Safety Management Systems Lead

About the Role

Applied Intuition builds and deploys autonomous systems across automotive, trucking, and industrials programs. As we scale, we need one company standard: consistent procedures, consistent records, and evidence we can put in front of any customer or regulator, in any program.

This role owns that standard. You will build and run the operational safety compliance and assurance framework across every program — procedures, incident classification, compliance obligations, and the records that evidence all of it.

This is a cross-program mandate, not a program-embedded one. Individual programs will continue to execute; your job is to make sure they execute against the same standard and can prove it.

At Applied Intuition, you will:

• Establish a unified operational framework across automotive, trucking, and industrials, including SOPs, readiness checklists, and incident taxonomy.

• Own the operational safety ownership map, identifying responsibilities, gaps, and cross-functional dependencies.

• Develop and maintain safety-driven operational procedures in partnership with Systems Engineering and Program Management.

• Represent Operations in change control and deployment readiness reviews, ensuring execution readiness.

• Own the operational compliance framework, including permits, authorizations, customer obligations, audits, and regulatory changes.

• Ensure fleet compliance requirements are met and documented, including inspections, maintenance, safety-critical parts, defect containment, and DOT drug/alcohol testing.

• Own incident management end to end, from classification and response through RCA, CAPA, and verified effectiveness.

• Drive cross-program incident and safety trend analysis, ensuring lessons learned reach all field teams.

• Define and maintain operational safety evidence, support safety cases and customer assurances, and report safety performance to leadership.

We're looking for someone who has:

• 7+ years of experience in operational compliance, transportation safety, program management, or a related field, including 3+ years in a safety-critical or regulated environment.

• Proven ownership of compliance programs, including building and maintaining the underlying framework.

• Experience standardizing processes across multiple programs, sites, or business units.

• Strong experience with root cause analysis and CAPA through verified closure.

• Proven ability to build audit-ready documentation and recordkeeping systems.

• Excellent written communication, with the ability to create clear operator procedures and concise executive-level summaries.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field. Equivalent experience leading complex commercial vehicle or autonomy operations may substitute for formal education

Nice to have:

• Experience in autonomous vehicles, trucking, mining, aviation, rail, or another safety-critical, regulated industry.

• Experience across multiple operating domains, with the ability to distinguish true regulatory differences from local practices.

• Working knowledge of DOT, FMCSA, OSHA, and MSHA requirements, plus familiarity with state AV permitting.

• Familiarity with safety case methodologies and standards such as ISO 26262, SOTIF, or UL 4600.

• Relevant safety certification (e.g., CSP, OSHA 500/501, or MSHA Part 46/48).

• Experience supporting multiple customer programs with differing contractual and safety requirements.

• MS/BS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience