JOB TITLE: Functional Safety Technical Program Manager
LOCATION: Southfield, MI
DURATION: Through 12/31/26 (potential extension)
RATE RANGE: $76 - $86/hr.
TOP 3 SKILLS:
5+ years of automotive product development experience and Functional Safety Program Management experience.
Strong knowledge of ISO 26262 and the functional safety lifecycle.
Experience leading complete vehicle programs or major vehicle platform programs.
POSITION SUMMARY:
We are seeking an experienced Functional Safety Technical Program Manager (FuSa TPM) to lead and govern functional safety activities for a complete vehicle program. This individual will serve as the primary functional safety authority, ensuring compliance with ISO 26262 requirements while driving safety deliverables from concept development through vehicle release. This role requires a highly organized and proactive leader who can identify risks early, influence cross-functional teams, and drive execution across engineering disciplines and supplier partners. The ideal candidate combines strong technical functional safety knowledge with program management expertise and hands-on experience in automotive product development.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Develop and maintain the Vehicle Functional Safety Plan.
Lead functional safety governance activities and ensure compliance with ISO 26262 processes.
Track safety deliverables and milestones across the vehicle program.
Coordinate activities across Systems Engineering, Software, Hardware, Validation, Quality, Program Management, Regulatory, and Supplier teams.
Support development and review:
Item Definitions
HARA
Safety Goals
Functional Safety Concepts (FSC)
Technical Safety Concepts (TSC)
Safety Cases
Safety Validation Reports
FMEA, FMEDA, DFA, and FTA analyses
Identify safety risks and drive mitigation plans.
Participate in safety assessments, audits, confirmation reviews, and readiness reviews.
Manage supplier functional safety activities, deliverables, and Development Interface Agreements (DIAs).
Partner with Verification & Validation teams to ensure safety requirements are effectively tested and validated.
Coordinate safety argument reviews and support vehicle safety case closure and release recommendations.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
Ability to anticipate issues, drive solutions, and lead complex initiatives with minimal oversight.
TECHNICAL SKILLS:
5+ years of automotive product development experience.
5+ years of Functional Safety Program Management experience.
Strong knowledge of ISO 26262 and the functional safety lifecycle.
Experience leading complete vehicle programs or major vehicle platform programs.
Experience working with OEM and/or Tier 1 automotive suppliers.
Experience managing suppliers and cross-functional engineering stakeholders.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience owning vehicle-level functional safety activities from concept through production.
Experience reviewing and managing HARA, FSC, TSC, Safety Cases, and associated safety work products.
Experience supporting EV, ADAS, or other advanced vehicle technologies.
Familiarity with Jira and related project management/change management tools.
EDUCATION:
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE:
Functional Safety Management experience within an OEM or Tier 1 supplier environment.
Experience supporting vehicle programs from early development through production.
Proven ability to provide both leadership and hands-on support when needed.
Strong attention to detail and ability to identify gaps, weaknesses, and potential risks early.
Demonstrated success driving execution across multiple teams and stakeholders.
Comfortable asking questions, seeking clarification, and proactively addressing issues before they become program risks.
DISQUALIFIERS:
No Functional Safety Program Management experience.
No automotive product development experience.
No experience leading complete vehicle or major vehicle platform programs.
No OEM or supplier-facing functional safety experience.
Functional safety knowledge without practical program ownership experience.
Lack of engineering education.
BENEFITS SUMMARY: Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base hourly rate or annual salary only, unless otherwise stated. In addition to base compensation, full-time roles are eligible for Medical, Dental, Vision, Commuter and 401K benefits with company matching.BENEFITS SUMMARY:
Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base hourly rate or annual salary only, unless otherwise stated. In addition to base compensation, full-time roles are eligible for Medical, Dental, Vision, Commuter and 401K benefits with company matching.
Numbers & Facts
Location
Newark, CA
Salary
$76–$86.81 Per Hour
Skills
Analysis Skillsunmatched
Atlassian JIRAunmatched
Change Managementunmatched
Communication Skillsunmatched
Computer Engineeringunmatched
Cross-Functionalunmatched
Detail Orientedunmatched
Electrical Engineeringunmatched
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)unmatched
Functional Programming Languagesunmatched
ISO (International Organization for Standardization)unmatched
Leadershipunmatched
Maintain Complianceunmatched
OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer)unmatched
Organizational Skillsunmatched
Problem Solving Skillsunmatched
Product Developmentunmatched
Project/Program Managementunmatched
Quality Managementunmatched
Regulationsunmatched
Risk Analysisunmatched
Risk Managementunmatched
Safety Complianceunmatched
Safety Trainingunmatched
Safety/Work Safetyunmatched
Systems Engineeringunmatched
Technical Leadershipunmatched
Test Requirementsunmatched
Validation Testingunmatched
Vendor/Supplier Managementunmatched
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