Functional Safety & AI - Technical Lead

We are supporting an advanced technology organisation seeking a Functional Safety for AI Technical Lead to shape the safe development and deployment of AI-enabled embedded systems.

This is a senior technical leadership position combining functional safety architecture, AI and machine learning, innovation delivery, and team leadership. You will turn a strategic Safety and AI roadmap into practical projects, ensuring new technologies can progress toward certification and real-world deployment.

The Role

You will lead the execution of AI safety activities across a portfolio of innovation projects. Working with specialists across safety, architecture, engineering, product introduction, and applications, you will define how AI-driven features behave safely within complex embedded systems.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Translating the Safety and AI roadmap into clearly defined innovation projects.
• Developing system safety concepts for AI-enabled features.
• Converting AI behaviour into safety requirements, controls, and verification mechanisms.
• Ensuring systems demonstrate appropriate fail-safe or fail-operational behaviour.
• Applying model validation, robustness testing, fault injection, and runtime safety mechanisms.
• Identifying technical or process gaps and feeding practical insights into the wider roadmap.
• Supporting the integration of standards such as ISO 8800 into development processes.
• Coordinating the transition of innovation projects into product introduction and application environments.
• Leading the Safety and AI innovation team, supporting performance and creating meaningful career development opportunities.
• Taking accountability for the successful delivery of complex, multidisciplinary programmes.

Your Background

• At least 10 years of industry experience architecting, designing, and validating safety-related embedded systems.
• Extensive knowledge of ISO 26262.
• Professional experience within an automotive environment.
• A strong understanding of the functional safety and AI landscape.
• A solid technical understanding of AI and machine learning in embedded systems.
• A track record of delivering complex technical projects.
• The ability to connect architecture, safety, and execution teams.
• A PhD or Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Embedded Systems, or a closely aligned discipline.

Experience with IEC 61508 and previous people-management responsibility would be advantageous. Broader technical leadership experience is also highly valued.

If you are an experienced functional safety leader excited by the challenge of making embedded AI safe, certifiable, and deployable, apply now or email nk@eu-recruit.com