Lead Safety Systems Engineer

Aim

Seattle, WA

JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
Aerospace and Defense, Analysis Skills, Communication Skills, Construction, Construction Safety, Continuous Improvement, Control Systems, Cross-Functional, Design Patterns Programming Methodologies, Documentation, Earthmoving/Earthworks, Electrical Engineering, Electricity, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), HAZOP (Hazard and Operability Analysis), Hardware Architecture, Hardware-Software Integration, Hazard Analysis, Heavy Equipment/Vehicles, Human Interaction, ISO (International Organization for Standardization), Industrial Robotics, Insurance, International Electro-Technical Commission (IEC), Machine Learning, Mechanical Engineering, Mentoring, Metrics, Multiplatform/Cross-Platform, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), Operational Improvement, Operational Strategy, Operations Processes, Performance Analysis, Product Lifecycle, Regulations, Risk, Robotics, Robotics Software, Root Cause Analysis, Safety Engineering, Safety Process, Safety Standards, Safety Systems, Safety Training, Safety/Work Safety, Sales/Support Engineering (SE), Scalable System Development, Simulation, System Architecture, System Integration (SI), System Operations, System Validation, Systems Analysis, Systems Engineering, Systems Maintenance, Telemetry, Test Automation, Test Harness, Traceability, Trend Analysis, User Interface Design, Validation Testing, Vehicle Fleets
LOCATION
Seattle, WA
POSTED
2 days ago

About AIMAIM 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. We're growing fast, scaling globally, and building the engineering foundation that will define the next century of construction.About youYou are a systems thinker who understands that safety emerges from the interaction of hardware, software, human behavior, and operational environments .You have experience designing and validating safety-critical systems , ideally in robotics, autonomy, industrial machinery, aerospace, or automotive systems.You are comfortable working across disciplines - robotics, perception, controls, hardware, operations, and product - ensuring that safety requirements propagate correctly through the entire system.You think in terms of failure modes, hazard mitigation, and safe system behavior under uncertainty .You are equally comfortable:analyzing hazardsdefining safety architecturesdesigning validation strategiesworking with operators and field engineers to ensure real-world safetyYou take ownership of system outcomes, not just analysis documents. You ensure safety requirements translate into real system behavior and operational procedures.Most importantly, you help organizations build safety into engineering culture and system design , not bolt it on afterward.About us togetherAIM machines operate in environments that introduce safety challenges rarely seen in traditional autonomy domains:machines interacting directly with human workerscontinuously changing terrain and jobsite layoutsdust, vibration, and harsh environmental conditionsdynamic interactions between multiple machinessafety-critical operations involving heavy loads and moving equipmentreal-time control systems operating on ruggedized edge computeSafety must therefore be addressed at multiple layers:system architectureautonomy behaviormachine control systemshuman-machine interactionoperational proceduresfleet-level monitoring and learningWe will design safety systems that allow autonomous machines to operate predictably, fail safely, and continuously improve through operational learning.If that excites you - you're the kind of Safety Systems Engineer who will thrive here.What you will ownAs the Lead Safety Systems Engineer, 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 ArchitectureDefine system-level safety architectures across hardware, software, and control systems.Design safety layers including redundancy, fault detection, and safe-state transitions.Define degraded operating modes and fail-safe behaviors for autonomous machines.Specify safety mechanisms such as safety controllers, watchdog systems, and emergency stop architectures.Ensure safety design patterns scale across multiple machine platforms.Develop and Maintain the Safety CaseDevelop and maintain the structured system safety case demonstrating that AIM machines are safe for deployment.Maintain traceability between hazards, safety requirements, mitigation strategies, and validation evidence.Ensure safety arguments remain valid as the system evolves.Produce safety documentation required for customers, regulators, and OEM partners.Perform Hazard Analysis and Risk ManagementLead comprehensive hazard analysis across system domains using methodologies such as:FMEAHAZOPFault Tree AnalysisSTPA where applicableIdentify failure modes and unsafe system behaviors across mechanical, electrical, software, and operational systems.Define mitigation strategies and safety requirements.Maintain hazard tracking throughout the product lifecycle.Define Operational Design Domains (ODD)Define the environmental and operational conditions under which AIM machines operate safely.Identify constraints including terrain, weather, visibility, machine proximity, and human presence.Maintain ODD definitions as system capabilities evolve.Define mechanisms for detecting ODD boundary violations.Design Safe Human-Machine InteractionDefine safe interaction models between machines and human workers.Specify safety perimeters and behavior constraints around workers and equipment.Define human override and intervention mechanisms.Ensure machine intent and system state are communicated clearly to operators and nearby personnel.Lead Verification and Validation StrategyDevelop system-level verification and validation strategies for safety-critical functionality.Define appropriate mixes of:simulation testingsoftware-in-the-loop testinghardware-in-the-loop testingfield testingEnsure validation programs cover the full operational design domain.Develop automated testing frameworks for safety-critical systems.Build Fleet Safety ObservabilityDefine telemetry and monitoring systems that track safety performance across deployed machines.Develop safety metrics including near-miss events, safety envelope violations, and system health indicators.Identify safety trends across the fleet and proactively address emerging risks.Lead Incident Analysis and Continuous LearningEstablish safety event classification frameworks.Lead root cause analysis for safety incidents and near misses.Ensure lessons learned are incorporated into system design, validation strategies, and operational procedures.Raise the Safety Engineering BarDefine safety engineering standards across the organization.Lead cross-disciplinary safety design reviews.Mentor engineers on hazard analysis and safety-critical system design.Build scalable safety engineering processes that enable teams to design and validate safe systems.Basic QualificationsBachelor'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 QualificationsExperience developing safety architectures for autonomous systems or robotics platforms.Experience with functional safety standards such as:ISO 17757ISO 19014ISO 13849IEC 61508ISO 26262SOTIFExperience designing safety systems for heavy machinery, industrial robotics, automotive, or aerospace systems.Experience with human-robot interaction safety design.Experience with system observability and fleet telemetry systems.Experience supporting regulatory or certification processes.How you'll stand outYou 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.You care deeply about ensuring autonomous machines behave safely in the environments where people depend on them.What we offerOpportunity 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.#J-18808-Ljbffr

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