Forterra is seeking an experienced Safety Software Engineer to join their team and support the development of safety-critical software for defense and autonomous vehicle systems. This role will spearhead efforts in ensuring that software for unmanned and autonomous ground platforms meets rigorous defense and automotive safety standards.
Requirements
- Experience in developing safety-critical software in defense or autonomous ground vehicle systems.
- Fluency in safety-relevant programming languages (C, C++, Ada).
- Familiarity with structured development methods such as Agile, V-Model, or MIL-STD/DoD software processes.
- Experience with standards such as DO-178C, MIL-STD-882E, IEC 61508, or ISO 26262 (for autonomyrelated safety).
- Familiarity with coding standards such as MISRA or SPARK Ada.
- Experience with safety analysis techniques (FMEA, FHA, FTA).
- Hands-on use of requirements management tools (DOORS, Polarion, Jama) and issue tracking (JIRA).
Responsibilities
- Lead the implementation of safety-critical software standards across defense and autonomous vehicle programs.
- Develop and refine safety concepts for ground vehicle systems, including architecture, redundancy mechanisms, fault management, and verification activities.
- Conduct safety analyses such as FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis), FHA (Functional Hazard Analysis), FTA (Fault Tree Analysis), and DFA (Dependent Failure Analysis).
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams on validation and verification plans for unmanned and autonomous ground vehicles.
- Support and participate in software integration and qualification testing to demonstrate safety requirements are met.
- Mentor engineers on safety software principles, tools, and best practices drawn from both defense and autonomous vehicle domains.
- Stay informed about evolving standards in defense and autonomy to continuously improve practices.
Other
- Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or related field (Master’s preferred).
- 5+ years of experience in safety-critical software for defense or autonomous vehicle systems.
- Strong analytical skills in reliability, probability, and system safety modeling.
- Experience supporting software verification and validation for autonomous ground platforms, real-time operating systems, or secure embedded systems.
