Senior Functional Safety Engineer/Safety Systems Engineer - M/F/D

Non‑negotiables for this role

3+ years hands-on programming of SICK safety controllers using SICK Safety Designer (professional, production use).

Electrical Engineering background with strong hands-on commissioning / troubleshooting on real vehicles.

Confident Python programming and ability to read and debug existing Python code (integration of safety system with application logic).

About Navflex

Navflex builds autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that operate in real warehouse and dock environments where safety, uptime, and reliability are mission-critical. Our robots must perform safely around people, forklifts, and mixed traffic while delivering measurable efficiency improvements for customers.

Role Overview

As our Senior Functional Safety & Safety Controls Engineer, you will own the end-to-end safety implementation on our mobile robotic platforms — from safety concept and risk assessment through hands-on implementation in SICK safety controllers and validation on the vehicle. You will work on the robot every day, iterate quickly, and ensure our safety behavior remains correct as platforms, sensors, and use cases evolve.

This role is highly hands-on and combines functional safety engineering with real-world safety controller programming and software integration. You will collaborate closely with robotics software (navigation/perception/control), electrical and mechanical engineering, and field operations to deliver safety solutions that scale across platforms and deployments.

What You Will Own

Safety controller architecture and implementation across Navflex AMR/AGV platforms, with a strong focus on SICK safety controllers.

Day-to-day development, commissioning, troubleshooting, and versioned configuration management of SICK Safety Designer projects.

Safety integration points between the safety controller and the robot application stack (status, modes, field switching, diagnostics), including Python-based tooling/software components.

Safety verification and validation on the vehicle, including test planning, execution, evidence capture, and documentation maintenance.

Support for certifications, audits, and customer/site acceptance related to machinery safety and mobile robot standards (e.g., ISO 3691-4, ISO 13849).

Safety concept, risk assessment, and requirements

Lead and continuously maintain risk assessments for our vehicles and operating modes (e.g., autonomous, manual, service/maintenance) and derive safety requirements and safety functions.

Translate safety requirements into an implementable safety concept and safety controller design, including safety I/O definitions, sensor coverage strategy, and safe-state behavior.

Define required Performance Levels (PLr) / SIL targets for safety functions and maintain traceability from hazards → safety requirements → implementation → verification evidence.

SICK safety controller programming (SICK Safety Designer)

Design, implement, and maintain safety logic in SICK safety controllers using SICK Safety Designer, including diagnostics and safe-state handling.

Commission and troubleshoot safety systems on real robots: wiring verification, signal integrity, scanner/encoder configuration, safety I/O checks, and fault analysis.

Build a maintainable configuration strategy across product variants: reusable modules, clear naming conventions, version control, and release/deployment procedures for safety configurations.

Implement and validate common AMR/AGV safety behaviors such as emergency stop, protective stop, speed reduction, safe direction, safe speed monitoring, and field set switching (as applicable to the platform).

Vehicle integration and Python-based software interfaces

Own the integration of safety controller status and commands with the robot application stack while preserving correct separation between safety-rated and non-safety functions.

Develop and maintain Python-based tooling/modules that interface with the safety controller (e.g., configuration deployment helpers, log collection, diagnostics, automated reports, or integration services).

Work with robotics software engineers to pinpoint root causes across the stack (safety controller, sensors, network, application logic) and drive issues to resolution.

Verification, validation, and documentation

Create and execute safety verification and validation plans for new features, new platform types, and customer-specific operating domains; document results clearly and reproducibly.

Maintain safety documentation throughout the lifecycle: safety concept, risk assessment, safety requirements, verification/validation evidence, change logs, and customer-facing documentation as needed.

Support internal design reviews and external assessments (e.g., notified bodies, TÜV, customer audits) with well-structured technical files and evidence packs.

Cross-functional leadership and operations support

Partner with hardware, mechanical, and software engineering to ensure safety is designed-in from early development through production and field deployment.

Support early deployments and customer transitions by diagnosing safety-related field issues, recommending design changes, and improving robustness.

Contribute to continuous improvement of safety processes (templates, checklists, test automation, change control) so safety scales with fleet growth.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Electrical Engineering or a closely related field.

3+ years of substantial, hands-on experience programming SICK safety controllers using SICK Safety Designer (including commissioning and troubleshooting on real machines/vehicles).

3+ years of experience implementing functional safety solutions for industrial automation, robotics, or mobile machines; strong familiarity with safety lifecycle thinking (hazard analysis → requirements → implementation → verification).

Strong working knowledge of relevant safety standards and methods; ideally ISO 3691-4 for AGVs/AMRs, and/or ISO 13849-1 / IEC 62061.

Practical experience with safety sensors and safety circuits (e-stops, safety laser scanners, safety encoders, safety I/O, interlocks).

Confident Python programming skills and ability to read/debug production Python code in a multi-component robotics system.

Comfortable working hands-on with hardware in a lab/warehouse environment and iterating quickly based on test results.

Fluent English (German is a strong plus).

Preferred Qualifications

Demonstrated experience implementing safety solutions for AGVs/AMRs specifically aligned with ISO 3691-4 (from concept through validation).

Experience with PL/SIL calculations and tooling (e.g., SISTEMA) and building safety evidence packs/technical files for CE marking.

Knowledge of safe communications / fieldbuses commonly used with safety systems (e.g., CIP Safety, PROFIsafe) and industrial networking fundamentals.

Experience working with mobile robot software stacks (e.g., ROS/ROS 2, Linux, networking, log analysis) and collaborating with navigation/perception/control teams.

TÜV Functional Safety certification (or similar) and/or experience working directly with notified bodies and third-party test labs.

Tools & Environment