Sr. Software Systems Safety Engineer

Apptronik; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Apptronik seeks a safety-focused engineer to own the safety assurance of software and AI for its humanoid robots. You will analyze safety architectures, lead safety analyses, and ensure evidence supports safety claims using IEC 61508-3, ISO/IEC TS 22440, and related standards.

Experience with safety-critical systems and risk-based decisions is essential. You will work across software safety design, verification, and compliance, coordinating with teams on FMEA/FTA, AI safety lifecycle, and safety

Qualifications

• Experience analyzing and assuring safety-critical software architectures.
• Practical IEC 61508-3 or ISO 26262-6 lifecycle knowledge with safety activities.
• Strong embedded software knowledge: RTOS, partitions, diagnostics.
• Hands-on with FMEA/FMEDA, FTA, dependent failure analysis; verify evidence.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate on system-level risk assessments and allocate risk reductions.
• Define software safety architecture and failure handling strategies.
• Lead software safety analyses: FMEA, FTA, timing/resource analysis.
• Specify safety-related software behavior and review against IEC 61508-3.
• Define IEC 61508-3 safety plan and lifecycle; conduct reviews/audits.
• Assess verification evidence for adequacy against safety claims.
• Apply ISO/IEC TS 22440 AI safety lifecycle to AI/ML functions.
• Assess AI safety evidence and model assurance.
• Own software requirements traceability and safety case.
• Support product safety and compliance certification.

Skills

Safety-critical software analysis

IEC 61508-3 / ISO 26262-6 lifecycle

Embedded software architectures

FMEA / FTA / dependent failure

AI/ML safety knowledge

Requirements tracing tools (JAMA)

Git / CI/CD / static analysis

Cross-functional decision making

Product Development Processes (Agile,C

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Systems/Computer/Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related field

Tools

JAMA

Git

CI/CD

Static analysis tools

Job description

Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots to support humanity in every facet of life. Our flagship humanoid robot, Apollo, is built to collaborate thoughtfully with people, starting with critical industries such as manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare, the home, and beyond.

JOB SUMMARY

Own the safety assurance of the software and AI that run our humanoid robots, from architecture analysis through verification evidence. You will analyze software and AI safety architectures, lead the safety analyses, and assess whether the evidence supports our safety claims. You will draw on IEC 61508-3, ISO/IEC TS 22440, and deep experience with safety-critical software systems.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Collaborate on system-level risk assessments, allocate risk reduction measures to software and AI elements, and own the breakdown of software-domain safety requirements into subsystem and element-level requirements
• Analyze and define the software safety architecture, including partitioning and freedom from interference, watchdogs, diagnostics, plausibility and timing monitoring, communication integrity, startup/shutdown behavior, and fault handling
• Lead software safety analyses, including software FMEA, fault tree analysis, dependent/common-cause failure analysis, and timing and resource analysis
• Specify safety-related software behavior, such as monitors, diagnostics, and safe-state logic, and review software team designs against IEC 61508-3 requirements for the target SIL / SC
• Define the IEC 61508-3 software safety plan and lifecycle, and assess team conformance through reviews and audits, including existing in-house, open-source, and third-party libraries, RTOS, and middleware
• Assess software systematic capability and review verification evidence, including coverage, static analysis, fault injection, and software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop test results, for adequacy against safety claims
• Apply the AI safety lifecycle (ISO/IEC TS 22440) to AI/ML-enabled functions, defining the safety architecture around them, including independence of safety functions from learned components and the safety mechanisms that monitor them
• Assess AI/ML safety evidence against the AI safety lifecycle, including data and model assurance, performance limitations, and operational design domain
• Own software requirements traceability and the software portion of the safety case, including gap assessments against standards
• Support product safety and compliance teams in certification and demonstration of standards conformity

SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Demonstrated experience analyzing and assuring safety-critical software architectures, including software safety analyses and safety case development
• Practical application of the IEC 61508-3 or ISO 26262-6 (automotive) software lifecycle, with depth in software safety activities and qualification of existing software and tools, and experience with IEC 62061, ISO 13849, ISO 10218, ANSI/A3 R15.06, or ISO 25785-1 as relevant
• Strong knowledge of embedded software architectures, including RTOS, mixed-criticality partitioning, watchdogs, communication buses, and diagnostics
• Hands‑on experience with FMEA/FMEDA, FTA, and dependent failure analysis, and with reviewing verification evidence such as fault injection, software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing, and test coverage
• Working knowledge of safety for AI/ML-enabled systems, such as ISO/IEC TS 22440; familiarity with ISO/PAS 8800, UL 4600, or SOTIF preferred
• Experience with requirements and traceability tools such as JAMA; familiarity with Git, CI/CD, and static analysis; certification or third-party assessment experience preferred
• Ability to work cross-functionally and make sound, risk-based engineering decisions
• Experience with common Product Development Processes / Product Lifecycle management including Agile, CMMI, Waterfall, etc. helping teams to deliver to organizational milestones.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's Degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or a related field (or equivalent experience); Master's preferred
• 8+ years of relevant engineering experience, including substantial responsibility for safety assurance or analysis of safety-critical software in complex electromechanical products

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times
• Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
• Hearing and speech to communicate

The annual salary range is $200,000 - $240,000 base

Apptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.