Head of Safety & Security – Autonomous and Connected Systems

McLaren Automotive Ltd; Woking; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking automotive company as the Head of Safety & Security for Autonomous and Connected Systems. This pivotal role involves leading safety assurance and cybersecurity strategies for cutting-edge intelligent vehicle platforms. You will define safety architectures, oversee compliance, and collaborate with engineering teams to embed safety into vehicle systems. With a commitment to innovation and excellence, this role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of automotive technology. If you are passionate about safety and security in the automotive sector, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Enhanced pension

Private medical insurance

Life assurance

Wellbeing initiatives

Sabbatical options after two years

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in safety and cybersecurity for autonomous systems.
• Deep expertise in functional safety and vehicle homologation.

Responsibilities

• Define safety and cybersecurity architecture for advanced vehicle systems.
• Lead functional safety strategy and ensure ISO compliance.

Skills

Functional Safety

Cybersecurity

AI Safety

Regulatory Compliance

Threat Defense

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering

Master's Degree in a related field

Tools

OTA Security

Cloud Trust Architectures

Cryptography

Job description

Head of Safety & Security – Autonomous and Connected Systems

Join to apply for the Head of Safety & Security – Autonomous and Connected Systems role at McLaren Automotive Ltd.

This role is based in Woking and involves leading safety assurance, cybersecurity, and compliance strategies for McLaren’s next-generation intelligent vehicle platforms, including AI-native autonomy, connected services, OTA pipelines, and cloud infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities:

• Define safety and cybersecurity architecture across AI stack, autonomy platform, OTA infrastructure, and cloud systems.
• Lead functional safety strategy and implementation for ADAS/AD and connected systems, ensuring ISO compliance and fault diagnostics.
• Oversee homologation strategy and type approval submissions for global markets.
• Manage certification processes for software-defined features and AI functions, including explainability and traceability.
• Build safety-case frameworks for E2E architectures, integrating runtime assurance and analytics.
• Develop validation methods for AI behavior, fallback, and risk detection.
• Lead security architecture for OTA, cryptography, and intrusion detection.
• Establish fleet-scale security monitoring and anomaly detection infrastructure.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to embed safety and security into vehicle systems.
• Represent McLaren in safety and AI industry forums.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Leadership experience in safety and cybersecurity for autonomous or complex embedded systems.
• Deep knowledge of functional safety, AI safety, and vehicle homologation.
• Experience with regulatory compliance across multiple markets.
• Technical expertise in motion control validation, AI testing, and safety modeling.
• Experience with threat defense, cryptography, OTA security, and cloud trust architectures.

Benefits:

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, with buy & sell options.
• Enhanced pension, bonus, private medical, life assurance, and wellbeing initiatives.
• Sabbatical options after two years.

About Us:

McLaren Automotive creates high-performance road cars, driven by innovation, diversity, and a passion for excellence. We are committed to diversity, equality, and inclusion.

Additional Details:

• Seniority level: Mid-Senior level
• Employment type: Full-time
• Job function: Engineering and IT
• Industry: Automotive and Motor Vehicle Manufacturing