Senior Safety Assurance Engineer
ForterraAbout the role
About Forterra
Forterra is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world. Amongst some of the earliest innovators in the field of driverless technology, Forterra is focused on building systems that protect front-line soldiers and enable civilian workers in our industrial base. Forterra is the go-to provider of ground autonomy solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense, which harnesses the technology for asymmetric warfare in critical conditions.
About The Role
Forterra is seeking an experienced Safety Assurance Engineer to join our team and strengthen the safety assurance foundation for autonomous systems. This role will focus on developing safety case frameworks, tracking safety evidence, and ensuring consistent application of system safety processes across commercial programs.
What You'll Do
- Lead the development, execution, and maintenance of Forterra’s Commercial Safety Case Framework
- Oversee and support the development of safety case evidence across all domains and disciplines (e.g., Systems, Safety, Autonomy, Test, Simulation, Manufacturing, Operations)
- Define, develop, and maintain Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs) to measure safety case objectives and provide traceability to safety claims
- Create and refine reusable templates, guidelines, and checklists to drive consistent system safety practices across commercial programs
- Provide technical guidance, training, and mentorship on system safety principles, tools, and practices
- Facilitate system safety reviews, audits, and assessments, ensuring findings are captured, tracked, and resolved
- Engage with third-party certification bodies and regulatory agencies to secure approvals and demonstrate compliance
- Define and apply applicable safety standards to Forterra products and platforms
- Monitor and interpret relevant system safety standards and regulations, incorporating updates into organizational processes
Minimum Qualifications
- A Bachelor’s degree in Systems / Electrical / Electronic / Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field; Masters degree preferred
- 5+ years of work experience in system safety engineering or assurance-focused role
- Direct experience applying automotive/AV safety standards such as ISO 26262 (functional safety), ISO 21448 (SOTIF), or UL 4600 (AV safety assurance)
- Experience developing safety cases and managing evidence for compliance with system safety standards
- Technical domain knowledge of autonomous vehicles or similar autonomous robotic systems
- Expertise with safety analysis techniques such as FMEA, FTA, FMEDA, STPA
- Expertise in safety requirement authorship such as functional safety requirements, technical safety requirements, hardware and software safety requirements
- Experience leading or supporting internal system safety audits, reviews, or assessments
- Strong communication skills and the ability to communicate complex engineering issues to a diverse team
- Flexible, adaptable mindset, open-minded: we try to solve a problem that has never been solved before
- Experience in creating structured documentation and templates to support scalable system safety
Preferred Qualifications
- Functional Safety Certification (automotive or other)
- Experience conducting safety audits, assessments, or certifications related to autonomous or automotive safety-critical systems
- Direct experience in the design and development of autonomous vehicles or advanced ADAS applications
- Demonstrated ability to influence safety culture and process adoption across diverse engineering teams
- Strong Safety Engineering fundamentals and knowledge of modern safety engineering techniques, tools, processes and practices
US Salary Range
$140,000—$175,000 / annually
The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) relevant work experience, education, specialized training, critical expertise, training, and more. Equity in Forterra is included in most of our full-time, high-demand roles and is therefore considered part of Forterra’s overall compensation package. I
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