Lead, Safety Assurance

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Act as the leading authority on safety compliance for autonomous vehicles within the company.

• Oversee regulatory interactions regarding safety matters from start to finish, which includes tracking federal and state regulations, managing correspondence with NHTSA, reviewing SGO incident narratives, and upholding compliance documentation.

• Evaluate, verify, and authorize SGO incident narratives prior to their submission.

• Keep track of NHTSA and state enforcement trends, proposed rule changes, safety guidelines, and regulatory updates.

• Assist in responding to NHTSA investigations or enforcement actions in collaboration with external legal counsel and internal stakeholders.

• Analyze the alignment between federal and state AV regulatory standards and the company’s internal safety policies; identify any compliance discrepancies.

• Aid in the development of internal safety benchmarks and assess the company’s Safety Management System against FMVSS, NHTSA frameworks, SAE standards, and industry best practices.

• Engage in enterprise risk management activities with a focus on regulatory consequences.

• Monitor new guidance on ADS, enforcement trends, and rulemaking at the state level.

• Develop and maintain compliance documentation, including regulatory summaries, gap analyses, submission records, and background materials.

• Prepare and review safety-related regulatory submissions and correspondence in collaboration with the Legal team.

• Generate supporting documentation for meetings with state Departments of Transportation, federal agencies, and other stakeholders.

• Provide advice on best practices for passenger and public safety and assist in their implementation.

• Offer a regulatory compliance perspective on safety cases, incident responses, and operational risk decisions.

• Collaborate with external legal counsel on regulatory strategy, submission assessments, and government interactions.

• Update executive and Legal leadership on regulatory changes, compliance status, and suggested response actions.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 7 years of experience in AV safety regulation, incident management, or safety compliance at NHTSA, a federal agency, or within an AV/automotive organization.

• Extensive knowledge of NHTSA’s Standing General Order (SGO) reporting requirements and crash investigation protocols.

• Practical experience with FMVSS, NHTSA exemption frameworks, and SAE ADS taxonomy.

• Demonstrated capability to create and manage regulatory submissions, safety correspondence, and compliance documentation effectively.

• Experience collaborating closely with or alongside legal counsel on regulatory issues and strategies.

• Outstanding written communication skills; adept at translating intricate technical safety information into clear, defensible regulatory language.

• Ability to work independently and apply sound judgment in ambiguous, high-pressure scenarios.

• Preferred: prior experience at NHTSA’s Office of Automation Safety, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance, or an equivalent federal safety office.

• Preferred: a background in crash reconstruction, forensic engineering, or evaluations of ADS safety cases.

• Preferred: experience briefing senior leadership or executive teams on incident patterns and regulatory strategies.

• Preferred: a graduate degree in mechanical engineering, safety engineering, or a related technical discipline.

• Preferred: experience working within cross-functional teams to address safety-critical issues.

• Standard office working conditions, which include prolonged sitting, standing, and computer use.

• Minimal travel required: 1%-10%.

🏝️ Benefits

• Comprehensive healthcare package including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance options.

• Domestic partners who have lived together for at least one year are eligible to enroll in healthcare plans.

• Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts for healthcare and dependent care.

• Attractive retirement benefits, including an immediately vested employer safe harbor match.

• Generous paid parental leave policy.

• Phased return-to-work options available.

• Flexible vacation policy.

• Paid company holidays.

• Total Wellness Program offering various resources for overall well-being.