What are the responsibilities and job description for the Staff Autonomy Safety Engineer - Robot Safety position at 1X Technologies AS?
Staff Autonomy Safety Engineer, Robot Safety
Location: San Carlos, CA (On-site)
Type: Full-time
About 1X
At 1X, we are building humanoid robots that work alongside humans to solve labor shortages and create abundance. Our robots operate in real-world, human environments—bringing AI out of simulation and into everyday life.
The Role
We are hiring a Staff Autonomy Safety Engineer to lead safety assurance for machine learning–driven autonomy systems. You will ensure that perception, prediction, and decision-making systems operate safely under real-world conditions, degrade gracefully under uncertainty, and remain robust in complex, human-facing environments.
This is a high-impact, deeply technical role focused on advancing AI safety for embodied systems. You will work at the intersection of autonomy, safety engineering, and real-world deployment, partnering closely with AI, robotics, and security teams.
You will report to the Director of Robot Safety.
What You Will Do
Identify and assess AI-specific hazards in end-to-end autonomy systems
Define and enforce safety constraints for AI-driven robot behavior involving humans, objects, and environments
Partner with Functional Safety to translate AI risks into system-level requirements and mitigations
Collaborate with AI teams to build runtime guardrails that validate and constrain AI-generated actions
Evaluate risks from:
dataset bias
distribution shift
model drift
rare and edge-case failure modes
Work with Cybersecurity to assess risks from:
adversarial inputs
prompt injection
misuse scenarios
Provide input on residual risk, uncertainty, and confidence levels in AI behavior
Help define safety strategies for real-world deployment of autonomous systems
The Kind of Seniority We Mean
This is a staff-level, hands-on technical role. We are looking for someone who can deeply analyze AI system behavior, define safety frameworks, and work directly with engineering teams to implement safeguards in production systems. You are expected to operate with high autonomy, influence cross-functional teams, and contribute directly to the safety of deployed robots.
What Success Looks Like
AI systems operate within well-defined safety envelopes
Safety constraints are enforced in real-time decision-making systems
Robust mitigations exist for edge cases and failure modes
AI behavior is measurable, explainable, and auditable from a safety perspective
Strong collaboration between AI, Safety, and Security teams
Reduced risk from distribution shifts, adversarial inputs, and unexpected environments
What We Are Looking For
M.S. or higher in Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or related field
10 years of experience in AI/ML, robotics, or autonomous systems, with focus on safety-critical systems
Strong programming skills in Python and familiarity with ML frameworks
Experience working with real-world deployed learning-based systems
Deep understanding of:
ML robustness
generalization failures
edge cases and failure modes
Experience analyzing safety risks in human-interacting systems
Ability to operate at the intersection of AI, systems engineering, and safety
Nice to Have
Experience with autonomous vehicles or robotics safety
Familiarity with safety frameworks (e.g., FMEA, FTA, SOTIF, UL 4600)
Experience with adversarial ML or AI security
Background in formal methods or verification for ML systems
Experience defining runtime safety systems or guardrails for AI
Benefits & Compensation
Salary Range: $170k-$259k Equity
Health, dental, and vision insurance
401(k) with company match
Paid time off and holidays
Equal Opportunity Employer
1X is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.
Salary : $170,000 - $259,000