Senior/Staff System Safety Engineer, Autonomy
Didi•2d ago
United StatesOnsite$148.6K–$296.4KFull-timeSenior Level3+ yrs exp
Visa-friendly
Top focus
Staff EngineerSystem Admin
- About The Company
- DiDi's autonomous driving unit was established in 2016 with the mission of developing Level 4 autonomous driving (AD) technology to make transportation safer and more efficient. In August 2019, the unit became an independent company, DiDi Autonomous Driving, dedicated to advanced AD R&D, product application
- business expansion. We believe integrating AD technology into a shared-mobility fleet will generate immense social value. By leveraging DiDi's specialized technology, operational expertise
- integrated ecosystem, we are positioned to build and operate a highly efficient, user-oriented autonomous fleet.
- About The Role
- We are seeking an experienced and mission-driven Senior/Staff System Safety Engineer, Autonomy t o lead the safety strategy and deployment readiness of our fully autonomous driving systems. In this role, you will define and implement the safety frameworks, release policies
- system-level engineering processes that enable safe and scalable unmanned operations. You will act as a technical leader in system safety, ensuring that our vehicles meet rigorous safety standards while advancing toward large-scale commercial deployment.
- Responsibilities
- Own the safety evaluation and release strategy for unmanned autonomous driving operations, defining clear criteria for system release, degradation, and fallback under varying operating conditions.
- Design, implement, and champion the safety-related systems engineering framework, including safety requirements, system architecture, and Verification & Validation (V&V) plans.
- Conduct systematic assessments of unmanned operational workflows, emergency protocols, and supporting tools/platforms to ensure safety and operational completeness.
- Develop and institutionalize safety evaluation methodologies and metrics frameworks, translating safety goals into quantifiable, verifiable, and continuously tracked indicators.
- Serve as the technical lead for safety-related incident review and analysis during unmanned operations, driving continuous improvements in system design, test coverage, and operational procedures.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Software, Product, Operations, and Safety teams to support leadership decisions regarding unmanned deployment, city expansion, and operational scaling.
- Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or higher degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
- 3-5 years of industry experience in systems engineering, safety engineering, autonomous systems, or a directly related field.
- Strong systems thinking with the ability to decompose complex safety challenges and drive practical, scalable solutions.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate across teams, influence stakeholders, and take ownership of safety outcomes.
- Experience working in a fast-paced environment with multiple parallel projects and ambiguous requirements.
- Preferred Qualifications
- Professional experience in safety-critical autonomous vehicle deployment or large-scale robotic systems operations.
- Background in functional safety (ISO 26262, SOTIF) or safety assurance of unmanned systems.
- Hands-on experience with safety validation tools, simulation-based V&V, or operational safety monitoring platforms.
- Proven track record of defining release policies or safety readiness criteria for real-world autonomous systems.
- The base salary range for this full-time position is $148,594-247,038 (Senior Engineer) and $178,286-296,400 (Staff Engineer) annually in addition to bonus, equity and benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level
- location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience
- relevant education or training.
- I acknowledge that prior to submitting this application, I have read and accepted the Privacy Notice for California Residents which is available on https://v.didi.cn/AQnxlBa
Required skills
Systems EngineeringSafety EngineeringAutonomous SystemsVerification & ValidationFunctional SafetySimulationSafety Validation Tools