Lead functional safety across silicon, hardware, and software for safety-critical robotics and automation systems. Develop safety concepts, HARA, FMEA/FMEDA, FTA, safety cases, and requirements; collaborate on safety mechanisms and diagnostic coverage; support validation, verification, audits, certification documentation, and assessor and customer compliance discussions.
About Lyte
Lyte builds perception systems for Physical AI operating in complex environments. The company combines custom silicon, integrated sensors, and software into a unified platform for robotics, mobility, and next-generation automation. Lyte is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with a global presence. For more information, visit www.lyte.ai
If you’re excited about building impactful technology in a dynamic, hands-on environment, we’d love to hear from you!
About the role
We're looking for a Functional Safety Engineer to join the team building the safety case for our sensor as an SEooC component: from silicon and optics through firmware and diagnostic coverage, to the safety manual that tells our customers exactly how to use it correctly. This is a component/subsystem-level safety role — you're not just applying a standard, you're the person who helps determines what our sensing technology is honestly capable of promising, and proves it.
What you'll do
- Lead functional safety activities per ISO 26262 (and related standards) across the product lifecycle
- Develop safety concepts, HARA, FMEA/FMEDA, FTA, and safety cases
- Define safety requirements and allocate them across silicon, hardware, and software
- Collaborate with design teams to implement safety mechanisms and achieve diagnostic coverage
- Support safety validation, verification, and audits
- Maintain safety work products and documentation for certification
- Interface with assessors and customers on safety compliance
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical, Mechanical or Mechatronics Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
- 5+ years of experience in functional safety engineering for complex electromechanical, robotic, automotive, or autonomous systems.
- Working knowledge of at least one core functional safety standard (e.g. IEC 61508, ISO 13849, ISO 26262) and the ability to apply its principles pragmatically to novel, non-standard architectures.
- Solid working knowledge of IEC 61508 and/or ISO 13849, including FMEDA, MTTFd/PFH calculation, diagnostic coverage, and Category/architecture requirements.
- Experience conducting FMEA analysis and translating results into concrete, verifiable engineering requirements.
- Prior experience supporting a certification, homologation, or third-party safety assessment process.
- Ability to specify hardware and embedded software diagnostic requirements that can be verified by test.
- Comfort working across disciplines — able to speak credibly with HW design engineers, SW engineers, controls engineers, mechanical/electrical designers, and regulatory/compliance stakeholders.
- Strong technical writing skills; able to produce clear, defensible safety documentation (safety cases, hazard logs, verification/validation plans and reports).
- Nice attitude, team player, able to mentor juniors
- Able to independently work on many tasks and make progress simultaneously
Preferred Qualifications
- Direct experience with perception, sensing, or autonomy systems — cameras, lidar, radar, sonar, sensor fusion, or object detection/tracking pipelines.
- Familiarity with SOTIF (ISO 21448) or equivalent "safety of the intended function" thinking, where the hazard arises from performance limitations rather than component failure.
- Familiarity with robot-specific safety standards (e.g. ISO 10218 / ISO/TS 15066 for industrial and collaborative robots, ISO 13482 for personal care robots).
Benefits (subject to location and local regulations)
- Competitive salary and equity
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Flexible vacation and time-off policy
- Collaborative, fast-paced, and inclusive work environment
- Opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies with a highly cross-functional team
Lyte San Francisco, California, USA Office
San Francisco, CA, United States
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