Principal Safety Engineer

1X • San Carlos, CA

7d • $250,000 - $350,000 • Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a deeply technical Principal Safety Engineer to help define what safety means for a new generation of humanoid robots. Humanoids present safety challenges that have never been fully solved: they are powerful, highly dynamic machines designed to operate autonomously, learn, and interact closely with people in complex, unstructured environments. There is no established playbook for solving many of these challenges and you will help write it. This is not a compliance-first functional safety role; standards and established methods are tools, not the destination.

Key Outcomes:
Identify hazards unique to our robots and their Operational Design Domain, and reason about them from first principles
Invent new ways to eliminate or mitigate risk across hardware, controls, software, and AI behavior
Find the risks others miss - the ones that emerge where physical systems and intelligent behavior interact
Turn that insight into fundamentally safer architectures, controls, behaviors, and validation strategies
Establish the engineering principles for safe humanoid design at 1X, and for an industry still being invented.

Key Competencies:
Deep first-principles reasoning across mechanical, electrical, controls, software, and AI failure modes
Strong systems thinking, with the judgment to know where existing standards stop and novel hazards begin
Ability to influence technical decisions across Hardware, Software, AI, Controls, Test, Reliability, and Systems Engineering
Excellent written and verbal communication with both deeply technical and executive audiences
Comfortable driving technical direction across multidisciplinary teams in a fast-moving startup environment.

Requirements

• Deep experience in robotics safety and AI-enabled robotic systems
• Strong background in robot design, system architecture, controls, actuation, sensing, and complex electromechanical behavior
• Demonstrated track record of safety innovation - novel technical solutions to meaningful robot hazards
• Experience designing safety cases, safety validation strategies, and safety test plans for complex robotic or autonomous systems
• Experience applying functional safety methods in service of product-specific risk reduction, not compliance alone

Nice To Haves

• Experience with humanoid robots, mobile robots, or other systems operating in close proximity to people
• Experience developing safety architectures spanning hardware, controls, software, and AI behavior
• Familiarity with robotics, machinery, functional safety, or autonomous-system standards - and where they fall short
• Experience building or leading multidisciplinary safety test programs for complex physical systems
• Experience taking safety-critical systems into consumer or in-home environments

Responsibilities

• Identify hazards unique to our robots and their Operational Design Domain, and reason about them from first principles
• Invent new ways to eliminate or mitigate risk across hardware, controls, software, and AI behavior
• Find the risks others miss - the ones that emerge where physical systems and intelligent behavior interact
• Turn that insight into fundamentally safer architectures, controls, behaviors, and validation strategies
• Establish the engineering principles for safe humanoid design at 1X, and for an industry still being invented

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave
• 401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options
• Commuter benefits (transit and parking)
• Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support
• Onsite snacks and catered lunches

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Education Level: No Education Listed