Sr. /Staff System Safety Engineer, Autonomy New San Jose, CA

Didi Labs; San Jose (CA); Hybrid; USD 149,000 - 296,000; Full time

Job summary

DiDi Autonomous Driving in San Jose, CA is seeking a Senior/Staff System Safety Engineer to lead safety strategy for unmanned autonomous driving systems.

You will define safety frameworks, release policies, and V&V plans, coordinating with Software, Product, Operations, and Safety teams to enable scalable deployment.

This role requires a BS+ in CS/SE and 3–5 years in safety/engineering, with a track record of safety readiness and incident analysis.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
• 3-5 years of industry experience in systems engineering, safety engineering, autonomous systems, or a related field.
• Strong systems thinking with ability to decompose complex safety challenges and drive practical solutions.

Responsibilities

• Own the safety evaluation and release strategy for unmanned autonomous driving operations, defining clear criteria for system release, degradation, and fallback under varying operating conditions.
• Design, implement, and champion the safety-related systems engineering framework, including safety requirements, system architecture, and Verification & Validation (V&V) plans.
• Conduct systematic assessments of unmanned operational workflows, emergency protocols, and supporting tools/platforms to ensure safety and operational completeness.
• Develop and institutionalize safety evaluation methodologies and metrics frameworks, translating safety goals into quantifiable, verifiable, and continuously tracked indicators.
• Serve as the technical lead for safety-related incident review and analysis during unmanned operations, driving continuous improvements in system design, test coverage, and operational procedures.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Software, Product, Operations, and Safety teams to support leadership decisions regarding unmanned deployment, city expansion, and operational scaling.

Skills

Systems thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Adaptive to fast-paced environment

Education

Bachelor’s or higher in Computer Science / Software Engineering / Systems Engineering or related field

Job description

Sr. /Staff System Safety Engineer, Autonomy

San Jose, CA

About The Company

DiDi's autonomous driving unit was established in 2016 with the mission of developing Level 4 autonomous driving (AD) technology to make transportation safer and more efficient. In August 2019, the unit became an independent company, DiDi Autonomous Driving, dedicated to advanced AD R&D, product application, and business expansion. We believe integrating AD technology into a shared-mobility fleet will generate immense social value. By leveraging DiDi's specialized technology, operational expertise, and integrated ecosystem, we are positioned to build and operate a highly efficient, user-oriented autonomous fleet.

About The Role

We are seeking an experienced and mission-driven Senior/Staff System Safety Engineer, Autonomyto lead the safety strategy and deployment readiness of our fully autonomous driving systems. In this role, you will define and implement the safety frameworks, release policies, and system-level engineering processes that enable safe and scalable unmanned operations. You will act as a technical leader in system safety, ensuring that our vehicles meet rigorous safety standards while advancing toward large-scale commercial deployment.

Responsibilities

• Own the safety evaluation and release strategy for unmanned autonomous driving operations, defining clear criteria for system release, degradation, and fallback under varying operating conditions.
• Design, implement, and champion the safety-related systems engineering framework, including safety requirements, system architecture, and Verification & Validation (V&V) plans.
• Conduct systematic assessments of unmanned operational workflows, emergency protocols, and supporting tools/platforms to ensure safety and operational completeness.
• Develop and institutionalize safety evaluation methodologies and metrics frameworks, translating safety goals into quantifiable, verifiable, and continuously tracked indicators.
• Serve as the technical lead for safety-related incident review and analysis during unmanned operations, driving continuous improvements in system design, test coverage, and operational procedures.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Software, Product, Operations, and Safety teams to support leadership decisions regarding unmanned deployment, city expansion, and operational scaling.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
• 3-5 years of industry experience in systems engineering, safety engineering, autonomous systems, or a directly related field.
• Strong systems thinking with the ability to decompose complex safety challenges and drive practical, scalable solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across teams, influence stakeholders, and take ownership of safety outcomes.
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment with multiple parallel projects and ambiguous requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional experience in safety-critical autonomous vehicle deployment or large-scale robotic systems operations.
• Background in functional safety (ISO 26262, SOTIF) or safety assurance of unmanned systems.
• Hands-on experience with safety validation tools, simulation-based V&V, or operational safety monitoring platforms.
• Proven track record of defining release policies or safety readiness criteria for real-world autonomous systems.

The base salary range for this full-time position is $148,594-247,038 (Sr. Engineer) and $178,286-296,400 (Staff Engineer) annually in addition to bonus, equity and benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

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