Robotics Safety & Compliance Lead

Welo Global; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Welo Global is seeking a Robotics Safety & Compliance Lead to own safety, risk, and compliance across our robotics operations. You will build frameworks, set standards, and scale the program and team to keep labs safe and audit-ready.

You'll partner with operations, engineering, and EHS to define what good looks like, balance speed with control, and drive continuous improvement in safety posture.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in safety, compliance, or EHS roles (lab/technical environments preferred)
• Proven leadership for cross-functional programs or mentoring
• Experience building safety programs or frameworks from the ground up
• Strong risk assessment and incident management capabilities
• Ability to translate standards into practical, operational processes
• Clear communication and ability to influence senior/technical stakeholders

Responsibilities

• Own safety and compliance end-to-end across robotics labs and data collection environments
• Set safety strategy and roadmap as programs scale across sites
• Develop and implement safety standards, SOPs, and risk mitigation frameworks
• Conduct risk assessments across different lab setups (humanoid, teleoperation, motion capture)
• Serve as escalation point and decision-maker on safety risk
• Lead incident response processes, reporting, and root cause analysis
• Conduct regular audits and maintain audit readiness across sites
• Build and lead safety training, onboarding, and a safety champion network

Skills

Safety leadership

Stakeholder management

Risk assessment

Operational processes

Communication

Team mentoring

Strategic planning

Tools

ROS

Python

Job description

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Job Responsibilities:

Role Overview
We’re hiring a Robotics Safety & Compliance Lead to own safety, risk, and compliance across our robotics operations — and to lead the function as it scales. This is a builder-leader role: you’ll set the standard, establish the frameworks, and grow the program (and eventually the team) that keeps our labs and data collection environments safe, compliant, and audit-ready.
You’ll be the senior voice on safety in the room with operations, engineering, and EHS — setting direction rather than waiting for it, and building practical frameworks that support both speed and control.

What You’ll Do

• Own safety and compliance end to end across robotics labs and data collection environments
• Set the safety strategy and roadmap as programs scale across sites, and define what “good” looks like for the function
• Develop and implement safety standards, SOPs, and risk mitigation frameworks
• Conduct risk assessments across different lab setups (humanoid, teleoperation, motion capture, etc.)
• Serve as the escalation point and decision-maker on safety risk — including the authority to pause work when conditions require it
• Lead incident response processes, reporting, and root cause analysis
• Conduct regular audits and maintain audit readiness across sites
• Build and lead safety training, onboarding, and a safety champion network across lab teams
• Influence senior stakeholders and report on safety posture, risk trends, and program maturity to leadership
• Hire, mentor, and grow safety and compliance support as the program expands
• Partner with engineering on safe system design — cell layout, e-stops, guarding, interlocks, and operating envelopes
• Balance operational speed with safety and compliance requirements

What Good Looks Like

• Clear, practical safety frameworks that teams actually follow
• A safety culture the org owns, not one that depends on one person policing it
• Strong risk awareness without slowing down execution
• High audit readiness and clean compliance posture
• Proactive identification and mitigation of safety risks
• Credibility with engineering — seen as a technical partner, not a gate
• Strong partnership with operations and engineering teams

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in safety, compliance, or EHS roles (technical or lab environments preferred)
• Demonstrated leadership experience — owning a program, leading cross-functional initiatives, or managing/mentoring others
• Experience developing and implementing safety programs or frameworks from the ground up
• Strong understanding of risk assessment and incident management
• Ability to translate standards into practical, operational processes
• Clear communication and proven ability to influence senior and technical stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in robotics, manufacturing, industrial, or lab-based environments
• Familiarity with safety standards (e.g., ISO frameworks such as ISO 10218, ISO/TS 15066, ANSI/RIA R15.06)
• People management experience, or experience building a function and its first hires
• Software or technical background as a plus — comfort with ROS, robot control software, teleoperation and motion capture systems, or scripting (e.g. Python) to analyze incident and sensor data
• Experience building or automating compliance tooling — audit tracking, incident dashboards, or safety checklists integrated into lab workflows
• Experience supporting high-growth or rapidly scaling operations
• Background working with cross-functional technical teams

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• Onsite lab environment (robotics lab, warehouse, or similar setup)
• Must be able to stand for extended periods during audits and inspections
• Must be able to occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 lbs
• Fast-paced environment with evolving operational needs

Why This Role Matters

As robotics programs scale, safety and compliance become critical to sustainable operations. This role leads how we operate responsibly, reduce risk, and build systems that scale without compromising safety.

Additional Job Details: