Functional Safety Engineer Lead

As Functional Safety Engineering Lead, you will own the implementation of our functional safety strategy end-to-end — from hazard analysis through certification — across our robotics platforms. You start as the core owner of the function: building it from the ground up, with the mandate to grow and lead a team as we scale. You'll work directly with our hardware, software, and systems teams, integrate the safety-relevant work of external experts and solution vendors, into one coherent and category-leading safety architecture. You will also represent us to certification bodies, safety auditors, and join ISO technical committees shaping the emerging safety standards for humanoid robots.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own HARA activities across our robotic platforms, from early concept through production.

• Define and allocate safety requirements across hardware, software, and mechanical systems, including subsystems and components sourced from external vendors.

• Build and maintain the safety case, safety plan, and safety manual in line with the relevant standard(s) (e.g., ISO 26262, IEC 61508, ISO 13849) and the emerging humanoid-/AI-specific standards we help shape, including ISO 25785 and ISO 22440.

• Lead FMEA/FMEDA, fault tree analysis (FTA), and other safety analysis activities.

• Work intensively with external functional safety experts and solution vendors to integrate their safety-relevant deliverables (components, subsystems, analyses) into our overall safety suite and development lifecycle.

• Actively contribute to the development of emerging humanoid robot safety standards — in particular ISO 25785 and ISO 22440 — and represent us in the relevant ISO technical committees and working groups shaping these standards.

• Act as the primary point of contact for certification bodies, notified bodies, and safety auditors.

• Work closely with hardware, software, systems, and quality teams to embed functional safety into the development lifecycle.

• Establish functional safety processes, templates, and tooling from the ground up.

• Coach engineers across the organization on functional safety principles and practices today, and build and lead a dedicated functional safety team as the function scales.

• Track evolving standards and regulatory requirements relevant to robotics and physical AI beyond those you help shape directly, adapting internal practices accordingly.

• Degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Software Engineering, or a related field.

• 5+ years of experience in functional safety engineering, ideally within robotics, alternatively automotive or industrial automation.

• Hands-on experience applying a relevant functional safety standard (e.g., ISO 26262, IEC 61508, ISO 13849, ISO 10218 / ISO TS 15066); awareness of emerging humanoid-specific standards such as ISO 25785 and ISO 22440 is a plus.

• A track record of taking a product or system through a formal safety certification process until certificate issuing.

• Strong grounding in hazard analysis, risk assessment, and safety lifecycle management.

• Comfort building and owning functional safety as a solo contributor initially — establishing processes, templates, and tooling from scratch — paired with the ambition and skill set to grow and lead a team as we scale.

• An excellent communicator, able to represent safety decisions to auditors, regulators, and internal stakeholders alike.

• Experience partnering with and integrating deliverables from external functional safety experts, suppliers, or solution vendors into a system-level safety case.

• Nice to have: Certified Functional Safety Engineer (e.g., TÜV FSE) or equivalent; experience mentoring or leading other engineers; prior involvement in ISO/IEC standards development or working groups.

• The Team: Work alongside leadership with a proven track record of building unicorn-scale companies and defining global robotics standards.
  
  

• Smart Strategy: We operate as disciplined fast followers. Capital is timed to the deployment inflection point, avoiding early-mover dead ends to scale fast on proven foundations.
  
  

• Resources: We are substantially internally funded and attract top-tier investors to avoid any capital constraints for our mission.
  
  

• Historic Opportunity: Join at the dawn of a new industry comparable to the rise of the automobile. Help shape the European champion in this trillion-dollar market.