About Us

Agility Robotics is at the forefront of developing humanoid robots designed to operate in real-world environments. Our mission is to build robots that seamlessly integrate into human workflows, solving complex challenges in logistics, manufacturing, and beyond. As we scale, we are looking for a Senior Staff Systems Engineer to lead critical systems architecture and functional safety integration—ensuring structured, scalable development processes while maintaining the agility and execution speed required in a fast-paced startup environment.

Location

This position is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Regular travel to our Salem headquarters, typically 1 week per month, will be required.

About the Role

As a Senior Staff Systems Engineer at Agility Robotics, you'll be the technical leader defining and delivering system-level architecture for our humanoid robot platform, with deep specialization in functional safety requirements integration. Working within a high-impact Systems Engineering team, you'll take ownership of complex safety-critical requirements, cross-functional interfaces, and system-level integration—bringing clarity and structure to incredibly complex safety-critical systems.

This role is ideal for a hands-on technical leader with deep functional safety expertise who thrives in ambiguity, takes initiative without waiting for permission, and has a passion for building real safety-critical systems fast. You'll help shape how Systems Engineering and Functional Safety integration is applied in a fast-moving startup, balancing the rigor of safety standards with the agility and pragmatism needed to ship products.

About the Work

System Architecture & Safety Integration

• Define system and subsystem architectures spanning mechanical, electrical, firmware, and software domains with embedded functional safety considerations
• Drive system-level trade studies and architecture decisions balancing safety, performance, cost, and execution speed

Functional Safety Requirements Management & Integration

• Own the "How" of functional safety implementation: Translate Functional Safety team requirements into detailed, traceable system requirements in Jama
• Bridge safety and systems engineering: Decompose higher-level safety goals across departments and integrate with performance/customer requirements
• Serve as single source of truth: Provide unified requirements that balance safety, performance, and commercial objectives
• Drive system-level verification of safety requirements through integration testing

Requirements Engineering & Cross-Functional Alignment

• Own system-level safety requirements: writing, decomposing, validating, and driving execution in partnership with Functional Safety team
• Collaborate with Hardware, Software, Controls, and Test Engineering to ensure clean mapping to development and verification strategies
• Facilitate cross-functional decisions when safety requirements conflict with performance, cost, or schedule constraints

Interface Definition & Technical Leadership

• Lead development and maintenance of Interface Control Documents (ICDs) for safety-critical interfaces
• Actively participate in design reviews, safety assessments, and root cause investigations with functional safety expertise
• Identify technical and safety risks, lead trade studies, and influence decisions from a systems-level viewpoint
• Mentor team members on functional safety principles and requirements management

About You

Experience

• 10+ years of Systems Engineering experience in safety-critical domains: robotics, aerospace, automotive, medical devices, or similar multidisciplinary hardware/software systems
• 5+ years deep functional safety experience with hands-on application of safety standards such as ISO 13849, IEC 61508, ISO 26262, IEC 62061, or similar
• Demonstrated experience leading system-level safety integration, architecture, and safety requirement management efforts
• Previous experience in high-growth, fast-paced environments where self-direction and bias for action are essential
• Experience with safety-critical robotics or autonomous systems strongly preferred

Technical Skills & Safety Expertise

• Expert-level functional safety knowledge: Deep understanding of safety lifecycle processes, hazard analysis (HARA, HAZOP, FTA, FMEA), safety integrity levels, and safety architecture principles
• Advanced requirements management expertise: Expert-level skills in authoring safety requirements, managing traceability, and defining cross-functional safety interfaces
• Strong familiarity with the V-model approach to safety-critical systems engineering, including how to adapt it for rapid development environments
• Safety standards mastery: Working knowledge of machinery safety standards (ISO 13849, IEC 62061), general functional safety (IEC 61508), and robotics-specific safety standards (ISO 10218, ANSI/RIA R15.08)
• Experience with safety analysis tools (e.g., ANSYS medini analyze, PTC Windchill FTA, ItemIS) and requirements management tools (Jama, DOORS, Polarion)
• Experience working closely with Test Engineering to drive system-level safety validation and verification strategies

Mindset & Traits

• Safety leadership mindset: Takes ownership of safety-critical decisions, follows through on safety commitments, and maintains safety integrity under pressure
• Systems safety thinker: Equally comfortable zooming out to define safety architecture and zooming in to debug a safety-critical interface or test
• Scrappy and resourceful—gets safety-critical things done with limited resources or structure while maintaining safety rigor
• Strong communicator and collaborator, able to align and influence without authority, especially on safety trade-off decisions
• Thrives in ambiguity and brings clarity through structure and action while maintaining safety discipline
• Bias for safety-aware action: Makes pragmatic safety decisions quickly while ensuring appropriate safety rigor

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field
• Functional Safety certifications (TÜV, UL, or similar) in relevant standards
• Experience with collaborative or mobile robotics in industrial environments
• Background in AI/ML safety considerations for autonomous systems
• Experience mentoring junior engineers in safety-critical system development
• Knowledge of regulatory compliance processes for robotics in manufacturing environments

Why Join Agility Robotics?

• Define the future of safe humanoid robotics: Play a key role in establishing safety practices for an entirely new category of robots working alongside humans
• Technical leadership opportunity: Lead safety-critical system architecture for cutting-edge robotics technology at the intersection of hardware, software, and AI
• Work in a fast-moving, highly collaborative environment where your safety engineering expertise will have immediate impact on product development
• Shape safety culture: Help establish functional safety practices and safety-aware systems engineering processes from the ground up
• Competitive compensation: Industry-leading salary, equity, and benefits package
• Professional growth: Work with world-class robotics and safety engineering talent while building expertise in emerging humanoid robotics applications

Ready to lead the integration of safety and systems engineering for the future of robotics? Apply now to help us build robots that work safely alongside humans in real-world environments.