Vehicle Operations Safety Engineer

HireArt; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 83,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO and holidays

Commuter benefits

Health benefits

Flexible spending account

Disability and life insurance

401k

Job summary

HireArt is seeking a Vehicle Operational Safety Engineer to support safe and compliant vehicle operations through safety oversight, safety case reviews, and risk assessments. The role collaborates with operations, engineering, quality, and safety teams to assess readiness, identify hazards, and support risk-based decisions.

The position is a full-time contract based in Palo Alto, CA, initially hybrid with relocation to Santa Clara, CA, and ongoing collaboration across teams for continuous safety

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, Aerospace or similar).
• Experience doing hazard analysis and risk assessment before deployment (e.g., HARA, FMEA, fault tree) and ensuring mitigations.
• Experience writing or reviewing safety cases and safety release documentation.
• Knowledge of operational safety standards, safety management systems, risk assessment, and incident-prevention practices.
• Experience developing clear and practical safety standards, operational procedures, controls, and supporting documentation.
• Experience planning and conducting compliance audits, documenting findings, and tracking corrective actions.
• Ability to analyze workflows, identify inefficiencies and risks, and drive continuous improvement.
• Strong hazard identification and risk assessment skills and prioritization of mitigations.

Responsibilities

• Conduct vehicle operations safety patrols, inspections, and assessments to identify unsafe conditions, process gaps, and operational risks.
• Review safety release cases, operational safety cases, and supporting evidence to assess readiness and inform risk acceptance.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, and safety stakeholders to document and maintain assumptions, constraints, and risk mitigations.
• Track, investigate, and follow up on audit findings, safety concerns, incidents, and corrective actions.
• Support the development, review, and improvement of operational processes, procedures, and safety documentation.

Skills

Hazards analysis

Risk assessment

Operational safety

Documentation

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Tools

FMEA tools

Job description

Expected compensation: 60.00 - 62.00 USD Per Hour

HireArt is helping our client find a detail-oriented and proactive Vehicle Operational Safety Engineer to support safe and compliant vehicle operations through safety oversight, safety case reviews, and operational risk assessments.

In this role, you'll work closely with operations, engineering, quality, and safety teams to assess operational readiness, identify potential hazards, and support risk-based decisions related to vehicle deployment and testing. You'll also help ensure that safety requirements, operational constraints, and corrective actions are properly documented and maintained.

The ideal candidate has experience in operational safety, hazard identification, risk assessment, and safety documentation. You're analytical, highly organized, and comfortable collaborating across teams to identify risks, improve processes, and support safe vehicle operations.

Work Location

This is a hybrid role based in Palo Alto, CA, through the end of January. The work location will then move to Santa Clara, CA, with the hybrid schedule remaining in place.

As a Vehicle Operational Safety Engineer, You'll

• Conduct vehicle operations safety patrols, inspections, and assessments to identify unsafe conditions, process gaps, and operational risks.
• Review safety release cases, operational safety cases, and supporting evidence to assess operational readiness and inform risk acceptance decisions.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, and safety stakeholders to ensure operational assumptions, constraints, and risk mitigations are properly documented and maintained.
• Track, investigate, and follow up on audit findings, safety concerns, incidents, and corrective actions to ensure timely resolution and continuous improvement.
• Support the development, review, and improvement of operational processes, procedures, and safety documentation.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, Aerospace or similar)
• Experience doing hazard analysis and risk assessment before deployment (e.g., HARA, FMEA, or fault tree analysis) and confirming that every identified risk has been mitigated
• Experience writing or reviewing safety cases and safety release documentation
• Knowledge of operational safety standards, safety management systems, risk assessment, and incident-prevention practices
• Experience developing clear and practical safety standards, operational procedures, controls, and supporting documentation
• Experience planning and conducting compliance audits, reviewing documentation, identifying gaps, preparing audit reports, and tracking corrective actions through closure
• Ability to analyze workflows, identify inefficiencies and risks, incorporate lessons learned, and drive continuous improvement initiatives
• Strong hazard identification and risk assessment skills, including the ability to prioritize mitigation actions and verify the effectiveness of safety controls
• Project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple safety initiatives, establish timelines, monitor adoption, and ensure timely completion of follow-up actions
• Strong documentation, organizational, and analytical skills to ensure procedures and supporting evidence meet established standards

Benefits

• PTO and paid holidays
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Employer (HireArt) Subsidized Healthcare Benefits
• Flexible Spending Account for healthcare-related costs
• HireArt covers all costs for short and long-term disability and life insurance
• 401k package

Commitment

This is a full-time, 12-month contract position staffed via HireArt. It is a hybrid role requiring three days per week onsite and is available to candidates local to the Palo Alto, CA area.

HireArt values diversity and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. Unfortunately, we are not able to sponsor visas or employ corp-to-corp.