Principal Safety Systems Engineer

Robust.AI; San Carlos (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Robust AI is seeking a Principal Safety Systems Engineer to lead the safety strategy for our robotics team. You will own the safety and compliance roadmap end-to-end, set technical direction, and represent safety in front of customers, regulators, and leadership.

Working closely with engineering, you'll drive testing, influence architecture-level decisions, and manage relationships with external certification bodies.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in safety systems engineering, preferably in robotics (AMRs).
• Proficient in safety analysis tools (FTA, FMEA, FMEDA, hazard logs).
• Strong cross-functional leadership, communication and documentation.
• Experience with AMR safety standards (ISO 3691-4, R15.08, ISO 12100).
• Experience leading safety certification with external bodies.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive safety and compliance roadmap with priorities.
• Serve as subject-matter authority on safety standards.
• Lead testing strategy and engagement with external cert bodies.
• Develop safety requirements, hazard analyses, and risk assessments.
• Produce safety case reports and maintain traceability.
• Mentor engineers on safety best practices.

Skills

Safety systems engineering

Safety analysis tools

Cross-functional leadership

AMR safety standards

Certification leadership

Problem-solving

Tools

FTA

FMEA

FMEDA

Hazard logs

Job description

About you and this role: Robust AI is a fast-growing, early-stage startup founded in 2019 by an unsurpassed team of veterans in robotics, AI and business. We are a collaborative group with a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives, seeking talented individuals who are just as excited about robotics and AI as we are! Help us redefine the very foundation of robotics and build robots that are smart, collaborative, robust, safe, flexible and genuinely autonomous.

About you and this role: Robust AI is a fast-growing, early-stage startup founded in 2019 by an unsurpassed team of veterans in robotics, AI and business. We are a collaborative group with a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives, seeking talented individuals who are just as excited about robotics and AI as we are! Help us redefine the very foundation of robotics and build robots that are smart, collaborative, robust, safe, flexible and genuinely autonomous. As Principal Safety Systems Engineer at Robust AI, you will lead safety strategy for a small, fast-paced team designing and deploying the next generation of warehouse robotic systems. You will own the safety and compliance roadmap end-to-end — setting technical direction, driving decisions independently, and representing safety in front of customers, regulators, and leadership. Working closely with engineering, you'll drive testing, influence design decisions at the architecture level, and manage relationships with outside certification bodies. This role is best suited for someone who has done this before, is comfortable operating with significant autonomy in an early-stage environment, and can pivot effectively as priorities shift. The base pay range for this role is between $180,000 and $220,000, dependent on your skills, qualifications, and experience.

Main responsibilities:

• Own and drive the safety and compliance roadmap, setting priorities and technical direction


• Serve as the subject-matter authority on relevant safety standards across the organization


• Lead testing strategy and execution against safety standards, including engagement with external certification bodies


• Develop and manage system safety requirements, hazard analyses, and risk assessments


• Produce safety case reports and certification documentation, and maintain full traceability of safety requirements


• Mentor and guide engineers on safety best practices as the team scales

What you’ll bring to the table:

• 8+ years in safety systems engineering, preferably in robotics (AMRs), with a track record of owning safety programs independently


• Deep proficiency in safety analysis tools (FTA, FMEA, FMEDA, hazard logs)


• Excellent problem-solving, cross-functional leadership, communication, and documentation abilities


• Experience with AMR safety standards (R15.08, ISO 3691-4, ISO 12100)


• Prior experience leading safety certification efforts with external bodies is a strong plus

What we offer:

• Base pay between $180,000 and $220,000, dependent on your skills, qualifications and experience


• Stock options and huge potential for growth.


• Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage.


• Flexible vacation and sick leave practices.


• Paid parental leave.

Robust AI fosters a culture of belonging and a shared commitment to equality and equity. Having a diverse set of perspectives is key to ensuring AI and robotics serve the needs of all.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.