Director of Safety Engineering, Robotics & Autonomous Systems

Field AI builds autonomous robotic systems designed to operate in complex, unstructured, and safety-critical real-world environments. Our robots work alongside humans in outdoor settings where uncertainty, scale, and operational risk are fundamental challenges. Safety is a core product capability at Field AI. As our systems transition from advanced R&D into scaled field deployment, we are seeking a Director of Robotics Product Safety to define and lead the company’s product safety vision, strategy, and execution. As Director of Robotics Product Safety, you will own Field AI’s end-to-end product safety function. You will set the safety strategy for autonomous robotic systems, establish scalable safety processes, and serve as the executive-level authority on product safety across the organization. This role combines deep technical judgment, systems safety leadership, and cross-functional influence. You will work closely with executive leadership, engineering, operations, and external stakeholders to ensure Field AI’s robots are safe, deployable, and trusted in the field. What You'll Get To Do: Safety Strategy & Leadership Define and own Field AI’s product safety vision, strategy, and roadmap Establish company-wide safety principles, policies, and governance for robotic systems Act as the executive point of contact for product safety decisions and risk acceptance Balance in [... source excerpt omitted ...] ses Cross-Functional & Executive Collaboration Partner with leaders across: Autonomy, perception, software, hardware, and systems engineering Field operations, deployment, and customer programs Influence product architecture and roadmap decisions through a safety lens Provide clear, actionable guidance to executives on safety risks, tradeoffs, and mitigations Standards, Compliance & External Engagement Own Field AI’s approach to safety standards, regulatory alignment, and compliance Guide interpretation and application of relevant standards (e.g., ISO 12100, IEC 61508, ISO 13849, ISO 10218) Lead engagements with customers, partners, regulators, and third-party assessors [... source excerpt omitted ...] ty arguments are credible, defensible, and scalable across products Team Building & Organizational Scale Build, lead, and mentor a high-impact product safety team Define roles, responsibilities, and career growth paths for safety engineers Establish scalable safety processes that integrate naturally with engineering workflows Champion a strong safety culture without slowing execution Field Risk & Incident Management Provide executive oversight for: Field deployment risk assessmentsIncident response, investigations, and corrective actions Define thresholds for risk acceptance and deployment readiness Ensure lessons learned from the field are systematically fed back into produ