Operations Safety Lead

AeroVect Technologies Inc.; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

AeroVect Technologies Inc. in Atlanta is seeking an Operations Safety Lead to surface safety issues, gate vehicle releases, and implement robust field safety processes within the SMS.

You will own safety thresholds, manage mitigation reviews, and ensure compliance with airfield rules while coordinating with ARFF, Training, and Operations teams. This full-time on-site role requires driving, certification, and hands-on evaluation of autonomous deployments prior to releases, with regular reporting

Qualifications

• Operational safety background in ramp/airfield environments.
• Proven ability to surface hazards and establish safety workflows.
• Strong communication to coordinate across ops and engineering.
• On-site presence at ATL with required certifications.

Responsibilities

• Serve as ATL on-site safety contact, surfacing and resolving concerns.
• Define quantitative safety thresholds and lead mitigation reviews.
• Review Near-Miss Concepts using data tools and operator feedback.
• Write escalation logic for safety drivers and field anomalies.
• Present weekly risk reports to the Atlanta Operations team.
• Provide monthly safety bulletins to Operators.
• Ensure compliance with airfield rules and DRRs.
• Own autonomy checklists for releases, incidents, and pre-departure checks.
• Act as independent safety check on vehicle readiness and driver updates.
• Shadow shifts weekly to observe real-world operations.
• Oversee safety driver training standards and sign-offs.
• Coordinate with ARFF for specialized safety protocols.
• Participate in daily shift handoffs and planning meetings.

Skills

Operational safety

Field safety mindset

Communication

Onsite presence

Autonomy knowledge

Tools

Hex

Jira

Job description

Who We Are

AeroVect is transforming ground handling with autonomy, redefining how airlines and ground service providers around the globe run day-to-day operations. We are a Series A company backed by top-tier venture capital investors in aviation and autonomous driving. Our customers include some of the world’s largest airlines and ground handling providers. For more information, visit www.aerovect.com.

Role Purpose

The Operations Safety Lead acts as the primary "eyes and ears" on the ground at Atlanta (ATL). Positioned within the Safety Department with a dotted-line reporting relationship to Operations, you will serve as the point of contact for surfacing safety issues, gating vehicle software releases, and implementing robust field safety processes. You will apply AeroVect’s Safety Management System (SMS) at ATL.

This role ensures that human factors and operational execution strictly adhere to an operational safety-first mindset. You will be responsible for defining quantitative safety thresholds, managing mitigation reviews, establishing clear escalation logic for safety drivers, and maintaining a complete chain of traceability between field events and safety analysis.

You Will

Airside Safety Oversight & Risk Mitigation

• Serve as the onsite point of contact at ATL for identifying, surfacing, and resolving operational safety concerns.

• Own and define quantitative safety thresholds, categorize mitigation risk severity (severe vs. non-severe), and lead mitigation review cadences.

• Review Near-Miss Concepts (NMCs) from an operational safety perspective, utilizing data tools (Hex, Jira) and operator feedback to address unmitigated risks proactively.

• Write and maintain the escalation logic for safety drivers and operators during field anomalies or off-nominal conditions.

• Present weekly reporting to the Atlanta Operations team on risk events and safety mitigations.

• Provide monthly safety bulletins to Operators to continue engagement and a safety mindset in the fleet.

• Ensure strict operational compliance with airfield rules, airside driving standards, and operational mitigations tied to Deployment Readiness Reviews (DRRs).

Autonomy Release Gating & Pre-Departure Execution

• Implement, enforce, and own autonomy checklists for vehicle releases, airside incidents, and daily pre-departure checks.

• Act as an independent safety check on vehicle readiness and driver allocation updates prior to autonomous deployment.

• Sit in autonomous vehicles prior to new feature releases to judge performance, evaluate human factors, and sign off on operational readiness.

Field Observability & Driver Governance

• Conduct regular shadow shifts (at least weekly across AM and PM shifts with different drivers) to evaluate real-world operating environments and driver behaviors.

• Work with the Operations Training team to oversee safety driver training standards and sign off on airside driving certification programs.

• Partner with the Training Supervisor on safety driver training, manual updates, and post-release mitigation debriefs.

• Coordinate directly with Airport Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) teams when specialized airside training or safety protocols are required.

• Participate actively in daily shift handoffs and operational planning meetings to maintain alignment across teams.

You Have

• Operational Safety Background: Demonstrated experience in ramp operations/airfield safety at an airline, airport operator, or operational safety within industrial robotics or automated logistics hubs.

• Field Safety Mindset: Proven track record of identifying operational hazards on the ground and establishing structured workflows to eliminate or mitigate risks.

• Resilient Communication Skills: A strong, assertive, and articulate communicator who is willing to put their hand up and stop operations when safety is compromised. Ability to navigate competing priorities across operations and engineering to align team goals.

• Onsite Presence: Full-time presence on-site at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).

• Driving & Airport Access: Valid U.S. driver’s license and a clean driving record. Must be able to obtain an ATL airport badge, which requires a fingerprint‑based background check, and an ATL airfield driving permit.

• Autonomy Certification: Willingness to undergo internal training and achieve certification for autonomous driving within the first 60 days of employment.

We Prefer

• Standards Familiarity: Familiarity with airside safety regulations, ramp safety standards, or ground handling operational procedures.

• Prior experience in autonomous functional safety standards (e.g., ISO 26262) is not required, but is an asset. The primary requirement is a rigorous operational safety mindset and the ability to evaluate risks in real-time airside operations.