Functional Safety Architect

Teradar; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Teradar, based in Boston, is developing a cutting-edge automotive terahertz vision sensor. We seek a senior-level Functional Safety Architect to lead architectural definition and safety execution of hardware and software systems, bridging macro System Architecture with ASIC/silicon design in line with ISO 26262.

You will collaborate with systems, IC design, software and V&V teams to craft novel safety concepts for a new perception modality and to drive safety case development across the

Qualifications

• Master’s or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience in automotive functional safety architecture or systems engineering for safety-critical embedded platforms.
• System + Silicon bridge: proven track record on system-level safety concepts and ASIC/chip-level safety features (ISO 26262 Part 11)
• Mastery of ISO 26262 processes, work products, and safety case development.
• Expert-level proficiency with quantitative and qualitative safety analyses (DFMEA, FMEDA, FTA, DFA).
• Exceptional ability to distill complex architectural safety concepts for technical and executive stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Architectural Safety Leadership: Own and define the end-to-end Functional Safety architecture bridging system goals with ASIC/silicon safety mechanisms.
• Safety Concept Derivation: Develop and maintain FSCs and TSCs, focusing on SEooC strategies for automotive Tier-1s and OEMs.
• Core Safety Analysis: Conduct and review safety analyses at system and silicon levels (DFMEA, FMEDA, FTA, DFA).
• Cross-Functional Design Partnership: Support hardware/software interface definitions and design recommendations.
• Traceability & V-Model Alignment: Define safety requirements and ensure rigorous traceability across system, ASIC, and software levels (ISO 26262 Parts 4 & 5).
• Ecosystem & Audit Management: Lead interfacing with assessors, certification bodies, and OEM customers for safety audits and Safety Case.
• Culture & Mentorship: Establish engineering workflows for safety and mentor teams in advanced functional safety practices.

Skills

Functional safety leadership

Systems engineering

Communication

Safety analyses

Education

Master’s or Ph.D. in Electrical/Computer/System Engineering

Tools

ISO 26262

DFMEA

FMEDA

FTA

DFA

Ansys Medini Analyze

Job description

Teradar is developing the world’s first automotive-grade terahertz vision sensor, delivering high-resolution imaging in any weather condition. Founded in Boston, Teradar’s solid-state, chip-scale technology is designed to unlock safer, smarter vehicles and open new possibilities in mobility, defense, and industrial sensing.

We are seeking a senior-level Functional Safety Architect to lead the architectural definition and safety execution of our hardware and software systems. This is an engineering-heavy systems and silicon role, rather than a compliance-checking position. You will ensure our sensing platform meets applicable safety requirements throughout its lifecycle - bridging the gap between macro-level System Architecture and custom ASIC/Silicon design in alignment with ISO 26262 Parts 4, 5, and 11.

This role is ideal for a technical expert who thrives in a startup environment, takes end-to-end design ownership, and can collaborate closely with systems, IC design, software, and V&V teams to establish novel safety concepts for a new perception modality.

Key Responsibilities

• Architectural Safety Leadership: Own and define the end-to-end Functional Safety architecture, bridging complex system-level goals with custom ASIC/silicon-level safety mechanisms.
• Safety Concept Derivation: Lead the development and maintenance of Functional Safety Concepts (FSC) and Technical Safety Concepts (TSC), focusing on Safety Element out of Context (SEooC) strategies for automotive Tier-1s and OEMs.
• Core Safety Analysis: Conduct and review safety analyses at both the system and silicon levels, including HARA, DFMEA, FMEDA, Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), and Dependent Failure Analysis (DFA).
• Cross-Functional Design Partnership: Serve as the primary safety architecture expert to support development teams with hardware/software interface (HSI) definitions and design recommendations.
• Traceability & V-Model Alignment: Define safety requirements and collaborate with the V&V team to ensure rigorous traceability across system, ASIC, and software levels (ISO 26262 Parts 4 & 5).
• Ecosystem & Audit Management: Act as the technical lead interfacing with external assessors, certification bodies, and global OEM customers to support safety audits, assessments, and the final Safety Case.
• Culture & Mentorship: Establish modern engineering workflows for safety and mentor engineering teams on advanced functional safety practices.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Master’s, or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Experience in automotive functional safety architecture or systems engineering for safety-critical embedded platforms.
• System + Silicon Bridge: Proven track record working on both system-level safety concepts and ASIC/chip-level safety features (understanding of ISO 26262 Part 11 guidelines for semiconductors is essential, whether SoC or standalone ASIC).
• Standards Expertise: Comprehensive, hands-on mastery of ISO 26262 processes, work products, and safety case development.
• Advanced Safety Analysis: Expert-level proficiency with quantitative and qualitative safety analyses (DFMEA, FMEDA, FTA, DFA).
• Communication: Exceptional ability to distill complex architectural safety concepts and trade-offs clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including IC designers, software leads, executive leadership, and OEM partners.

Preferred Qualifications

• Leadership: Experience managing safety teams or acting as the designated Safety Manager for major production programs.
• Sensor Expertise: Familiarity with safety considerations for advanced perception systems (Radar, LiDAR, Camera, SoC, or Multi-Chip Modules).
• SOTIF: Knowledge or certification in ISO 21448 (SOTIF), particularly surrounding performance limitations and functional insufficiencies in perception systems.
• Tools: Experience with specialized safety analysis tools (e.g., Ansys Medini Analyze or equivalent).

Why Join Us

• High Impact & Ownership: Serve as the safety architectural anchor for a novel, category-defining hardware technology.
• Collaborative Environment: Work daily alongside founders, engineering directors, and cross-functional design leads.
• Industry Influence: Help define how the automotive ecosystem handles functional safety for the untapped terahertz spectrum.