Staff System Safety Engineer

About Forterra
At Forterra, we are unleashing autonomy at scale to transform the battlefield. Our mission is to build the foundational platforms that enable an intelligent ecosystem to coordinate, adapt, and execute with speed and precision even in the uncertainty and disruption of modern conflict. In an era marked by rapid technological change and evolving threats, we design for flexibility, survivability, and operational dominance.

Forterra delivers weapons, sensors, and battlefield effects through integrated autonomous networks reaching operational areas faster, safer, and without placing human lives at risk. Our systems operate with distributed control, dynamic routing, and real-time responsiveness, enabling sustained advantage across complex mission environments.

About the role

At Forterra, we're developing the future for Ground Based Autonomy. Forterra is seeking a Staff SystemSafety Engineer to join our Safety team and drive efforts in the development of safety-critical autonomous systems. This role is crucial in identifying and mitigating potential hazards within applications of our autonomy solutions.

As a Staff System Safety Engineer, you will be a part of the Core Systems and System Safety Engineering team. Our Team is responsible for architecting systems which support safety-critical functions, establishing development methodologies for new technologies, and applying cutting edge hazard analysis techniques.

As part of an experienced multi-disciplinary team, you will contribute to expanding ground based autonomous operational and functional capabilities. Your professional experience in system safety will further strengthen the team's ability to support the Warfighter. You will collaborate with members from other groups within Forterra to ensure the safety of innovative solutions for un-crewed ground vehicle operations.

What you'll do

In your role as a Staff System Safety Engineer, you will contribute to the development and architectural

design supporting the delivery of prototypes and safety-critical ground based autonomous solutions. You

will be responsible for performing analyses for hazard identification, evaluation and control using

quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques based on the System Safety Program Plan. You will:

• Work across Forterra to design safety into our autonomous vehicle systems from the ground up – focusing on defense applications which follow a MIL-STD-882E process.
• Tackle the topics of functional safety, AI/machine learning, embedded systems and software development in a complex system environment.
• Work to define safety architecture, safety concepts and derive requirements from safety analyses.
• Perform safety analyses such as:
• • Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA),
  • Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA),
  • Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA),
  • Fault Tree Analysis (FTA),
  • Modes, States and Transitions Hazard Analysis, and
  • Robotic Behavior/Capability Assessments
• Communicate design considerations and progress with respect to system safety across the engineering organization.
• Incorporate Hazard Analyses into a Model-based Safety environment.
• Develop and refine safety concepts including architectural design, safety mechanisms, and verification activities, to ensure robust safety performance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop test cases for safety-critical hardware and software.
• Provide technical guidance, training, and mentorship to system safety engineers and cross-functional teams on safety engineering principles and best practices.
• Stay informed about industry trends and advancements in defense safety.
• Participate in trade studies and testing activities to ensure safety requirements are met.
• Participate in Systems Engineering Technical Reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, etc.).
• Lead System Safety Working Groups (SSWG).
• Lead the implementation and application of safety-critical standards, ensuring adherence to safety requirements throughout the hardware development lifecycle.
• Develop new processes / methodologies used to assure the safety of autonomous / robotic operations.
• Provide technical safety leadership on elements of significant scope.
• Implement continuous improvement initiatives to enhance safety practices within the organization.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Systems or related Engineering discipline, Computer Science, or a related technical field; Master's Degree Preferred.
• 10+ years of work experience as a System Safety engineer or related role focused on autonomous or safety critical systems.
• Specific experience with MIL-STD 882E or a related or similar functional safety standards (e.g., ARP 4754/4761, ISO 26262, UL 4600, IEC 61508, IEC 62304).
• Experience with Probabilistic Risk Analysis (PRA) techniques.
• Knowledge of reviewing and applying supplier Safety Manuals.
• Familiar with mathematical and engineering principles and methods used to design safety critical systems.
• Experience with robotics, AI and/or machine learning.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to communicate complex engineering issues to a diverse team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP), UL4600, ISO 21448 or ISO 26262 Functional Safety Certification.
• Experience with SysML v1 or v2 modeling and Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools (Cameo, Medini Analyze, Capella).
• Experience with managing requirements (Jama, Doors, Polarion) and issue tracking (JIRA).
• Direct experience in the design and development of autonomous vehicles or advanced ADAS applications.

US Salary Range
 $170,000 - $205,000

Location

Remote with up to 25-30% travel

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. In addition to base salary and equity, Forterra offers competitive benefits for full-time employees including:

• Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents.  
• Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
• Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December.
• Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year.
• A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption. 
• A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.
• Fully stocked beverage refrigerators with all the Celsius your little heart desires. 
• 401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%.

Your recruiter will be able to share more information about our salary and benefits offering during the hiring process.

CLEARANCE ELIGIBILITY - This position may require eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance. For more information about U.S. Security Clearances: click here.   

Forterra is an equal-opportunity employer, providing and promoting equal employment opportunity in all personnel practices. Forterrans are unique, talented individuals who are united through a shared passion to deliver autonomous systems that enable national resilience and a robust supply chain.  

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any factor, including veteran and disability status, and criminal history, in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws.

Forterra is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.

To see Forterra’s candidate data privacy policy, please visit Forterra Legal | Job Applicant Privacy Notice.