Brief Role Description

The Safety & Incident Response Process Owner is responsible for owning and continuously improving the operational safety and incident response processes for Level 4 autonomous driving deployments for US based operations. This role ensures that safety incidents, anomalies, and emergencies are handled in a structured, timely, and effective manner to protect people, assets, and public trust. The role acts as a central coordination point during safety-critical events and ensures that lessons learned are translated into lasting safety improvements. This role owns operational safety execution and incident response and does not own system-level safety case development or safety standard compliance decisions. The position plays a key role in demonstrating operational safety readiness to internal stakeholders and external authorities.

Possible Tasks within this Role

Incident Response & Safety Event Management

• Own and maintain the end-to-end incident response process for Level 4 autonomous vehicle operations in close collaboration with the global organization
• Act as a safety authority or coordinator during safety-critical incidents and operational emergencies
• Ensure timely classification, escalation, and communication of incidents according to defined procedures
• Escalate systemic safety issues and trends to the Safety Management System governance function for assessment and incorporation into system-level safety controls
• Coordinate cross-functional responses involving operations, engineering, legal, PR, and leadership

Incident Investigation & Continuous Improvement

• Drive or support safety incident investigations and root cause analyses
• Define, track, and verify completion and effectiveness of corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) arising from safety incidents, operational risk assessments, and audits
• Identify systemic operational safety risks and trends based on incident data
• Drive continuous improvement of operational safety processes and controls

Operational Safety Processes & Governance

• Define, document, and maintain operational safety procedures, playbooks, and escalation paths
• Support safety readiness reviews for new ODDs, vehicles, features, or operational changes
• Ensure alignment between operational processes and the organization’s Safety Management System
• Monitor and report operational safety performance using defined KPIs and indicators

Deployment, Fleet & Field Operations Support

• Work closely with fleet operations, remote operations, and on-road teams to ensure safe execution
• Support training and qualification requirements related to incident response and safety procedures
• Provide safety guidance during live operations, testing, and deployment activities
• Contribute to the definition of operational safety constraints and go/no-go criteria

Regulatory, Reporting & Stakeholder Interface

• Support regulatory reporting obligations related to safety incidents and operational events
• Prepare safety incident summaries and reports for internal management and external stakeholders
• Participate in audits, assessments, and reviews related to operational safety and incident response
• Support engagement with authorities, emergency services, and partners as required

Qualification requirements

Years of Relevant Experience:

• 7+ years of Experience in operational safety, incident response, or fleet operations within a safety-critical or regulated environment.
• Experience working with complex, software-driven systems (e.g., autonomous vehicles, robotics, aviation, rail, or similar domains)
• Exposure to on-road testing or deployment operations, preferably in autonomous driving or ADAS program
• Experience defining, owning, or improving operational processes and procedures
• Experience working in cross-functional and international teams

Education:

Required: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Safety Management, Transportation, or a related field or equivalent experience in operational safety or incident response within a safety-critical environment

Desired:

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Safety Management, Transportation, or a related field
• Advanced training or certification in Safety Management Systems (SMS), operational risk management, or incident command frameworks (e.g., aviation, rail, nuclear, or equivalent domains)

Skills:

• Strong analytical and decision-making skills under time pressure
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences
• Ability to work cross-functionally with engineering, operations, legal, communications, and leadership teams
• Structured, process-oriented mindset with strong attention to detail
• Ability to balance safety, operational continuity, and regulatory expectations
• High sense of responsibility, integrity, and safety ownership

Specialized Skills: