Robotics Safety Strategy Lead

OpenAI; California (MO); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

OpenAI is seeking a Lead Robotics Safety Engineer to define and lead our product safety strategy for robotics initiatives. You will partner with leadership, engineering, research, legal, and policy teams to embed safety from design to deployment.

You will shape safety architecture across robotic platforms, guide hazard analyses and regulatory alignment, and help grow the safety function as the organization scales in San Francisco.

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in product safety, functional safety, systems safety, or robotics safety.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the product safety strategy for robotic systems across the development lifecycle.
• Monitor and influence emerging regulatory frameworks, industry standards, and policy developments relevant to robotics and autonomous systems.
• Partner with engineering teams to translate safety requirements into product architecture, design decisions, and engineering requirements.
• Develop and maintain system-level hazard analyses, risk assessments, and safety cases for robotic products.
• Establish safety requirements, verification strategies, and evidence-generation plans to support product development and future certification activities.
• Collaborate with legal, policy, and leadership teams to assess regulatory risks and inform long-term product strategy.
• Lead system-level hazard analyses, HARA activities, FMEAs, and other structured risk assessment processes.
• Represent the company in discussions with standards bodies, regulators, and external safety experts.

Skills

Robotics safety

Regulatory strategy

Hazard analyses

Risk management

Safety architecture

Stakeholder alignment

Job description

OpenAI is seeking a Lead Robotics Safety Engineer to define and lead our product safety strategy for robotics initiatives. You will partner with leadership, engineering, research, legal, and policy teams to embed safety from design to deployment.

You will shape safety architecture across robotic platforms, guide hazard analyses and regulatory alignment, and help grow the safety function as the organization scales in San Francisco.