Staff Systems Engineer (m/f/d) - Fernride GmbH

Fernride is building the future of autonomous logistics by combining advanced automation technology with human‑guided teleoperations. We enable logistics companies to transition toward safer, more efficient, and more sustainable driverless operations. With strong expertise in robotics, AI, and automotive engineering, Fernride delivers scalable solutions that bring real‑world autonomy to industrial environments.

The Quantum Systems Land Domain is developing leading-edge autonomous UGV technology for defense — a domain where no blueprint exists. The product strategy starts with a UGV that is useful on today’s battlefields and can be built with current technology, then progressively increases the authority of the autonomy system while reducing the need for human supervision — across ever more complex operating environments, up to fully autonomous operation in proximity to civilians.

As a senior system safety expert, you will own and shape this discipline from the ground up: define the safety case architecture, build the processes, and set the standard. You will work across product management, design assurance, product security, engineering teams, and V&V to ensure safety is embedded in the product from hazard analysis through to operational deployment. As the product matures, you will grow your domain into a team.

What is your Day to Day Mission:

• Establish and maintain the system safety process and safety case architecture.

• Define and maintain the Operational Design Domain (ODD) — environmental, operational, and scenario boundaries for safe operation.

• Conduct CONOPS scenario analysis — operational scenarios, mode transitions, degraded modes, and edge cases.

• Conduct hazard analysis and risk assessment (HARA) — system-level hazards, risk ratings, safety functions, and operational risk reduction measures.

• Conduct SOTIF analysis — performance limitations and triggering conditions that lead to hazardous behavior without component faults.

• Define safety functions and safety integrity targets without prescribing implementation architecture.

• Define system-level validation criteria for safe behavior in operational scenarios.

• Own system-level risk acceptance — residual risk arguments, release conditions, and operational restrictions.

• Define operational measures — operator procedures, training requirements, warnings, and use restrictions.

• Manage the regulatory register and safety-relevant compliance matrices (Machinery Regulation, AI Act).

• Allocate safety functions and integrity targets to Design Assurance and Product Security; arbitrate safety-security conflicts (e.g., fail-open vs. fail-secure); coordinate cross-domain risk management.

• Communicate safety functions and ODD constraints as system requirements to engineering teams; review architecture proposals for hazard coverage; participate in scenario reviews and field trials.

• Coordinate with Quantum Systems core group on safety aspects of the C3 system (MOSAIC, GCS) and multi-domain operation.

• Define validation scenarios and acceptance criteria for V&V including edge cases, degraded modes, and SOTIF triggering conditions; review and accept validation evidence for safety claims.

• Develop and maintain AI-assisted workflows for safety analysis, compliance auditing, and traceability management.

What you bring to the team:

• Deep expertise in hazard analysis, operational risk assessment, and safety argumentation for complex autonomous systems, with an engineering mindset and hands-on attitude.

• Experience defining Operational Design Domains, CONOPS scenarios, and system-level safety functions for robotic or autonomous platforms.

• Ability to construct and defend residual risk arguments toward regulators, customers, and program management.

• Strong collaboration skills across multidisciplinary teams — you bridge product management, engineering, and V&V.

• Interest in AI-assisted engineering workflows and willingness to shape how AI tools support safety analysis and compliance management.

• Comfortable working with software development tools — GitHub, VS Code, Bazel, Markdown, CI/CD pipelines — to operate and evolve the AI-assisted methodology.

Your Benefits: 

• Direct impact: See your contributions rapidly integrated from cutting-edge research into industrialized products, flying in the field within short development cycles. 

• Culture & Environment: A dynamic, fast-paced, and collaborative startup environment with flat hierarchies, efficient collaboration, and a strong emphasis on continuous learning opportunities. 

• Work-life Balance: We offer flexible work schedules, and 30 days of paid vacation each year to support your personal and professional life. 

• Lunch Benefit: We promote healthy eating and the well-being of our employees with a monthly lunch budget. 

• Health & Wellness: We support your physical well-being with a company-subsidized eGym Wellpass membership, giving you access to thousands of gyms and sports facilities.