Behavioral Safety Manager

Torc Robotics; Ann Arbor (MI); Hybrid; USD 153,000 - 184,000; Full time

Job summary

Torc Robotics seeks a Behavioral Safety Manager to drive safety program execution for autonomous capabilities across platforms. You will ensure traceability, verification readiness, and risk management from concept to deployment in safety‑critical environments.

The role coordinates across safety, systems, hardware, software, and operations, aligning safety objectives with milestones while supporting product delivery and safety assurance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a technical field plus 6+ years of related experience
• Master’s degree plus 3+ years of related experience or PhD with 1+ years of experience
• Demonstrated competencies in safety lifecycle artifacts and risk assessment

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and execution of safety‑critical initiatives across the autonomous vehicle lifecycle.
• Establish traceability between hazards, safety requirements, system requirements, verification activities, and release decisions.
• Coordinate cross‑functional safety activities including hazard analysis, safety assessments, safety case development, and readiness reviews.
• Drive integrated verification and validation planning across simulation, tests, and field operations.
• Manage program risks, dependencies, and changes across systems, software, hardware, perception, localization, controls.
• Monitor safety metrics and identify issues affecting safety objectives or delivery commitments.
• Facilitate executive reviews and governance forums with clear visibility into program health and residual risk.

Skills

Safety engineering

Hazard analysis

Program management

ISO 21448 SOTIF

ISO 26262

System safety

Requirements traceability

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering or related technical field

Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering or related technical field

PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering or related technical field

Job description

This role is responsible for driving the execution framework that enables the safe, scalable deployment of autonomous capabilities across multiple platforms and operational domains. As autonomy systems increase in complexity, this position ensures that safety, systems engineering, validation, and operational readiness activities are planned, integrated, and executed with the rigor required for safety‑critical systems.

Working across engineering, behavioral safety, systems engineering, autonomy, hardware, software, and operations, the Behavioral Safety Manager provides the structure, governance, and visibility needed to deliver safety‑critical capabilities from concept through deployment. The role ensures requirements traceability, verification and validation readiness, risk management, and alignment of safety objectives with program milestones, supporting both product delivery and safety assurance objectives.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead planning and execution of safety‑critical initiatives across the autonomous vehicle lifecycle, ensuring alignment between product roadmaps, safety goals, and deployment milestones.
• Establish and maintain traceability between hazards, safety requirements, system requirements, verification activities, validation evidence, and release decisions.
• Coordinate cross‑functional safety activities including hazard analysis, safety assessments, safety case development, and operational readiness reviews.
• Drive integrated verification and validation planning across simulation, test environments, closed‑course testing, and field operations to support evidence‑based deployment decisions.
• Manage program risks, technical dependencies, and change impacts across systems, software, hardware, perception, localization, controls, and operational teams.
• Monitor safety and program metrics, proactively identifying issues that could impact system performance, safety objectives, regulatory compliance, or delivery commitments.
• Facilitate executive reviews and technical governance forums, providing clear visibility into program health, residual risk, and safety readiness.

What you need to succeed

• Experience leading programs involving autonomous systems, ADAS, robotics, aerospace, industrial automation, or other safety‑critical platforms.
• Demonstrated experience applying ISO 21448 (SOTIF) across the safety lifecycle, including hazard analysis and risk assessment (HARA), safety goals, functional and technical safety concepts, and ASIL decomposition. Working knowledge of ISO 26262 and other related standards such as IEC 61508, UL 4600, or ISO/PAS 8800 is a plus.
• Familiarity with safety lifecycle artifacts including Item Definitions, HARA, HIRE, FMEA/FMEDA, Safety Requirements, Safety Plans, Safety Cases, and Verification & Validation strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to align engineering execution with safety assurance objectives while maintaining program delivery commitments.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering or related technical field plus demonstrated competencies and technical proficiencies typically acquired through 6+ years of experience OR;Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering or related technical field plus demonstrated competencies and technical proficiencies typically acquired through 3+ years of experience OR;PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering or related technical field plus demonstrated competencies and technical proficiencies typically acquired through 1+ years of experience
  ID: R-103060

Hiring Range for Job Opening

US Pay Range

$153,200 - $183,800 USD

Voluntary Self-Identification

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As set forth in Torc Robotics’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

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An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.