Sr. Functional Safety Engineer - Chassis Systems

System Safety; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

RSUs

Annual bonus

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is seeking a Senior Functional Safety Engineer in Irvine, CA, to lead safety across chassis features such as steering and braking systems. You will apply ISO 26262 across the product lifecycle, shape safety architectures, and collaborate with vehicle engineering teams to develop safe concepts for complex subsystems.

The role demands conducting Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment, FTA, FMEA, and DFA, translating safety goals into Functional Safety

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical/Electronic or Mechatronics; 5+ years automotive safety experience.

Responsibilities

• Build functional safety concept for chassis features with ISO 26262 guidance.

Skills

ISO 26262

HARA

FTA

FMEA

DFA

FSRs/SWSRs

Cross-functional teamwork

Safety analyses

Education

Electrical/Electronic or Mechatronics

Tools

HIL tools

Requirements management tool

Job description

About Us

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture between two industry leaders with a clear vision for automotive’s next chapter. From operating systems to zonal controllers to cloud and connectivity solutions, we’re addressing the challenges of electric vehicles through technology that will set the standards for software-defined vehicles around the world.

The road to the future is uncharted. By combining our expertise across connectivity, AI, security and more, we’ll map a new way forward. Working together, we’ll create a future that’s more connected, more intelligent, more sustainable for everyone.

Role Summary

As a Senior Functional Safety Engineer within the Propulsion and Dynamics domain, you will play a critical role in ensuring the safety of chassis features, including advanced steering and braking systems. Applying the ISO 26262 standard across the entire product development lifecycle, you will shape the safety architecture of next-generation electric vehicle programs. You will collaborate closely with internal and external vehicle engineering, systems engineering, and component engineering teams to develop comprehensive safety concepts for complex chassis subsystems spanning sensors, actuators, and control units.

A core part of this role involves conducting detailed technical deep dives into subsystem safety architectures and performing rigorous safety analyses, including Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment (HARA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Failire Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) and Dependent Failure Analysis (DFA), to identify and mitigate functional and architectural vulnerabilities. You will be directly responsible for reviewing safety analyses, validation test plans, and test matrices with a diverse set of internal and external stakeholders. Managing the functional safety lifecycle also means translating high-level safety goals into detailed Functional Safety Requirements (FSRs), driving the technical content of Technical and Software Safety Requirements (TSRs/SWSRs), and supporting engineering teams in their implementation. In addition, you will help define safety validation strategies, support fault insertion testing to qualify software releases, and establish the bi-directional traceability needed to generate final documentation for Start of Production (SOP) safety sign-off.

Responsibilities

• Build functional safety concept for chassis features, providing ISO 26262 guidance during system and component definition.

• Author and maintain Functional Safety Requirements (FSRs) and drive Technical and Software Safety Requirements (TSRs/SWSRs) within the requirements tool, ensuring bi-directional traceability and quality.

• Perform system and software safety analyses including HARA, FTA, FMEA and DFA for chassis features and the subcomponents within

• Support development of test case specifications and test result reviews for safety requirements, covering hardware-in-loop (HIL), fault insertion, and vehicle-level validation scenarios..

• Guide system, hardware, and software engineering teams and conduct reviews to ensure functional safety objectives are met.

• Compile and deliver the safety case documentation and traceability evidence required for Start of Production (SOP) safety sign-off.

Qualifications

• Degree education in Electrical/Electronic or Mechatronics (or similar)

• Atleast 5 years of experience within the automotive industry (or equivalent) as system and/or safety engineer

• Good interpersonal and communication skills with a high level of integrity

• Experience working within a cross-functional team

• Proven knowledge of ISO 26262 and experience applying within an OEM or Tier 1

• Experience with vehicle dynamics and chassis systems - braking and/or steering is preferred.

Bonus: Experience leveraging AI-assisted tools and workflows to accelerate safety analysis activities while maintaining the rigor and review discipline required by ISO 26262.

Total Rewards

We build the exceptional — and we believe the people doing that work should be rewarded accordingly. In addition to a competitive base salary, full-time positions may be is eligible to participate in our annual company performance bonus program.

Payments are discretionary and not guaranteed; actual amounts depend on company results and the terms of the plan in effect, and require active employment at the time of payout. This role is also eligible for equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), subject to board approval and the terms of our equity incentive plans, including applicable vesting requirements.

In addition to our compensation programs, we invest in our people with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, wellbeing, and financial future for full-time employees — including health coverage, retirement savings, time off, and family planning programs. Offerings vary by country. Learn more about our global benefit programs.

Equal Opportunity

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law. We are also committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable fair employment practice laws regarding citizenship and immigration status.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us at [e-mail].

Candidate Data Privacy

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies” may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) record keeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our People Team, Finance, Legal, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies affiliates; and (iii) Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies’ service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, and the European Union and in the cloud, and this data may be subject to the laws and accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of such jurisdictions.

If you provide a mobile telephone number as part of your application or during the recruitment process, Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may use that number to contact you via SMS text message for recruitment-related purposes, including scheduling, logistics, and status updates. Message and data rates may apply. You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by replying STOP to any text message you receive from us. Consent to receive SMS messages is not a condition of applying for or being considered for employment.

Please see our Candidate Data Privacy Notice (English)and Candidate Data Privacy Notice (Serbian) for more information.

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