Sr. Staff Functional Safety Architect– Industrial Applications

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced and visionary Functional Safety Architect to define, drive, and govern functional safety concepts for next-generation industrial systems. In this role, you will lead system-level safety architecture across hardware, software, and system boundaries, ensuring compliance with international functional safety standards for industrial, automation, robotics, and energy applications.

You will act as the technical authority for functional safety, bridging customer safety requirements, market regulations, and product engineering. Your work will ensure that our industrial solutions achieve the highest levels of safety, reliability, and regulatory compliance while enabling innovation and time-to-market.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and own the system-level functional safety architecture for industrial applications, covering sensors, MCUs/SoCs, power devices, actuators, and communication interfaces.
• Translate safety requirements from standards, regulations, and customer use cases into system, hardware, and software safety requirements.
• Lead hazard analysis and risk assessment activities (HARA), safety concept development, and safety lifecycle planning.
• Define safety mechanisms, diagnostics, redundancy concepts, and fault-handling strategies across HW/SW boundaries.
• Ensure alignment with functional safety standards such as IEC 61508, IEC 62061, ISO 13849, and related sector-specific standards.
• Drive HW/SW partitioning decisions with a focus on safety integrity, freedom from interference, and fault containment.
• Specify and review safety requirements, Safety Requirements Specifications (SRS), safety manuals, and safety case documentation.
• Collaborate closely with Product Groups, system architects, hardware, software, and validation teams to ensure end-to-end safety integrity.
• Support product definition and roadmaps by assessing safety implications, certification effort, and architectural trade-offs.
• Guide and review safety-related design, implementation, verification, and validation activities across the product lifecycle.
• Interface with customers, assessors, and certification bodies to support safety assessments, audits, and certifications.
• Support customer engagements by explaining safety concepts, assumptions of use, and integration guidelines.
• Monitor industry trends, evolving standards, and regulatory requirements, and integrate insights into safety strategies and architectures.
• Contribute to reference architectures, application notes, and safety concept reuse across multiple industrial platforms.
• Provide functional safety training, mentoring, and technical guidance to internal engineering and application teams.

Qualifications

• Master’s or Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechatronics, Systems Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in embedded or industrial system development, with significant responsibility in functional safety.
• Proven track record as a Functional Safety Architect, Safety Manager, or Lead Safety Engineer for industrial or automation systems.
• Deep understanding of functional safety standards such as IEC 61508, IEC 62061, ISO 13849, and their application to industrial equipment.
• Strong experience with safety lifecycle activities including HARA, safety concept definition, safety analysis (FMEA, FMEDA, FTA), and safety validation.
• Solid knowledge of embedded systems architecture, microcontrollers/SoCs, real-time software, and industrial communication protocols (e.g., CAN, EtherCAT, PROFINET, Modbus).
• Experience defining and assessing safety mechanisms such as diagnostics, watchdogs, redundancy, diversity, and safe-state concepts.
• Ability to work cross-functionally and communicate complex safety topics clearly to engineering, business, customers, and assessors.
• Strong documentation skills and experience preparing safety-related documentation for internal and external stakeholders.

Nice to Have

• Functional Safety certification (e.g., TÜV Functional Safety Engineer/Professional).
• Experience with cybersecurity and its interaction with functional safety in industrial systems.
• Background in robotics, motion control, motor drives, or industrial power conversion.
• Familiarity with semiconductor safety architectures, safety libraries, and safety-certified IP.
• Experience supporting third-party assessments and certifications with notified bodies.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to shape the functional safety architecture of cutting-edge industrial and automation solutions.
• High technical ownership and influence on product strategy, architecture, and customer success.
• Collaborative, international environment with strong system and safety expertise.
• Exposure to leading industrial customers, certification bodies, and evolving safety standards.
• Competitive compensation, flexible working models, and long-term career development opportunities.

Renesas is one of the top global semiconductor companies in the world. We strive to develop a safer, healthier, greener, and smarter world, and our goal is to make every endpoint intelligent by offering product solutions in the automotive, industrial, infrastructure and IoT markets. Our robust product portfolio includes world-leading MCUs, SoCs, analog and power products, plus Winning Combination solutions that curate these complementary products. We are a key supplier to the world’s leading manufacturers of electronics you rely on every day; you may not see our products, but they are all around you.

Renesas employs roughly 21,000 people in more than 30 countries worldwide. As a global team, our employees actively embody the Renesas Culture, our guiding principles based on five key elements: Transparent, Agile, Global, Innovative, and Entrepreneurial. Renesas believes in, and has a commitment to, diversity and inclusion, with initiatives and a leadership team dedicated to its resources and values. At Renesas, we want to build a sustainable future where technology helps make our lives easier. Join us and build your future by being part of what’s next in electronics and the world

Renesas is an embedded semiconductor solution provider driven by its Purpose ‘To Make Our Lives Easier.’ As the industry’s leading expert in embedded processing with unmatched quality and system-level know-how, we have evolved to provide scalable and comprehensive semiconductor solutions for automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT industries based on the broadest product portfolio, including High Performance Computing, Embedded Processing, Analog & Connectivity, and Power.
 
With a diverse team of over 21,000 professionals in more than 30 countries, we continue to expand our boundaries to offer enhanced user experiences through digitalization and usher into a new era of innovation. We design and develop sustainable, power-efficient solutions today that help people and communities thrive tomorrow, ‘To Make Our Lives Easier.’     
 
At Renesas, you can: 

• Launch and advance your career in technical and business roles across four Product Groups and various corporate functions. You will have the opportunities to explore our hardware and software capabilities and try new things.  

• Make a real impact by developing innovative products and solutions to meet our global customers' evolving needs and help make people’s lives easier, safe and secure. 

• Maximize your performance and wellbeing in our flexible and inclusive work environment. Our people-first culture and global support system, including the remote work option and Employee Resource Groups, will help you excel from the first day.    

Are you ready to own your success and make your mark?  

Join Renesas. Let’s Shape the Future together.  

Renesas Electronics is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, committed to supporting diversity and fostering a work environment free of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military status, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. For more information, please read our Diversity & Inclusion Statement.

We have adopted a hybrid model that gives employees the ability to work remotely two days a week while ensuring that we come together as a team in the office the rest of the time. The designated in-office days are Tuesday through Thursday for innovation, collaboration and continuous learning.