Group Manager – Functional Safety (human)

NEURA Robotics; Germany (OH); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

NEURA Robotics seeks a senior leader to own system-level safety engineering, guiding the team from architecture to risk-based decisions. You will drive process maturity, safety analyses, and compliance across product variants in a fast-paced robotics environment.

You will mentor high-performing safety engineers, define roadmaps, and ensure timeliness and quality of safety deliverables while advancing a culture of continuous improvement and ongoing competency development.

Qualifications

• Leader with several years of functional safety experience.
• Strong foundation in ISO 13849, ISO 10218, IEC 61508; ISO 26262 or ISO/PAS 21448 is a plus.
• Expert in safety analyses (HARA, FMEA, FTA) and advanced methods like STPA.

Responsibilities

• Lead & grow a safety engineering team across seniority levels; own hiring, development, and retention.
• Define the technical roadmap for functional safety engineering to align with the product portfolio.
• Establish standardized safety processes, templates, tools, and advanced analysis methods.
• Act as escalation point and authority for complex safety decisions and resource prioritization.
• Foster a safety-focused culture balancing rigor with startup velocity.
• Ensure safety deliverables meet quality standards and program timelines.

Skills

Team leadership

Functional safety

Systems engineering

Risk assessment

STPA

Model-based safety analysis

Safety tools

Education

Professional safety certification (TÜV/Exida)

Tools

Medini Analyze

APIS IQ

DOORS

Polarion

JIRA

Job description

Your Mission and Challenges

At the heart of product innovation and development, our Systems Engineering Department transforms market demands into safe, certifiable, and competitive solutions and architectures. By collaborating closely with software, hardware, safety, and certification teams, we ensure every product meets the highest standards while adapting to fast‑evolving market needs. Our mission is to enable seamless human‑robot collaboration and deliver solutions that are safe, compliant, and ready for the future. Join us to shape the next generation of human‑robot systems by owning system‑level requirements, integration, and alignment, with architectural responsibilities as needed. If you thrive in cross‑functional teamwork and technical excellence, you’ll find extraordinary opportunities with us.

• Lead & Grow: Build and mentor a high‑performing team of safety engineers across all seniority levels; own hiring, development, and retention to scale safety capability with product growth.

• Strategic Roadmap: Define the technical roadmap for functional safety engineering, aligning safety capabilities with our product portfolio.

• Process Architect: Establish standardized safety engineering processes, templates, tools, and advanced analysis methods (STPA, model‑based safety analysis) to ensure consistency and efficiency across projects.

• Safety Authority: Act as the escalation point and ultimate authority for complex safety engineering decisions, trade‑offs, and resource prioritization across development teams.

• Safety Culture: Foster a mindset that balances uncompromising engineering rigor with the high‑velocity agility of a robotics startup; drive continuous competency development and standards body engagement.

• Quality & Delivery: Ensure all safety deliverables (safety plans, analyses, requirements, cases) meet quality standards and program timelines; track and report group‑level metrics on staffing, workload, and process maturity.

What We Can Look Forward To

• Leadership Foundation: Several years in Functional Safety Engineering with at least 2 years of direct team/group leadership experience; professional safety certification (TÜV, Exida, or equivalent).

• Credentialed Expert: Deep foundation in ISO 13849, ISO 10218, and IEC 61508; experience with ISO 26262 or ISO/PAS 21448 is a strong plus.

• Methodology Master: Expert proficiency in safety analysis methods (HARA, FMEA, FTA); advocate for and experienced in advanced techniques like STPA and model‑based safety analysis.

• Scale Specialist: Proven ability to scale safety processes, tooling, and team structure from small‑team to multi‑program environments without compromising rigor.

• Future‑Ready: Familiar with emerging robotic safety challenges (AI‑based perception, shared autonomy, human‑robot proximity); pragmatic approach to risk‑informed decision‑making under uncertainty.

• Technical Depth: Hands‑on proficiency with safety tools (Medini Analyze, APIS IQ, DOORS, Polarion, JIRA); experience in CE/machinery or automotive safety domains with complex electromechanical systems.