Sr. Software Systems Safety Engineer

Apptronik•Sunnyvale, CA

About The Position

Apptronik is seeking a Sr. Software Systems Safety Engineer to own safety assurance for the software and AI that run its humanoid robots. The role covers safety architecture analysis, safety analyses, and evaluation of whether verification evidence supports safety claims, drawing on IEC 61508-3, ISO/IEC TS 22440, and experience with safety-critical software systems. The engineer collaborates on system-level risk assessments and allocates risk reduction measures to software and AI elements. They define and assess software safety architecture and behavior, establish the software safety plan and lifecycle, review software and AI/ML evidence, maintain requirements traceability, and own the software portion of the safety case. The role also supports product safety and compliance teams with certification and demonstrations of standards conformity. The position requires a bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering or computing field, or equivalent experience, and 8 or more years of relevant engineering experience, including substantial responsibility for safety assurance or analysis of safety-critical software in complex electromechanical products. A master’s degree is preferred. The work includes prolonged periods of sitting and computer use, occasional lifting of up to 15 pounds, and the ability to read printed and computer-screen materials and communicate by hearing and speech. The annual base salary range is $200,000–$240,000. This is a direct-hire position.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience analyzing and assuring safety-critical software architectures, including software safety analyses and safety case development.
Practical application of the IEC 61508-3 or ISO 26262-6 software lifecycle, with depth in software safety activities and qualification of existing software and tools.
Strong knowledge of embedded software architectures, including RTOS, mixed-criticality partitioning, watchdogs, communication buses, and diagnostics.
Hands-on experience with FMEA/FMEDA, FTA, and dependent failure analysis, and reviewing verification evidence such as fault injection, software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop testing, and test coverage.
Ability to work cross-functionally and make sound, risk-based engineering decisions.
Experience with common product development and product lifecycle processes, including Agile, CMMI, or Waterfall.
Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
8 or more years of relevant engineering experience, including substantial responsibility for safety assurance or analysis of safety-critical software in complex electromechanical products.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.
Experience with IEC 62061, ISO 13849, ISO 10218, ANSI/A3 R15.06, or ISO 25785-1, as relevant.
Working knowledge of safety for AI/ML-enabled systems, such as ISO/IEC TS 22440.
Familiarity with ISO/PAS 8800, UL 4600, or SOTIF.
Experience with requirements and traceability tools such as JAMA.
Familiarity with Git, CI/CD, and static analysis.
Certification or third-party assessment experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Collaborate on system-level risk assessments, allocate risk reduction measures to software and AI elements, and break down software-domain safety requirements into subsystem- and element-level requirements.
Analyze and define software safety architecture, including partitioning and freedom from interference, watchdogs, diagnostics, plausibility and timing monitoring, communication integrity, startup and shutdown behavior, and fault handling.
Lead software safety analyses, including software FMEA, fault tree analysis, dependent and common-cause failure analysis, and timing and resource analysis.
Specify safety-related software behavior, including monitors, diagnostics, and safe-state logic, and review software designs against IEC 61508-3 requirements for the target SIL/SC.
Define the IEC 61508-3 software safety plan and lifecycle, and assess team conformance through reviews and audits, including assessment of in-house, open-source, and third-party libraries, RTOS, and middleware.
Assess software systematic capability and review verification evidence, including coverage, static analysis, fault injection, and software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop test results, for adequacy against safety claims.
Apply the AI safety lifecycle (ISO/IEC TS 22440) to AI/ML-enabled functions, define their safety architecture, and ensure safety functions are independent of learned components and supported by appropriate monitoring mechanisms.
Assess AI/ML safety evidence against the AI safety lifecycle, including data and model assurance, performance limitations, and operational design domain.
Own software requirements traceability and the software portion of the safety case, including gap assessments against standards.
Support product safety and compliance teams in certification and demonstration of standards conformity.
Work cross-functionally, make sound risk-based engineering decisions, and help teams deliver to organizational milestones using product development and lifecycle processes.