Field AI
Robotics
LeadFunctionalSafetyEngineer-Federal
Neural analysis suggests this role is
optimal for Lead candidates.
“Lead Functional Safety Engineer-Federal at Field AI. Skills: Functional Safety, UGV functional safety, Safety System Architecture & Design, Hardware Configuration, Autonomy & Human-Machine Interface Integration, Field Deployment & Testing, Technical Leadership & Scalability. Support systems-level design, integration, and validation for wheeled robotic platforms. Own our approach to UGV functional safety”
What You'll Achieve.
Drive immediate safety milestones; Lay the groundwork to build and lead a dedicated safety team as the company scales; Ensure maximum reliability and uptime in the field
Industry & Context.
Solve complex challenges; Troubleshoot, debug, and optimize system configurations
U. S. Person eligibility, Work from our Mission Viejo, CA office
What They're Looking For.
Must Have
BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Computer Engineering, or a related field with significant relevant industry experience, Deep, hands-on expertise in configuring, programming, and debugging Safety PLCs, Proven experience selecting and integrating hardware safety components such as remote E-Stops, safety relays, and safety lidars, ownership mindset with the ability to operate as a self-directed individual contributor and technical authority, Ability to collaborate effectively with electrical engineers (for wiring/integration) and software engineers (for system handoffs), U. S. Person eligibility
Nice to Have
Familiarity with relevant safety standards (e. g. , ISO 13849, ISO 3691-4, IEC 61508, or ANSI/RIA R15. 08), Prior experience working with robotics, autonomous vehicles, off-road equipment, or heavy machinery, Experience deploying systems in demanding environments like construction, mining, or agriculture, Familiarity with software interfaces (ROS/ROS2, C++) to better understand the handoff between safety systems and the autonomy stack, Previous experience serving as a technical lead or mentoring junior engineers
What You'll Do.
Support systems-level design
and validation for wheeled robotic platforms
Own our approach to UGV functional safety
Design and deploy a supervised safety system featuring remote E-Stops and indicator lights
Lead the transition to a non-line-of-sight autonomous safety architecture
Ensure seamless control handoffs between the safety hardware
and the autonomy stack
Architect the functional safety systems for COTS UGV platforms navigating unstructured construction environments
Design and implement supervised safety systems
including remote E-Stops and safe-to-approach indicator lighting
Design and implement non-line-of-sight safety architectures
defining the use of safe limited speed
and automatic braking to enable autonomous operations without a safety operator in line-of-sight
and configure Safety PLCs
and related hardware components
Guide wiring diagrams
and physical integration of safety hardware
and test ladder logic and safety configurations on the PLCs
Design and implement safe transitions of control
allowing a human operator to seamlessly take over via an E-Stop/RC unit to unstick a robot
and safely transfer control back to the autonomy stack
Ensure all vehicle safety states are clearly communicated to on-site personnel through visual indicators and lighting
Establish reliable interfaces between hardware safety loops and high-level autonomy software
and validate safety systems directly on physical robots operating in real-world construction environments
and optimize system configurations to ensure maximum reliability and uptime in the field
Serve as the resident functional safety expert
filling critical knowledge gaps and guiding technical strategy for the broader engineering team
Establish scalable safety testing and validation procedures for future vehicle platforms
Act as a foundational team member with the opportunity to hire
and build out a dedicated safety engineering team in the future
How You'll Work.
Team & Collaboration
Collaborate effectively with electrical engineers (for wiring/integration); Collaborate with software engineers (for system handoffs); Collaborate with the core software team to establish reliable interfaces between hardware safety loops and high-level autonomy software; Work closely with the Electrical Engineering team to guide wiring diagrams, harness designs, and physical integration of safety hardware
Full Job Description
## Description Who are We? Field AIis transforming how robots interact with the real world. We are building risk-aware, reliable, and field-ready AI systems that address the most complex challenges in robotics, unlocking the full potential of embodied intelligence. We go beyond typical data-driven approaches or pure transformer-based architectures, and are charting a new course, with already-globally-deployed solutions delivering real-world results and rapidly improving models through real-field applications. Learn more at https://fieldai.com. About the Job At FieldAI, we build autonomous robotic systems that operate in demanding, real-world environments where tight integration between hardware and software is critical. We’re looking for a Lead Functional Safety Engineer to support systems-level design, integration, and validation for our wheeled robotic platforms across both federal and commercial programs. In this role, you will serve as the team’s resident safety expert and primary individual contributor, owning our approach to UGV functional safety. First, you will design and deploy a supervised safety system featuring remote E-Stops and indicator lights to ensure safe personnel interaction. Next, you will lead the transition to a non-line-of-sight autonomous safety architecture. You will architect the system, get hands-on with configuring the PLCs, and ensure seamless control handoffs between the safety hardware, human operators, and the autonomy stack. This is a highly impactful role for a hands-on engineer who can drive our immediate safety milestones and lay the groundwork to build and lead a dedicated safety team as the company scales. What You Will Get To Do 1. Safety System Architecture & Design Architect the functional safety systems for COTS UGV platforms navigating unstructured construction environments. Design and implement supervised safety systems, including remote E-Stops and safe-to-approach indicator lighting. Design and implement non-line-of-sig
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