Operations Safety Specialist

Motional; Las Vegas (NV); On-site; USD 81,000 - 102,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with company match

Life insurance

Pet insurance

Job summary

Motional is seeking an Operations Safety Specialist to lead frontline safety assurance for autonomous vehicle operations in Las Vegas. Reporting to the Senior Operations Safety Manager, you will conduct safety investigations, near-miss follow-ups, and audits across driverless and operator-supported missions.

You will partner with Operations and Engineering to identify hazards, track corrective actions to closure, and improve operating procedures while supporting incident readiness and safety

Qualifications

• 2+ years in operational safety, investigations, auditing, or risk management in safety-critical environments (or 1+ year with relevant degree).
• Bachelor’s degree in Safety, Engineering, Aviation, Operations Management, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Knowledge of risk assessment frameworks, RCA, and CAPA tracking to closure.
• Understanding of human performance principles (awareness, automation, fatigue, distraction).
• Ability to interview frontline personnel, separate facts from assumptions, and write clear incident reports.

Responsibilities

• Review and triage incidents, near misses, and safety concerns; gather information and elevate urgent risks.
• Support Incident Leads during response, collect operator statements, coordinate with Engineering for findings.
• Track corrective actions with owners and due dates; verify completion and effectiveness.
• Conduct field observations and audits of SOP compliance and reporting practices across missions.
• Plan and conduct IRP drills, tabletop exercises, and readiness evaluations; document results.
• Support incident reporting workflow maintenance and testing; review documentation and access controls.
• Develop and improve operator risk assessment tools and safety procedures.
• Analyze safety reports and audit findings; prepare metrics for leadership.
• Work with trainers to update safety curriculum and operator guidance.
• Coordinate with external safety teams and track follow-up actions.

Skills

Operational safety

Investigations

Auditing

Risk management

Interview frontline personnel

Independent work

Driver's license (US)

On-call readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Safety / Engineering / Aviation / Operations Management

Tools

incident.io

ServiceNow

Jira / Atlassian suite

Job description

Our teams are made up of engineers, researchers, innovators, dreamers, and doers. Together, we can change the world.

All Motional open positions and applications will be posted here on the official website.

The Operations Safety team is part of Motional’s Enterprise Safety organization. Our mission is to ensure the safe, reliable, and responsible testing and deployment of Motional’s autonomous vehicle fleet. As the operational safety anchor in the field, Enterprise Safety brings together expertise across safety management systems, vehicle operations, engineering, and field testing to establish rigorous safety standards, investigate operational events, and validate real-world readiness.

Motional’s vision is to make autonomous mobility a safe, reliable, and accessible reality for everyone and robust operational safety across Enterprise Safety and our active test sites is foundational to achieving that vision.

Mission Summary:

As the Operations Safety Specialist, you will lead frontline operational safety assurance for Motional’s autonomous vehicle operations in Las Vegas. Reporting to the Senior Operations Safety Manager, this role conducts assigned operational safety investigations, near-miss and safety concern follow-ups, and recurring field audits across driverless and operator-supported missions.

You will partner closely with Operations and Engineering to identify hazards, track corrective actions through to closure, and improve operating procedures, while directly supporting incident response readiness and safety training.

If you are a hands-on safety professional with experience in risk assessment, incident response, and root-cause analysis within safety-critical environments, this role offers an opportunity to directly shape the operational safety of autonomous mobility at scale.

• Review and triage incidents, near misses, and safety concerns. Gather missing information and elevate urgent or unresolved risks through established processes.
• Support Incident Leads during response and recovery, and conduct operational safety investigations. Collect operator statements and relevant records, coordinating with Engineering on technical findings and contributing factors.
• Track corrective actions with accountable owners and due dates. Verify completion and evaluate effectiveness before recommending closure.
• Conduct field observations and audits of SOP compliance and reporting practices across driverless and operator-supported missions. Document findings and follow up on improvements.
• Plan and conduct Incident Response Procedure (IRP) drills, tabletop exercises, and role-specific readiness evaluations. Document results and track readiness findings through resolution.
• Support incident reporting and escalation workflow maintenance and testing. Review incident documentation and evidence completeness while following established access controls.
• Develop and improve operator risk assessment tools, adverse condition protocols, and other processes that address operational safety risks.
• Analyze safety reports, recurring concerns, and audit findings. Prepare safety metrics and recommendations for Operations leadership.
• Work with trainers to review safety curriculum, incorporate lessons learned, and improve operator guidance and job aids.
• Support the Senior Operations Safety Manager’s coordination with external safety teams by preparing findings and tracking agreed follow-up actions.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• 2+ years of professional experience in operational safety, investigations, auditing, or risk management within safety-critical environments (or 1+ years when paired with a relevant degree).
• Bachelor’s degree in Safety, Engineering, Aviation, Operations Management, or a related field; or equivalent practical experience.
• Practical knowledge of risk assessment frameworks, root cause analysis (RCA), and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) tracking through to closure.
• Understanding of human performance principles (e.g., situational awareness, automation complacency, fatigue, distraction, and cognitive workload).
• Demonstrated ability to interview frontline personnel, separate objective facts from assumptions, and write clear, defensible technical incident reports for cross-functional stakeholders.
• Proven ability to manage assigned work independently and collaborate with frontline personnel, Operations leaders, and Engineering.
• Valid U.S. Driver’s License with a clean motor vehicle record (MVR), and comfortable operating test fleet assets and conducting public-road field observations.
• Ability to support occasional non-standard shifts or on-call incident support.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior background working alongside autonomous systems, Mission Control, remote vehicle assistance, or commercial fleet dispatch environments.
• Experience with incident management platforms (e.g., incident.io, ServiceNow) and spreadsheet-based safety metric tracking.
• Proficiency with Jira and the Atlassian suite for task management, bug tracking, and action-item workflows.
• Familiarity with Safety Management Systems (SMS) or professional credentials (e.g., ASP, CSP, or certified safety auditor coursework).

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a team member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the team member is regularly exposed to outside weather conditions, road conditions, and pedestrian traffic. The team member is regularly exposed to mechanical and computer parts. The team member is occasionally exposed to fumes and airborne particles. The noise level in the environment is low to moderate.

Motional AD LLC is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, and we welcome all qualified applicants. All applicants will receive impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic data, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or other legally protected status. Motional AD LLC is a Drug-free workplace.

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors including but not limited to specific skills, experience and expertise, role location, certifications, licenses, and business needs. The estimated compensation range listed in this job posting reflects base salary only. This role may include additional forms of compensation such as a bonus or company equity. The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about the specific compensation and benefit details associated with this role during the hiring process.

Candidates for certain positions are eligible to participate in Motional’s benefits program. Motional’s benefits include but are not limited to medical, dental, vision, 401k with a company match, health saving accounts, life insurance, pet insurance, and more.

Salary Range

$81,000 — $102,000 USD

Motional is a driverless technology company making autonomous vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality. We’re driven by something more.

Our journey is always people first.

Scale up, not starting up.

We aren't just developing driverless cars; we're creating safer roadways, more equitable transportation options, and making our communities better places to live, work, and connect. Our team is made up of engineers, researchers, innovators, dreamers and doers, who are creating a technology with the potential to transform the way we move.

We’re creating first-of-its-kind technology that will transform transportation. To do so successfully, we must design for everyone in our cities and on our roads. We believe in building a great place to work through a progressive, global culture that is diverse, inclusive, and ensures people feel valued at every level of the organization. Diversity helps us to see the world differently; it’s not only good for our business, it’s the right thing to do.

Formed as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, Motional is fundamentally changing how people move through their lives. Headquartered in Boston, Motional has operations in the U.S and Asia. For more information, visit www.Motional.com and follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn , Instagram and YouTube .

Motional is powered by a uniquely talented, highly experienced team with a diverse set of skills across engineering, robotics, machine-learning, and artificial intelligence.

Motional AD Inc. is an EOE. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. To comply with Federal Law, we participate in E-Verify. All newly-hired employees are queried through this electronic system established by the DHS and the SSA to verify their identity and employment eligibility.