At Google DeepMind Robotics we are pioneering bringing AI to the physical world. We are powering an era of physical agents, enabling robots to perceive, plan, think, use-tools, and act to better solve complex tasks.
As a Staff Functional Safety Engineer, you will play a critical role in defining and implementing the functional safety architecture for high-performance robotics compute platforms. You will serve as a key bridge between high-level safety architectures and concrete deliverables.
Artificial intelligence will be one of humanity’s most transformative inventions. At Google DeepMind, we are a pioneering AI lab with exceptional interdisciplinary teams focused on advancing AI development to solve complex global challenges and accelerate high-quality product innovation for billions of users. We use our technologies for widespread public benefit and scientific discovery, ensuring safety and ethics are always our highest priority.
We are pushing the boundaries across multiple domains. Our global teams offer diverse learning opportunities and varied career pathways for those driven to achieve exceptional results through collective effort.
The US base salary range for this full-time position is $256,000-$278,000. 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. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.
Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, equity, or benefits. Learn more about benefits at Google.
Responsibilities
- Design and implement hardware/firmware safety features, including safety islands and fallback mechanisms. Conduct FMEDA and fault injection campaigns to evaluate diagnostics.
- Lead testing and validation to ensure the entire hardware and software stack achieves strict certification against all targeted safety metrics and industry standards.
- Collaborate with research teams to develop safety architectures for robotics models. Define safety goals, concepts, and cases. Specify target safety standards (e.g., ISO 26262, IEC 61508, ISO 10218, ISO TS 15066) and determine required integrity levels (SIL/ASIL).
- Guide engineering teams through safety and reliability methodologies (HARA, DFMEA, Fault Tree Analysis). Perform structured root cause analysis to resolve system failures.
- Communicate effectively with both expert engineers and executive leadership. Oversee the deployment of complex electromechanical systems into large-scale, real-world operations.
Qualifications
Minimum qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
- 8 years of experience with systems automation, systems design and implementation.
- 8 years of experience with technical infrastructure (e.g., deployment, maintenance, troubleshooting), and with reliability of technical infrastructure.
- 3 years of experience working with system safety or functional safety projects and use of functional safety standards.
- Experience with functional safety standards such as IEC 61508, ISO 13849,1SO 10218,ISO 26262, ISO 21448 (SOTIF), or similar frameworks.
- Experience with functional safety engineering for embedded systems, automotive, robotics, or other hardware.
Preferred qualifications:
- Master's degree or PhD in a related technical field.
- Certified Functional Safety Engineer(CFSE) or Certified Functional Safety Professional(CFSE) by TUV, Exida, or equivalent.
- Experience working with external partners or vendors on safety assessments and system reviews.
- Familiarity with highly integrated edge systems, high-performance computing, or mixed-criticality systems.