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Lead Safety Engineer, Robotics

OpenAISan FranciscoResearch
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Salary
$381K – $423K
Job type
Full-time
Work mode
Remote
Experience
Lead
Posted
6 Oct 2026
Status
Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

OpenAI seeks a Lead Safety Engineer for Robotics in San Francisco to establish product safety strategies for robotic platforms. This position suits an experienced safety professional looking to guide regulatory compliance and risk management within a growing robotics team.

Role Overview

OpenAI is hiring a Lead Robotics Safety Engineer to shape the product safety strategy for its robotics initiatives in San Francisco. The professional in this position will establish safety frameworks, guide system architecture, and collaborate with multidisciplinary groups to address regulatory standards from initial design to final deployment. This role requires working four days per week in the San Francisco office and includes relocation support for eligible new hires.

Key Responsibilities

Design and direct the product safety approach for robotic platforms across the entire development lifecycle.
Track and interpret emerging regulatory standards, industry guidelines, and policies related to autonomous systems and robotics.
Collaborate with engineering groups to integrate safety criteria into product design and system architecture.
Build and maintain hazard analyses, safety cases, and risk assessments for complex electromechanical units.
Create verification strategies and evidence plans to support certification goals and product rollouts.
Coordinate with leadership, legal, and policy departments to evaluate regulatory risk and direct long-term strategy.
Partner with hardware, controls, software, and research teams to spot hazards and build mitigations.
Run structured risk assessments, FMEAs, and system-level hazard analyses like HARA.
Represent the organization externally with standards bodies, regulators, and industry groups.
Scale and develop the safety engineering organization as the robotics program expands.

Requirements

Extensive background in functional safety, product safety, systems safety, robotics safety, or related fields.
Practical familiarity with safety frameworks and standards such as ISO 10218, ISO 13849, IEC 61508, ISO 12100, or ANSI/RIA specifications.
Background in creating safety cases, hazard analyses, or certification methods for electromechanical hardware.
Direct exposure to safety-critical technology sectors including robotics, autonomous systems, consumer goods, medical devices, automotive, aerospace, or industrial machinery.
Experience interacting with certification bodies, standards organizations, regulators, or industry coalitions.

Skills and Tools

Hazard and Risk Analysis (HARA, FMEA)
Functional Safety Standards (ISO 10218, ISO 13849, IEC 61508, ISO 12100, ANSI/RIA)
Safety Case Development
Systems Engineering
Regulatory Strategy

Salary and Benefits

Salary range of $381K to $423K
Equity offerings included
Relocation assistance for new employees

About the Company

OpenAI operates as an artificial intelligence research and deployment organization with the core mission of ensuring general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits humanity. The enterprise values diverse perspectives and operates as an equal opportunity employer, maintaining policies that prohibit discrimination based on protected characteristics and adhering to fair chance employment laws.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should visit the official OpenAI careers page to submit an application for this position.

Skills and tech stack

ISO 10218ISO 13849IEC 61508ISO 12100ANSI/RIA

Questions candidates ask

Where is the Lead Safety Engineer, Robotics role located?

This position is based in San Francisco, California, with an expectation to work in the office four days per week.

What is the salary and compensation for this position?

The salary ranges from $381K to $423K and includes equity offerings, along with relocation assistance for new employees.

What kind of safety standards and frameworks are relevant to this job?

Relevant frameworks include ISO 10218, ISO 13849, IEC 61508, ISO 12100, and ANSI/RIA standards.

What departments will the Lead Safety Engineer work with?

The role involves partnering with leadership, engineering, research, legal, policy, hardware, software, and controls teams.

How can an applicant request a disability accommodation?

Applicants can request reasonable accommodations using the specific accommodation link provided in the company posting.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official OpenAI careers page.

Apply on company site