Embedded Software Engineer - Safety

AIM•Seattle, WA

16h•$170,000 - $190,000

About The Position

AIM is seeking a Senior Embedded Safety Engineer to define and advance functional safety for autonomous heavy equipment. The role focuses on establishing a practical, defensible safety strategy for machinery operating in complex, unpredictable environments, where no single standard fully addresses the application. The engineer will evaluate established frameworks such as ISO 26262 and IEC 61508 and translate safety goals into actionable requirements, design constraints, verification strategies, and evidence supporting safe deployment. The engineer will work across firmware, electrical, robotics, and systems engineering to assess hazards and failure modes, design and validate safety mechanisms, review system architectures, and build safety cases. The role also drives safety through product development by investigating defects and incidents, guiding corrective actions, evaluating release readiness, and escalating or blocking deployments when critical safety requirements are unmet. As AIM grows its platforms and deployments, this person will help create scalable safety processes, improve documentation and verification practices, and mentor engineers in functional safety.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Robotics, Systems Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
5+ years of professional experience in embedded systems, functional safety, or safety-critical product development, including demonstrated senior-level technical ownership.
Direct experience contributing to the development and release of a safety-critical product involving both hardware and software.
Hands-on experience applying functional safety standards such as ISO 26262, IEC 61508, or comparable industry standards.
Experience performing hazard analysis, risk assessments, and failure mode analysis.
Experience defining safety requirements and developing verification strategies for safety-critical systems.
Strong understanding of embedded hardware and software interactions.
Demonstrated ability to make independent engineering decisions and work across multidisciplinary teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing safety-critical systems for autonomous vehicles, robotics, aerospace, or heavy equipment.
Experience establishing safety processes or strategies for new products or emerging technologies.
Familiarity with safety cases, certification processes, and safety evidence management.
Experience with safety mechanisms involving sensors, actuators, controllers, or machine interfaces.
Experience working in environments with evolving requirements and limited established standards.
Experience supporting safety-critical products through field deployment and operation.
Personal experience helping ship a safety-critical product and explaining the technical decisions made to ensure its safety.
Ability to describe specific safety standards applied and how they influenced product architecture and testing.
Experience designing or improving safety mechanisms rather than only managing compliance documentation.
Comfort making high-impact decisions with incomplete information.
Technical conviction to challenge a release when safety requirements are not met.
Ability to establish safety direction without relying on an existing playbook.

Responsibilities

Develop and help drive the functional safety strategy for AIM's autonomous heavy equipment platforms.
Evaluate applicable safety standards, including ISO 26262 and IEC 61508, and determine how established frameworks should inform AIM's safety approach.
Identify gaps in existing safety processes and establish practical engineering requirements.
Define safety objectives, acceptance criteria, and verification expectations for new systems and features.
Collaborate with Firmware, Electrical, Robotics, and Systems Engineering to develop safety requirements and mechanisms.
Conduct hazard analyses, risk assessments, and failure mode evaluations.
Translate safety requirements into hardware and software design constraints.
Review system architectures and identify potential safety risks before deployment.
Define verification and validation requirements for safety-critical functionality.
Develop or guide test strategies that demonstrate safety requirements have been satisfied.
Establish traceability between identified hazards, safety requirements, implementation, and verification evidence.
Support safety assessments and certification-related activities where applicable.
Participate in engineering design reviews and evaluate safety implications of technical decisions.
Investigate safety-related defects, incidents, and unexpected system behavior.
Work with engineering teams to identify root causes and implement corrective actions.
Evaluate release readiness and escalate or block deployments when critical safety requirements are not satisfied.
Establish scalable safety engineering processes as AIM expands its hardware platforms and deployments.
Improve safety documentation, verification practices, and engineering review processes.
Mentor engineers on functional safety principles and practical risk mitigation.
Promote integration of safety considerations into engineering decisions from the beginning.