Principal Functional Safety Engineer

Job Title

Principal Functional Safety Engineer

Role Summary

Lead and execute functional safety activities for automotive semiconductor ICs to achieve ISO 26262 ASIL D compliance. Serve as a hands-on technical safety lead across design, verification, and production lifecycles and act as primary safety contact for OEMs, Tier‑1s, and assessors.

Experience Level

Senior / Principal level. The posting requests 8+ years of experience in semiconductor development, preferably with Automotive ICs and proven leadership of ASIL D safety projects.

Responsibilities

Drive and deliver end-to-end functional safety for automotive IC products and support process alignment with ASPICE Level 3.

• Lead end-to-end functional safety activities for Automotive ICs in compliance with ISO 26262 (ASIL D).
• Define, implement, and maintain Safety Plans, Safety Concepts, FMEDA, Safety Manuals, and Safety Cases.
• Implement SEooC and Assumption of Use approaches; derive safety goals and ASIL decomposition strategies.
• Define technical safety architecture for digital, analog, and mixed-signal ICs; design and verify safety mechanisms (ECC, lockstep, watchdogs, voltage/clock monitors).
• Perform and lead FMEA, FMEDA, and FTA analyses; ensure ASIL metrics (SPFM, LFM, PMHF) are satisfied.
• Conduct Functional Safety audits, confirmation measures, assessments, and reviews.
• Collaborate with design, verification, and software teams to ensure freedom from interference and safe partitioning of ASIL vs QM functions.
• Partner with OEMs, Tier‑1s, and external assessors to support audits and resolve safety concerns.
• Evaluate hardware on non‑compliant internal and external IPs and recommend mitigations.
• Mentor junior functional safety engineers and contribute to company best practices.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience required for independent delivery of ASIL D semiconductor safety projects.

• 8+ years of experience in semiconductor development, specifically Automotive ICs.
• Proven record of independently leading functional safety projects through ASIL D certification.
• Strong knowledge of ISO 26262 (Parts 2–11) and related functional safety standards.
• Hands-on experience with FMEA, FMEDA, FTA, DFA, fault injection testing, and safety metrics analysis.
• Experience designing and verifying safety mechanisms in hardware and firmware.
• Familiarity with requirements management tools (DOORS, Jama, Polarion) and safety analysis tools.
• Experience engaging with external assessors and certification bodies; strong communication skills for interfacing with OEMs and Tier‑1s.

Nice-to-have:

• Background in digital/analog/mixed-signal SoC design and HW/SW tool evaluation/classification.
• Experience with ASPICE Level 3, ISO/SAE 21434 (cybersecurity), and automotive quality processes (IATF 16949, AEC‑Q100, PPAP, APQP).
• Prior assessor/audit experience with TÜV, Exida, UL, or similar bodies.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline (as stated in the posting).

About the Company

Company: Ethernovia

Develops advanced automotive communication semiconductors and systems, focusing on digital SoC design and verification for networking, video, DSP and related IP. Startup-stage employer offering pre-IPO stock options and benefits.