Sr. /Staff System Safety Engineer, Autonomy

DiDi Labs

$148K — $296K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or higher degree in a relevant technical field.
  • 3-5 years of industry experience in systems engineering or safety engineering.
  • Strong systems thinking capabilities to solve complex safety challenges.
  • Ability to collaborate across teams and influence stakeholders effectively.
  • Experience in fast-paced environments with concurrent projects and ambiguity.

Responsibilities

  • Own safety evaluation and release strategy for autonomous driving operations.
  • Design and implement safety engineering framework, requirements, and V&V plans.
  • Conduct assessments of operational workflows and emergency protocols.
  • Develop safety evaluation methodologies and metrics frameworks.
  • Lead safety incident reviews and drive system improvements.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams on deployment and operational scaling.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health and wellness plans
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Professional development opportunities
  • Equity participation in the company
  • Performance-based bonuses
Full Job Description
About The Role

We are seeking an experienced and mission-driven Senior/Staff System Safety Engineer, Autonomy to lead the safety strategy and deployment readiness of our fully autonomous driving systems. In this role, you will define and implement the safety frameworks, release policies, and system-level engineering processes that enable safe and scalable unmanned operations. You will act as a technical leader in system safety, ensuring that our vehicles meet rigorous safety standards while advancing toward large-scale commercial deployment.

Responsibilities
  • Own the safety evaluation and release strategy for unmanned autonomous driving operations, defining clear criteria for system release, degradation, and fallback under varying operating conditions.
  • Design, implement, and champion the safety-related systems engineering framework, including safety requirements, system architecture, and Verification & Validation (V&V) plans.
  • Conduct systematic assessments of unmanned operational workflows, emergency protocols, and supporting tools/platforms to ensure safety and operational completeness.
  • Develop and institutionalize safety evaluation methodologies and metrics frameworks, translating safety goals into quantifiable, verifiable, and continuously tracked indicators.
  • Serve as the technical lead for safety-related incident review and analysis during unmanned operations, driving continuous improvements in system design, test coverage, and operational procedures.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with Software, Product, Operations, and Safety teams to support leadership decisions regarding unmanned deployment, city expansion, and operational scaling.


Qualifications
  • Bachelor's or higher degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
  • 3-5 years of industry experience in systems engineering, safety engineering, autonomous systems, or a directly related field.
  • Strong systems thinking with the ability to decompose complex safety challenges and drive practical, scalable solutions.
  • Demonstrated ability to collaborate across teams, influence stakeholders, and take ownership of safety outcomes.
  • Experience working in a fast-paced environment with multiple parallel projects and ambiguous requirements.


Preferred Qualifications
  • Professional experience in safety-critical autonomous vehicle deployment or large-scale robotic systems operations.
  • Background in functional safety (ISO 26262, SOTIF) or safety assurance of unmanned systems.
  • Hands-on experience with safety validation tools, simulation-based V&V, or operational safety monitoring platforms.
  • Proven track record of defining release policies or safety readiness criteria for real-world autonomous systems.


The base salary range for this full-time position is $148,594-247,038 (Sr. Engineer) and $178,286-296,400 (Staff Engineer) annually in addition to bonus, equity and benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

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