Senior Systems & Safety Engineer – Drive-by-Wire

Gatik AI•Santa Clara, CA

3d•$160,000 - $240,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Drive-by-Wire (DbW) system is the critical execution boundary where software decisions meet physical vehicle dynamics. As the Senior Systems & Safety Engineer for Drive-by-Wire, you will be responsible for the safety design, hazard mitigation, and functional safety integration of steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire, throttle, shift-by-wire, and auxiliary chassis actuation on Gatik’s autonomous trucks. You will work closely with vehicle OEMs, DbW suppliers, and internal controls engineers to guarantee fail-operational motion control and ASIL D safety guarantees.

Requirements

B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, or Automotive Engineering.
6+ years in vehicle chassis systems, drive-by-wire actuation, or automotive vehicle safety, with extensive ASIL D development experience.
Proficient in vehicle dynamic modeling, brake/steering topologies (e.g., dual-motor steering, primary/secondary electronic brake boosters).
In-depth understanding of automotive communication protocols: CAN, CAN-FD, FlexRay, and Automotive Ethernet.
Direct mastery of ISO 26262 ASIL D safety standards and FMVSS regulations.
Proficient with CAN analysis tools (Vector CANoe, CANalyzer), MATLAB/Simulink, and signal analysis software.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience developing or integrating redundant DbW systems on commercial trucks.
Experience with functional safety certification of chassis hardware/software according to ISO 26262.
Expertise in vehicle stability control (ESC), ABS, and automated emergency braking (AEB) functional integration.

Responsibilities

Define the functional safety architecture for redundant steering, braking, and propulsion control systems integrated into Gatik’s vehicle platforms.
Collaborate with commercial vehicle OEMs and Tier-1 DbW providers to evaluate DbW interfaces, safety manuals, and functional safety compliance (ISO 26262).
Establish actuation fault management strategies, including fallback transition times, emergency stop execution, dynamic authority limits, and minimum risk maneuvers (MRM).
Perform detailed HARA, FMEA, and FTA analyses on physical actuation channels and interface protocols.
Author top-level vehicle safety requirements for motion control interfaces and trace them to DbW controller firmware, CAN signals, and safety monitors.
Partner with testing teams to design physical fault-injection campaigns on test tracks to confirm actuation fallbacks under high-speed and heavy-payload conditions.