Technical Specialist, Functional Safety Engineer

ALTEN Technology USA; Southfield (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

ALTEN Technology USA is seeking a Technical Specialist, Functional Safety Engineer in Southfield, MI. The role focuses on leading functional safety activities for automotive systems in line with ISO 26262, including safety requirements, validation, and risk analyses.

The candidate will collaborate with hardware, software, design, and validation teams to ensure safety requirements are met, participate in hazard analysis, and drive safety process improvements in a fast‑paced environment.

Qualifications

• BS in engineering with 8+ years in functional safety.
• Experience delivering major FS work products (ISO 26262).
• Experience performing SOTIF analysis and related work products.
• Experience supporting external/third‑party FS reviews.
• Ability to explain technical issues to all levels of business.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of functional safety system requirements and decomposition.
• Review and approve HARA, FSR, TSR, and validation tests.
• Contribute to vehicle architecture from FS perspective.
• Approve FS documents for suppliers and partners.
• Lead development of FS processes and tools.
• Oversee the program FS readiness metrics.
• Define FS concepts for system, HW, and SW per ISO 26262.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to ensure safety requirements.

Skills

ISO 26262 knowledge

SOTIF analysis

Functional Safety reviews

Safety architecture & requirements

Safety projects leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering (Electrical/Electronic/Mechatronics)

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Medini

APIS IQ

Jama

Job description

Technical Specialist, Functional Safety Engineer

We’re ALTEN Technology USA, an engineering company helping clients bring groundbreaking ideas to life—from advancing space exploration and life‑saving medical devices to building autonomous electric vehicles. With 3,000+ experts across North America, we partner with leading companies in aerospace, medical devices, robotics, automotive, commercial vehicles, EVs, rail, and more.

As part of the global ALTEN Group—57,000+ engineers in 30 countries—we deliver across the entire product development cycle, from consulting to full project outsourcing.

When you join ALTEN Technology USA, you’ll collaborate on some of the world’s toughest engineering challenges, supported by mentorship, career growth opportunities, and comprehensive benefits. We take pride in fostering a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and inspired to grow.

ONSITE Southfield, MI

Position Summary

We are currently seeking a Technical Specialist, Functional Safety Engineer. This position requires experienced professionals with hands‑on experience in functional safety engineering in the context of ISO 26262 at an OEM or Tier 1. Our ideal candidate exhibits a can‑do attitude and approaches his or her work with vigor and determination. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate excellence in their respective fields, to possess the ability to learn quickly and to strive for perfection within a fast‑paced environment.

The Role

• Lead the development of functional safety system requirements and functional decomposition for automotive systems.
• Review and approve HARA, Functional Safety Requirements, Technical Safety Requirements, Validation tests.
• Actively contribute to the definition and/or confirmation of the architecture in the vehicle from the perspective of functional safety.
• Review and approve Development Interface Agreement and other necessary Functional Safety documents for suppliers and other external partners.
• Lead development of functional safety processes and tools.
• Oversee the program Functional safety readiness process and metrics.
• Lead development of SOTIF requirements for autonomous driving and core subsystems.
• Define the functional safety concept for the system, hardware, and software according to ISO 26262 standards.
• Collaborate with hardware, software, design, and validation engineers to ensure design meets safety requirements.
• Contribute to the decision making at various levels of management driven by systems knowledge and develop detailed requirements.
• Work with cross‑functional teams to develop hazard analysis and safety concept.
• Support functional safety validation tests.
• Work closely with internal teams and suppliers to define functional safety interfaces between project partners.
• Work in a fast‑paced, rapidly evolving environment with little direct oversight in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Extensive in‑depth knowledge of ISO 26262 and experience developing and delivering the major work products of a functional safety program.
• One year or more of experience performing SOTIF analysis and developing associated work products.
• Proven track record of successes, e.g. having successfully managed Functional Safety analyses of a system or product to make it safer.
• Experience supporting external/third‑party reviews of functional safety work products.
• Understanding of the product safety responsibility share between supplier and OEM and ability to articulate technical issues and solutions to all levels of the business, within and beyond the engineering communities.
• Experience with functional safety tools (e.g. Medini, APIS IQ) and requirements management tools (e.g. Jama).
• Drive to be an advocate for safety across all levels of hardware and software development.
• Excellent writing, verbal and organization skills.

Advantageous

• Experience working in an Agile development environment and using related tools.
• Knowledge of CMMI and Automotive Spice and their role in delivering a quality product.
• Experience developing and delivering embedded system hardware and/or software.

Education

• BS minimum in an engineering discipline such as computer science, electrical, electronic or mechatronics engineering.
• A minimum of 8 years of work experience as a functional safety engineer or related role.
• Advanced degrees preferred

Salary Range: $120,000-$140,000/K

The actual salary offered is dependent on various factors including, but not limited to, location, the candidate’s combination of job‑related knowledge, qualifications, skills, education, training, and experience

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or pregnancy.

Compliance Notice: Alten USA is a federal contractor subject to the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Executive Order 11246. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.

Drug Screening Requirement: As a federal contractor, Alten USA maintains a drug‑free workplace. All candidates selected for employment will be required to successfully complete a pre‑employment drug screening as a condition of hire.