Robotics Autonomy Engineer - Safety

Field Ai
Irvine, CA
On-site

In the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026, Field Ai filed 1 H-1B position titled "Robotics Autonomy Engineer". Source: U.S. Department of Labor, LCA disclosure data. A record of filings already made, not a commitment to sponsor.

Who this role is best for

Best suited to safety-focused engineers with classical control expertise working in real-world robotics deployment environments.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with experience in safety-critical systems and a verification mindset for robotics
    — “A verification mindset: you think in terms of assumptions, failure modes, coverage, and evidence”
  • Individuals who thrive in hardware-in-the-loop and field testing, not just simulation
    — “Verify the safety layer in simulation, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, and field trials”
  • Engineers with a background in classical planning and control for autonomous systems
    — “Strong grounding in classical planning and control, such as collision checking and trajectory validation”
  • Professionals who have worked on safety-rated hardware or communication systems
    — “Experience with redundant sensing, safety rated hardware, or safety rated communication”

Things to consider

  • The role demands real-time, deterministic C++ development with strict correctness requirements
    — “Experience writing deterministic, real time, resource bounded C++ for systems where correctness matters more than features”
  • Candidates should be prepared to work closely with integration and planning teams on safety constraints
    — “Work with planning, control, locomotion, and integration teams so the nominal stack plans and moves within the safety envelope”

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience with runtime assurance architectures and safety envelope definitions
    — “Experience with runtime assurance architectures that wrap a learned or complex controller”
  • Demonstrate familiarity with safety standards like ISO 13482 and ISO 3691-4
    — “Familiarity with safety standards for mobile robots and autonomous systems (e.g., ISO 13482, ISO 3691-4, ISO 26262)”
  • Showcase work with legged or humanoid platforms, where safety envelopes are more complex
    — “Experience with legged or humanoid platforms, where balance and contact make safety envelopes harder to define”
  • Emphasize experience in field deployment and safety assessment of robotic systems
    — “Experience taking a robotic product through safety assessment or certification”
  • Demonstrate ability to design fallback behaviors and monitor system health
    — “Design fallback and minimal risk behaviors, from graceful slow down to safe stop, and the logic that decides when to trigger them”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • Developed safety layers for autonomous robots
  • Conducted field trials and simulations
Typical background
Master’s degree in Robotics or related fieldExperience in robotics safety

Skills & requirements

Required

Robotics SafetyAutonomy DevelopmentReal-time SystemsSafety Standards

Preferred

Field DeploymentSimulation Tools

About the role

Original posting from Field Ai via Lever

FieldAI’s Irvine team is where embodied AI meets real robots, real sensors, and real field deployments. Based in the heart of Southern California’s robotics ecosystem, we build risk-aware, reliable, field-ready AI systems that solve the hardest problems in robotics and unlock the full potential of embodied intelligence. If you want your work to ship, get tested on hardware, and improve through real deployments, Irvine is the place. We go beyond typical data-driven approaches or pure transformer-only architectures, combining rigorous engineering with learning systems proven in globally deployed solutions that deliver results today and get better every time our robots run in the field.

About the Job:

Field AI is building the future of autonomy—from rugged terrain to real-world deployment. We’re on a mission to develop intelligent, adaptable robotic systems that operate beyond simulation and thrive in unpredictable environments. As our Robotics Autonomy Engineer – Safety, you’ll own and advance the independent safety layer that keeps our robots safe around people, equipment, and terrain no matter what the rest of the autonomy stack decides. You’ll be part of a deeply technical team advancing real-world robotic capabilities through cutting-edge research, simulation tools, and field validation. If building the guarantees that let robots earn trust in the real world excites you, and you want to work where your code hits the ground (literally)—this is your role. This is Field AI.

What You’ll Get To Do:

  • Own and evolve the safety layer that runs independently of perception, planning, and learned policies, and extend it to new wheeled, legged, and humanoid platforms
  • Build runtime monitors and collision avoidance backstops that check every commanded motion against the environment before it reaches the robot
  • Enforce speed, zone, terrain, and proximity limits, and define the safe operating envelope for each platform and deployment
  • Design fallback and minimal risk behaviors, from graceful slow down to safe stop, and the logic that decides when to trigger them
  • Build watchdogs and health monitoring across sensors, compute, communication, and actuation, so the robot always knows when it can trust itself
  • Lead hazard analysis and safety case development for new platforms and new deployments
  • Verify the safety layer in simulation, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, and field trials, with coverage that grows with every deployment
  • Work with planning, control, locomotion, and integration teams so the nominal stack plans and moves within the safety envelope

What You Have:

  • Master’s degree or higher in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or a Bachelor’s degree with substantial hands-on experience on safety related autonomous systems
  • 2+ years of experience developing safety, monitoring, or fallback systems for robots or autonomous vehicles
  • Strong grounding in classical planning and control, such as collision checking and trajectory validation
  • Experience writing deterministic, real time, resource bounded C++ for systems where correctness matters more than features
  • Solid Python skills for tooling, analysis, and test automation in Linux-based environments
  • A verification mindset: you think in terms of assumptions, failure modes, coverage, and evidence
  • Familiarity with safety standards for mobile robots and autonomous systems (e.g., ISO 13482, ISO 3691-4, ISO 26262)
  • Familiarity with robotics middleware such as ROS/ROS 2, and with robot sensors such as LiDAR, depth cameras, and IMUs

The Extras That Set You Apart:

  • Functional safety experience in autonomous vehicles, industrial robots, or aerospace
  • Experience with runtime assurance architectures that wrap a learned or complex controller
  • Experience with formal or set based safety methods applied to real robots
  • Experience defining operational design domains and monitoring when a system is outside them
  • Experience with redundant sensing, safety rated hardware, or safety rated communication
  • Experience taking a robotic product through safety assessment or certification
  • Experience with legged or humanoid platforms, where balance and contact make safety envelopes harder to define

Our salary range is generous and we consider each individual’s background and experience when determining final compensation. Base pay may vary based on role scope, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and the Irvine, California market.

Why Join FieldAI in Irvine?

In Irvine, you will work where the robots are. Our local team builds and tests systems on real hardware with real sensors, then ships them to operate in unstructured, previously unknown environments around the world. We are solving one of robotics’ hardest challenges: reliable deployment outside the lab. Our Field Foundational Models™ raise the bar for perception, planning, localization, and manipulation, with an emphasis on explainability and safety for real-world use.

You will collaborate with a world-class team that thrives on creativity, resilience, and bold thinking. We bring deep experience from organizations such as DeepMind, NASA JPL, Boston Dynamics, NVIDIA, Amazon, Tesla Autopilot, Cruise, Zoox, Toyota Research Institute, and SpaceX, along with a track record of field deployments and strong performance in DARPA challenge segments.

Be Part of the Next Robotics Revolution

We are looking for builders who want their work to leave the whiteboard and show up on robots. If you enjoy tackling tough, uncharted questions and working across disciplines, you will find your people here. Our teams span AI, software, robotics engineering, product, field deployment, and technical communication, all focused on shipping systems that perform in the real world.

Our headquarters is in Irvine, and we partner closely with teams there as well as colleagues across the US and around the world. Join us in Southern California and help define what dependable, field-ready autonomy looks like.

We value diverse perspectives and are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace. We evaluate candidates and employees based on merit, qualifications, and performance, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any other legally protected status.

Source: Field Ai careers (Lever)

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