Lead the implementation of safety-critical software standards across defense and autonomous vehicle programs
Develop and refine safety concepts for ground vehicle systems, including architecture, redundancy mechanisms, fault management, and verification activities
Conduct safety analyses such as FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis), FHA (Functional Hazard Analysis), FTA (Fault Tree Analysis), and DFA (Dependent Failure Analysis)
Collaborate with cross-functional teams on validation and verification plans for unmanned and autonomous ground vehicles
Support and participate in software integration and qualification testing to demonstrate safety requirements are met
Mentor engineers on safety software principles, tools, and best practices drawn from both defense and autonomous vehicle domains
Stay informed about evolving standards in defense and autonomy to continuously improve practices

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or related field (Master’s preferred)
5+ years of experience in safety-critical software for defense or autonomous vehicle systems.
Experience with standards such as DO-178C, MIL-STD-882E, IEC 61508, or ISO 26262 (for autonomy-related safety)
Familiarity with coding standards such as MISRA or SPARK Ada
Experience with safety analysis techniques (FMEA, FHA, FTA)
Hands-on use of requirements management tools (DOORS, Polarion, Jama) and issue tracking (JIRA)
Strong analytical skills in reliability, probability, and system safety modeling
Experience supporting software verification and validation for autonomous ground platforms, real-time operating systems, or secure embedded systems
Ability to guide testing and certification activities across defense and autonomy projects.
Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills
Experience in developing safety-critical software in defense or autonomous ground vehicle systems.
Fluency in safety-relevant programming languages (C, C++, Ada)
Familiarity with structured development methods such as Agile, V-Model, or MIL-STD/DoD software processes.

Benefits

Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents.
Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December.
Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year.
A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption.
A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.
Fully stocked beverage refrigerators with all the Celsius your little heart desires.
401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%.

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

safety-critical softwareFMEAFHAFTADFADO-178CMIL-STD-882EIEC 61508ISO 26262C

analytical skillsleadershipcommunicationinterpersonal skills