Functional Safety Manager

Location: Ann Arbor, MI; Remote - US

Department: Product Engineering Safety & Security

Meet the Team:

This role is responsible for driving the execution framework that enables the safe, scalable deployment of autonomous capabilities across multiple platforms and operational domains. As autonomy systems increase in complexity, this position ensures that safety, systems engineering, validation, and operational readiness activities are planned, integrated, and executed with the rigor required for safety-critical systems.

Working across engineering, functional safety, systems engineering, autonomy, hardware, software, and operations, the Functional Safety Manager provides the structure, governance, and visibility needed to deliver safety-critical capabilities from concept through deployment. The role ensures requirements traceability, verification and validation readiness, risk management, and alignment of safety objectives with program milestones, supporting both product delivery and safety assurance objectives.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead planning and execution of safety-critical initiatives across the autonomous vehicle lifecycle, ensuring alignment between product roadmaps, safety goals, and deployment milestones.
• Establish and maintain traceability between hazards, safety requirements, system requirements, verification activities, validation evidence, and release decisions.
• Coordinate cross-functional safety activities including hazard analysis, safety assessments, safety case development, and operational readiness reviews.
• Drive integrated verification and validation planning across simulation, test environments, closed-course testing, and field operations to support evidence-based deployment decisions.
• Manage program risks, technical dependencies, and change impacts across systems, software, hardware, perception, localization, controls, and operational teams.
• Monitor safety and program metrics, proactively identifying issues that could impact system performance, safety objectives, regulatory compliance, or delivery commitments.
• Facilitate executive reviews and technical governance forums, providing clear visibility into program health, residual risk, and safety readiness.

What you need to succeed

• Experience leading programs involving autonomous systems, ADAS, robotics, aerospace, industrial automation, or other safety-critical platforms.
• Demonstrated experience applying ISO 26262 across the safety lifecycle, including hazard analysis and risk assessment (HARA), safety goals, functional and technical safety concepts, and ASIL decomposition. Working knowledge of ISO 21448 (SOTIF) and other related standards such as IEC 61508, UL 4600, or ISO/PAS 8800 is a plus.
• Familiarity with safety lifecycle artifacts including Item Definitions, HARA, FMEA/FMEDA, Safety Requirements, Safety Plans, Safety Cases, and Verification & Validation strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to align engineering execution with safety assurance objectives while maintaining program delivery commitments.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering or related technical field plus demonstrated competencies and technical proficiencies typically acquired through 6+ years of experience OR; Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering or related technical field plus demonstrated competencies and technical proficiencies typically acquired through 3+ years of experience OR; PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering or related technical field plus demonstrated competencies and technical proficiencies typically acquired through 1+ years of experience.
  
  ID: R-103059