Director of Product Safety

JOB SUMMARY

As our Director of Product Safety, you will build and lead Apptronik’s product safety function. This will include defining what safety means for a novel class of robots, driving the right requirements into our products and systems, and representing Apptronik in the standards bodies and regulatory environments shaping the future of humanoid robotics. You will report directly to the Chief Product Officer with a mandate to grow the function as Apollo scales toward commercialization.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Own the product safety roadmap end-to-end and identify where the real risks are, prioritize ruthlessly, and drive executable safety requirements into product and systems engineering.
• Build and lead Apptronik’s product safety team, with a mandate to grow the function in line with Apollo’s commercial trajectory.
• Represent Apptronik in relevant standards bodies and regulatory environments, including R15.06, R15.08, IEC 62061, and IEC 61508 working groups, helping shape the frameworks that will govern humanoid robotics.
• Develop and own the safety plan for safety-critical functions, including HARA, DFMEA, FTA, and system-level failure analysis across Apollo’s electro-mechanical and software systems.
• Develop and document safety requirements and technical safety concepts, collaborating closely with design, systems engineering, and verification teams.
• Navigate evolving consumer safety regulations and lead the process of securing NRTL and other requisite product safety certifications for Apollo.
• Partner with product management and engineering leadership to ensure safety is a pragmatic, integrated part of the development process, not a late-stage checkbox.
• Generate essential safety documentation including safety plans, risk analyses, compliance reports, and reliability assessments.
• Define Apptronik’s approach to safety for AI and ML-based systems, including human-robot interaction safety, as Apollo operates in increasingly complex collaborative environments.

SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Deep expertise in systems safety engineering, including HARA, DFMEA, FTA, and safety strategy development for complex electro-mechanical and robotic systems.
• Proven track record of taking products from concept through safety certification in commercial environments, including hands-on experience securing NRTL certifications.
• Solution oriented individual with strong problem solving skills who is able to evaluate complex problems and guide teams to a working outcome.
• Strong working knowledge of relevant safety standards including R15.06, R15.08, IEC 62061, and IEC 61508, with active or prior participation in standards bodies preferred.
• Experience leading and building safety teams, with the ability to attract, develop, and retain strong safety engineering talent.
• Pragmatic judgment about where safety effort should be focused and able to distinguish the requirements that truly matter from those that are purely compliance-driven.
• Experience with safety for AI, ML, or autonomous systems is a strong plus, particularly in human-robot interaction or collaborative environments.
• Familiarity with requirements management tools such as JAMA or equivalent.
• Strong communicator: able to represent Apptronik credibly with customers and in external standards and regulatory settings and translate safety requirements clearly for engineering and product teams.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering required; master’s degree preferred.
• 12 or more years of safety engineering experience on complex electro-mechanical systems or robotics, including demonstrated ownership of a full product safety certification cycle.
• 5 or more years building and managing a team
• TÜV or equivalent functional safety certification preferred.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times
• Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
• Hearing and speech to communicate