Staff Systems Engineer, Functional Safety
Agility Robotics · Fremont, United States · 4mo ago
Agility’s commercially deployed humanoids operate alongside teams in warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers—tackling physically demanding and repetitive tasks while enabling workers to focus on higher-value work. With industry-leading safety standards and years of proven deployment data, we're pioneering a new era of automation that enhances human potential.
About the Role
As a Staff Systems Engineer at Agility Robotics, you'll be the technical leader defining and delivering system-level architecture for our humanoid robot platform, with focus in functional safety requirements integration. Working within a high-impact Systems Engineering team, you'll take ownership of complex safety-critical requirements, cross-functional interfaces, and system-level integration—bringing clarity and structure to incredibly complex safety-critical systems.
This role is ideal for a hands-on technical leader with functional safety expertise who thrives in ambiguity, takes initiative without waiting for permission, and has a passion for building real safety-critical systems fast. You'll help shape how Systems Engineering and Functional Safety integration is applied in a fast-moving startup, balancing the rigor of safety standards with the agility and pragmatism needed to ship products.
Key Responsibilities
Robotics Development
- Requirements Management: Define system and subsystem architectures spanning all domains (mechanical, electrical, firmware, and software) with embedded functional safety, and drive trade studies to balance safety, performance, cost, and execution speed.
- V&V Definition : Define, own, and decompose detailed, verifiable requirements in Jama that can be delivered to Integration and Testing teams for Verification and Validation.
- Interface Definition: Lead development and maintenance of Interface Control Documents (ICDs), managing implementation-specific details for hardware and software interfaces, including message structures, pinouts, and bolt patterns.
- Operational Definitions: Define the sequence of operations between major elements and users using narrative Concept of Operations (ConOps), swimlane diagrams, and/or logical flow charts.
- Test Support: Align system requirements with test plans to ensure coverage across the entire safety system. Drive system-level verification of safety requirements through integration testing and track design differences between test setups and the intended design to determine technical risk.
Operational Support and Technical Leadership
- Safety Tracking & Monitoring: Regularly check and confirm that the safety system's performance meets all specified requirements under live operating conditions.
- Change and Modification Management: Ensure that any modification to the system's hardware or software that impacts safety must be strictly validated to maintain safety integrity and prevent the introduction of new risks.
- Failure Analysis and Investigation: Actively participate in safety assessments and root cause investigations, collaborating with non-safe software and hardware development teams to prevent systemic faults.
- Operational Sustainment: Work closely with Commercial and Product teams to ensure that critical safety mechanisms and processes are maintained at customer sites, including emergency stop and human detection.
- Cross-Functional Alignment and Leadership: Facilitate cross-functional decisions when safety requirements conflict with performance, cost, or schedule constraints, and identify technical and safety risks to influence system decisions.
Qualifications
- 8+ years of Systems Engineering experience in safety-critical domains: robotics, aerospace, automotive, medical devices, or similar multidisciplinary hardware/software systems
- 3+ years working on system safety or functional safety projects and use of functional safety standards such as ISO 13849, IEC 61508, ISO 26262, IEC 62061, or similar
- Demonstrated experience leading system-level integration, architecture, and requirement management efforts
- Previous experience in high-growth, fast-paced environments where self-direction and bias for action are essential
- Experience with safety-critical robotics or autonomous systems strongly preferred
Technical Skills & Safety Expertise
- Understanding of safety lifecycle processes, hazard analysis (HARA, HAZOP, FTA, FMEA), safety integrity levels, and safety architecture principles
- Expert-level skills in authoring safety requirements, managing traceability, and defining cross-functional safety interfaces
- Strong familiarity with the V-model approach to safety-critical systems engineering, including how to adapt it for rapid development environments
- Proficiency in using safety analysis tools (e.g., ANSYS medini analyze, PTC Windchill FTA, ItemIS) and requirements management platforms (Jama, DOORS, Polarion).
- Ability to collaborate closely with Test Engineering to develop and execute system-level safety verification and validation strategies.
Preferred Qualifications
- Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field
- Experience with collaborative or mobile robotics in industrial environments
- Background in AI/ML safety considerations for autonomous systems
- Experience mentoring junior engineers in safety-critical system development
- Knowledge of regulatory compliance processes for robotics in manufacturing environments
This a hybrid position based out of one of our Fremont, CA offices.
The final salary offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to: job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Agility Robotics is a multi-state employer and this salary range may not reflect positions who work in other locations. These ranges may be modified in the future.
In addition to base pay, our competitive total rewards package consists of the following for full-time employees:
- 401(k) Plan:Includes a 6% company match.
- Equity:Company stock options.
- Insurance Coverage:100% company-paid medical, dental, vision, and short/long-term disability insurance for employees.
- Benefit Start Date:Eligible for benefits on your first day of employment.
- Well-Being Support:Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- Time Off:
- Exempt Employees:Flexible, unlimited PTO and 12 company holidays, including a winter shutdown.
- Non-Exempt Employees:10 vacation days, paid sick leave, and 12 company holidays, including a winter shutdown, annually.
- On-Site Perks:Catered lunches four times a week and a variety of healthy snacks and refreshments at our Salem and Pittsburgh locations.
- Parental Leave:Generous paid parental leave programs.
- Work Environment:A culture that supports flexible work arrangements.
- Growth Opportunities:Professional development and tuition reimbursement programs.
- Relocation Assistance:Provided for eligible roles.
- Annual Discretionary Bonus: Provided for eligible roles.
All of our roles are U.S.-based. Applicants must have current authorization to work in the United States.
Agility Robotics is committed to a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Each individual has the right to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes equal employment opportunities and prohibits unlawful discriminatory practices, including harassment. Therefore, it is the policy of Agility Robotics to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, national origin, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Agility Robotics prohibits any such discrimination or harassment.
Agility Robotics does not accept unsolicited referrals from third-party recruiting agencies. We prioritize direct applicants and encourage all qualified candidates to apply directly through our careers page. If you are represented by a third party, your application may not be considered. To ensure full consideration, please apply directly.