Principal Safety Engineer
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
We are seeking a deeply technical Principal Safety Engineer to help define what safety means for a new generation of humanoid robots. Humanoids present safety challenges that have never been fully solved: they are powerful, highly dynamic machines designed to operate autonomously, learn, and interact closely with people in complex, unstructured environments. There is no established playbook for solving many of these challenges and you will help write it. This is not a compliance-first functional safety role; standards and established methods are tools, not the destination.
Key Outcomes
Identify hazards unique to our robots and their Operational Design Domain, and reason about them from first principles
Invent new ways to eliminate or mitigate risk across hardware, controls, software, and AI behavior
Find the risks others miss - the ones that emerge where physical systems and intelligent behavior interact
Turn that insight into fundamentally safer architectures, controls, behaviors, and validation strategies
Establish the engineering principles for safe humanoid design at 1X, and for an industry still being invented
Key Competencies
Deep first-principles reasoning across mechanical, electrical, controls, software, and AI failure modes
Strong systems thinking, with the judgment to know where existing standards stop and novel hazards begin
Ability to influence technical decisions across Hardware, Software, AI, Controls, Test, Reliability, and Systems Engineering
Excellent written and verbal communication with both deeply technical and executive audiences
Comfortable driving technical direction across multidisciplinary teams in a fast-moving startup environment
Minimum Requirements
Deep experience in robotics safety and AI-enabled robotic systems
Strong background in robot design, system architecture, controls, actuation, sensing, and complex electromechanical behavior
Demonstrated track record of safety innovation - novel technical solutions to meaningful robot hazards
Experience designing safety cases, safety validation strategies, and safety test plans for complex robotic or autonomous systems
Experience applying functional safety methods in service of product-specific risk reduction, not compliance alone
Preferred Skills
Experience with humanoid robots, mobile robots, or other systems operating in close proximity to people
Experience developing safety architectures spanning hardware, controls, software, and AI behavior
Familiarity with robotics, machinery, functional safety, or autonomous-system standards - and where they fall short
Experience building or leading multidisciplinary safety test programs for complex physical systems
Experience taking safety-critical systems into consumer or in-home environments
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.
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.