Staff Autonomy Safety Engineer - Robot Safety

About 1X

We’re building humanoid robots that work in home - doing the chores, handling the tasks, and giving people their time back. Simple, but it’s not.

To do this right, we have to solve robotics, AI, manufacturing - at the same time, at scale, in a form factor that has to be safe enough to live with your family. If you’re inspired by this, you’ll thrive here. We’ve been at this since 2014 and we’re at the point where the hard problems are behind us and the hard work is in front of us.

NEO is our flagship - a home robot designed to move, learn, and operate in the real world alongside real people. We’re not demoing it - we’re shipping it. We’re excited to meet you, if this excites you.

If you’ve spent your career working on problems that matter and want to see them actually reach the world - this is that moment. We’re scaling, we’re hiring with intention, and we need people who want to build something that will genuinely change how humans spend their time - safely creating abundance for all.

About the Team

The Autonomy & Safety Engineering team is responsible for ensuring 1X robots operate safely, reliably, and predictably in real-world human environments. We work at the intersection of robotics, autonomy, controls, perception, and systems safety to develop the frameworks, tooling, and validation methodologies that enable safe deployment of humanoid robots at scale.

This team plays a critical role in defining how embodied AI systems safely interact with people, homes, and dynamic real-world environments.

Your Charter

Lead the development and implementation of autonomy safety systems, risk mitigation strategies, and robot safety validation frameworks for 1X humanoid robots. This role is critical to ensuring our robots can safely operate alongside humans while maintaining reliability, scalability, and compliance across increasingly complex autonomous behaviors and real-world deployments.

Key Outcomes

• Design and implement scalable robot safety architectures and autonomy validation systems across humanoid robotics platforms

• Establish safety evaluation methodologies, simulation frameworks, and operational risk mitigation strategies for autonomous robot behaviors

• Partner cross-functionally with Autonomy, Controls, Perception, Hardware, and Systems teams to define and enforce safety requirements across the robotics stack

• Improve operational reliability and incident prevention through safety analysis, testing frameworks, and continuous validation processes

• Develop scalable processes and tooling for identifying, tracking, and mitigating autonomy-related risks during development and deployment

Key Competencies

• Deep expertise in robotics safety, autonomous systems, controls engineering, or safety-critical systems

• Strong systems-level thinking with the ability to evaluate complex interactions across software, hardware, and human environments

• Experience designing safety validation, testing, simulation, or operational risk frameworks for autonomous systems

• Strong programming and technical problem-solving skills across robotics or distributed systems environments

• Excellent collaboration and communication skills in highly cross-functional engineering organizations

Minimum Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in robotics safety, autonomous systems, systems engineering, or related safety-critical engineering domains

• Strong experience with robotics software systems, autonomy stacks, controls systems, or safety engineering frameworks

• Proficiency in Python, C++, or similar systems programming languages

• Experience performing risk analysis, hazard assessment, validation testing, or operational safety reviews

• Bachelor’s degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical field

Preferred Skills

• Experience working on humanoid robots, autonomous vehicles, industrial robotics, or safety-critical automation systems

• Familiarity with safety standards such as ISO 13849, IEC 61508, ISO 26262, or related frameworks

• Experience with robotics simulation environments and large-scale autonomy testing infrastructure

• Background in perception systems, controls, motion planning, or reinforcement learning safety

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Robotics, AI, Systems Engineering, or related field

What does a successful 1X Team Member look like

Team members at 1X who thrive here are builders. They move fast, own their work completely, and treat time like it’s the one thing you can’t get back - because it is. They say what they mean, finish what they start, and hold themselves to a standard before anyone has to ask. We push each other to be better, and we do it with honesty and respect.

Compensation Range

$170,000 - $259,000 + Equity

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

• Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave

• 401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%)

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options

• Commuter benefits (transit and parking)

• Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support

• Onsite snacks and catered lunches

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, justice system impact, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.