Senior Systems & Safety Engineer - AI/ML

About the role

Gatik is revolutionizing middle-mile logistics with fully driverless commercial box trucks and tractors operating on fixed B2B routes. As a Senior Systems & Safety Engineer for AI/ML, you will bridge the gap between cutting-edge deep learning algorithms (perception, prediction, planning) and rigorous safety engineering. You will define the functional safety and SOTIF strategies for learned components, establish out-of-distribution (OOD) detection criteria, design runtime AI safety monitors, and construct evidence-backed safety cases for machine learning models running on Level 4 autonomous commercial vehicles.

This role is onsite 5 days a week at our Santa Clara, CA office!

What you'll do

• SOTIF & ML Safety Architecture: Lead the implementation of ISO 21448 (SOTIF) and UL 4600 frameworks across Gatik's AI/ML pipelines.
• Safety Requirements for Learned Systems: Derive safety requirements and performance boundaries (e.g., false positive/negative limits, edge-case coverage metrics) for neural networks and deep learning models.
• Runtime Verification & AI Monitors: Design and validate deterministic AI safety guardrails, out-of-distribution (OOD) detectors, and runtime monitoring mechanisms that fall back to fail-safe actions upon model degradation or uncertainty.
• Dataset Safety & Bias Assessment: Establish criteria for training and validation dataset completeness, operational design domain (ODD) coverage, class imbalance, and synthetic vs. real data fidelity.
• Failure Modes & Effects Analysis: Conduct systematic HAZOP, STPA, and SOTIF risk analyses specifically targeting deep learning failure modes (e.g., adversarial examples, sensor degradation, lighting/weather edge cases).
• Safety Case Argumentation: Author structured safety case arguments (Goulburn/GSN or Goal Structuring Notation) demonstrating acceptable residual risk for AI components in driverless operations.

What we're looking for

• Education: M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Machine Learning, or related field.
• Experience: 6+ years in systems/safety engineering or autonomous systems, with at least 3 years explicitly focused on AI/ML safety.
• Standards Expertise: Deep working knowledge of ISO 21448 (SOTIF), ISO/PAS 8800, UL 4600, and ISO 26262
• Technical Skills:
• AV Domain Knowledge: Strong understanding of sensor modalities (LiDAR, Radar, Cameras, IMUs) and their failure modes in adverse weather/environmental conditions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Track record of taking a machine-learning-based L4 autonomous vehicle system to driverless commercial deployment.
• Direct experience with data generation/curation tools, active learning, and automated edge-case extraction pipelines.

Salary Range - $160,000- $220,000

More about Gatik

Founded in 2017 by experts in autonomous vehicle technology, Gatik has rapidly expanded its presence to Mountain View, Dallas-Fort Worth, Arkansas, and Toronto. As the first and only company to achieve fully driverless middle-mile commercial deliveries, Gatik holds a unique and defensible position in the AV industry, with a clear trajectory toward sustainable growth and profitability.

We have delivered complete, proprietary AV technology - an integration of software and hardware - to enable earlier successes for our clients in constrained Level 4 autonomy. By choosing the middle mile - with defined point-to-point delivery, we have simplified some of the more complex AV challenges, enabling us to achieve full autonomy ahead of competitors.

Given extensive knowledge of Gatik's well-defined, fixed route ODDs and hybrid architecture, we are able to hyper-optimize our models with exponentially less data, establish gate-keeping mechanisms to maintain explainability, and ensure continued safety of the system for unmanned operations.

Visit us at Gatik for more company information and Careers at Gatik for more open roles.

Notable News

• Forbes: Forget robotaxis. Upstart Gatik sees middle-mile deliveries as the path to profitable AVs
• Tech Brew: Gatik AI exec unpacks the regulations that could shape the AV industry
• Business Wire: Gatik Paves the Way for Safe Driverless Operations ('Freight-Only') at Scale with Industry-First Third-Party Safety Assessment Framework
• Auto Futures: Autonomous Trucking Group Gatik Secures Investment From NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS
• Automotive News: Gatik foresees hundreds of self-driving trucks on road soon, and that's just the beginning
• Forbes: Isuzu And Gatik Go All In To Scale Up Driverless Freight Services
• Bloomberg: Autonomous Vehicle Startup Takes Off by Picking Off Easier Routes
• Reuters: Driverless vehicles on limited routes bump along despite US robotaxi scrutiny