Head of Safety Assurance (Autonomous Trucking)

About Applied Intuition

Applied Intuition is the vehicle intelligence company that accelerates the global adoption of safe, AI-driven machines. Founded in 2017, Applied Intuition delivers the toolchain, Vehicle OS, and autonomy stacks to help customers build intelligent vehicles and shorten time to market. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers and major programs across the Department of Defense trust Applied Intuition's solutions to deliver vehicle intelligence. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining, and agriculture industries and is headquartered in Mountain View, CA, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Diego, CA, Ft. Walton Beach, FL, Ann Arbor, MI, London, Stuttgart, Munich, Stockholm, Seoul, and Tokyo. Learn more at appliedintuition.com.

We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments. (Note: For EpiSci job openings, fully remote work will be considered by exception.)

About the role

We are seeking a Head of Safety Assurance to lead the safety governance and assurance framework for our autonomous trucking program. You will own the Safety Management System (SMS) and the safety case, ensuring that our autonomous trucking systems meet the highest standards of safety, comply with international regulations, and maintain public trust.

You will work cross-functionally with Systems & Safety, Validation & Verification, Autonomy, Hardware, Quality, and Operations teams to build and maintain a comprehensive safety case. Main responsibilities are aligning stakeholders, ensuring evidence traceability, and driving safety case readiness for regulatory reviews. Ultimately, you will serve as the company’s primary safety authority, responsible for defending the safety case with regulators, assessors, and certification bodies.

At Applied Intuition, you will:

• Own and maintain the Safety Management System (SMS) in compliance with ISO 26262, ISO 21448 (SOTIF), UL 4600, and other relevant standards
• Lead the creation, maintenance, and defense of the safety case, ensuring argumentation, evidence, and traceability across the full lifecycle
• Chair the Safety Board, driving alignment across executives and engineering leaders on safety-critical decisions
• Coordinate cross-functional safety governance with Systems & Safety, V&V, Autonomy, Hardware, Quality, and Operations to ensure all safety-related deliverables meet acceptance criteria
• Define, track, and communicate safety goals, metrics, and safety performance indicators (SPIs) to leadership
• Serve as the primary safety liaison with regulators, auditors, and industry bodies, representing the company in certification and approval processes
• Drive a culture of “safety as a core value” across the organization, mentoring teams and ensuring organizational readiness for safety audits

We're looking for someone who has:

• 10+ years of experience in safety-critical systems, with at least 5 in automotive
• Proven leadership in system safety and its frameworks in fast-paced, innovative environments
• Experience in Safety Case development for automated and autonomous systems
• Deep understanding of autonomous vehicle technology, including perception, decision-making, and control systems
• Mastery of strong collaboration with other teams, customers, and companies to ensure high quality deliverables

Nice to have:

• Experience with regulatory engagement and type approval processes
• Knowledge of Systems and Safety engineering processes targeting world wide production

Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.

Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certificati