Lead Safety Systems Engineer
AIM · Seattle
About AIM
AIM builds autonomy for the real world - robots that move mountains. Our systems fuse software, hardware, robotics, and mission-critical infrastructure into ruggedized, safety-critical machinery operating on jobsites across the world. We replace decades of manual, error-prone, high-risk work with intelligent machines that reshape how earthmoving is done.
Autonomous heavy machinery introduces safety challenges that do not exist in traditional robotics or automotive autonomy. AIM machines operate in dynamic environments where terrain is constantly changing, multiple machines operate in close proximity, and human workers interact directly with robotic equipment. Safety is therefore not a single subsystem - it is a system-level property that must be designed into every layer of the autonomy stack and operational workflow.
We’re building the safety systems, architectures, and validation frameworks that allow autonomous machines to operate reliably around people, equipment, and critical infrastructure. We’re growing fast, scaling globally, and building the engineering foundation that will define the next century of construction.
About you
You are a systems thinker who understands that safety emerges from the interaction of hardware, software, human behavior, and operational environments.
You have experience designing and validating safety-critical systems, ideally in robotics, autonomy, industrial machinery, aerospace, or automotive systems.
You are comfortable working across disciplines - robotics, perception, controls, hardware, operations, and product - ensuring that safety requirements propagate correctly through the entire system.
You think in terms of failure modes, hazard mitigation, and safe system behavior under uncertainty.
You are equally comfortable:
analyzing hazards
defining safety architectures
designing validation strategies
working with operators and field engineers to ensure real-world safety
You take ownership of system outcomes, not just analysis documents. You ensure safety requirements translate into real system behavior and operational procedures.
Most importantly, you help organizations build safety into engineering culture and system design, not bolt it on afterward.
About us together
AIM machines operate in environments that introduce safety challenges rarely seen in traditional autonomy domains:
machines interacting directly with human workers
continuously changing terrain and jobsite layouts
dust, vibration, and harsh environmental conditions
dynamic interactions between multiple machines
safety-critical operations involving heavy loads and moving equipment
real-time control systems operating on ruggedized edge compute
Safety must therefore be addressed at multiple layers:
system architecture
autonomy behavior
machine control systems
human-machine interaction
operational procedures
fleet-level monitoring and learning
We will design safety systems that allow autonomous machines to operate predictably, fail safely, and continuously improve through operational learning.
If that excites you - you’re the kind of Safety Systems Engineer who will thrive here.
What you will own
As the Lead Safety Systems Engineer, you will define and implement the system safety architecture and validation framework for AIM’s autonomous machines.
You will work across engineering and operations teams to ensure that safety is designed, validated, and continuously improved across the entire autonomy stack and deployed fleet.
Lead System Safety Architecture
Define system-level safety architectures across hardware, software, and control systems.
Design safety layers including redundancy, fault detection, and safe-state transitions.
Define degraded operating modes and fail-safe behaviors for autonomous machines.
Specify safety mechanisms such as safety controllers, watchdog systems, and emergency stop architectures.
Ensure safety design patterns scale across multiple machine platforms.
Develop and Maintain the Safety Case
Develop and maintain the structured system safety case demonstrating that AIM machines are safe for deployment.
Maintain traceability between hazards, safety requirements, mitigation strategies, and validation evidence.
Ensure safety arguments remain valid as the system evolves.
Produce safety documentation required for customers, regulators, and OEM partners.
Perform Hazard Analysis and Risk Management
Lead comprehensive hazard analysis across system domains using methodologies such as:
FMEA
HAZOP
Fault Tree Analysis
STPA where applicable
Identify failure modes and unsafe system behaviors across mechanical, electrical, software, and operational systems.
Define mitigation strategies and safety requirements.
Maintain hazard tracking throughout the product lifecycle.
Define Operational Design Domains (ODD)
Define the environmental and operational conditions under which AIM machines operate safely.
Identify constraints including terrain, weather, visibility, machine proximity, and human presence.
Maintain ODD definitions as system capabilities evolve.
Define mechanisms for detecting ODD boundary violations.
Design Safe Human-Machine Interaction
Define safe interaction models between machines and human workers.
Specify safety perimeters and behavior constraints around workers and equipment.
Define human override and intervention mechanisms.
Ensure machine intent and system state are communicated clearly to operators and nearby personnel.
Lead Verification and Validation Strategy
Develop system-level verification and validation strategies for safety-critical functionality.
Define appropriate mixes of:
simulation testing
software-in-the-loop testing
hardware-in-the-loop testing
field testing
Ensure validation programs cover the full operational design domain.
Develop automated testing frameworks for safety-critical systems.
Build Fleet Safety Observability
Define telemetry and monitoring systems that track safety performance across deployed machines.
Develop safety metrics including near-miss events, safety envelope violations, and system health indicators.
Identify safety trends across the fleet and proactively address emerging risks.
Lead Incident Analysis and Continuous Learning
Establish safety event classification frameworks.
Lead root cause analysis for safety incidents and near misses.
Ensure lessons learned are incorporated into system design, validation strategies, and operational procedures.
Raise the Safety Engineering Bar
Define safety engineering standards across the organization.
Lead cross-disciplinary safety design reviews.
Mentor engineers on hazard analysis and safety-critical system design.
Build scalable safety engineering processes that enable teams to design and validate safe systems.
Basic Qualifications
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related technical field.
7+ years of experience designing or validating safety-critical systems.
Experience with system safety analysis methods such as FMEA, HAZOP, FTA, or STPA.
Strong understanding of hardware-software system integration.
Experience developing verification and validation strategies for complex systems.
Ability to work across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
Strong analytical and communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience developing safety architectures for autonomous systems or robotics platforms.
Experience with functional safety standards such as:
ISO 17757
ISO 19014
ISO 13849
IEC 61508
ISO 26262
SOTIF
Experience designing safety systems for heavy machinery, industrial robotics, automotive, or aerospace systems.
Experience with human-robot interaction safety design.
Experience with system observability and fleet telemetry systems.
Experience supporting regulatory or certification processes.
How you’ll stand out
You think in terms of systems, not components, and understand how safety emerges from complex interactions.
You translate safety theory into practical system design decisions.
You build safety frameworks that enable engineering teams to design safe systems at scale.
You are comfortable operating at the intersection of robotics, software, hardware, and real-world operations.
You care deeply about ensuring autonomous machines behave safely in the environments where people depend on them.
What we offer
Opportunity to define the safety architecture for real-world autonomous machines.
High-impact ownership across AIM’s autonomy stack and deployed fleet.
Collaboration with world-class engineers across robotics, software, hardware, and machine learning.
Competitive compensation, equity, medical/dental/vision, 401(k), life insurance.
Opportunities to see your work operate on machines deployed across the world.