysis methodologies like HARA, FMEA, FTA, and HAZOP.

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field, or equivalent experience.

• Strong communication and collaboration skills to influence cross-functional teams.

• Flexible and creative problem-solving in fast-paced environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in engineering or safety-related field.

• Direct experience in the autonomous vehicle industry.

• Familiarity with standards like UL 4600, ISO/TR 5083, and automotive cybersecurity (ISO 21434).

• Experience with safety of AI and machine learning-based systems.

• Knowledge of systems engineering principles and tools like DOORS or SysML.

• Experience using simulation at scale for safety validation.

Benefits

• Employer-subsidized healthcare (medical, dental, vision)

• Pre-tax commuter benefits

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

• Employer-covered disability and life insurance

• 401(k) retirement plan

• Generous PTO

• Covered lunches and more