Operational Safety Manager, Japan

At Wayve we're committed to creating a diverse, fair and respectful culture that is inclusive of everyone based on their unique skills and perspectives, and regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding) or any other basis as protected by applicable law.

About us

Founded in 2017, Wayve is the leading developer of Embodied AI technology. Our advanced AI software and foundation models enable vehicles to perceive, understand, and navigate any complex environment, enhancing the usability and safety of automated driving systems.

Our vision is to create autonomy that propels the world forward. Our intelligent, mapless, and hardware-agnostic AI products are designed for automakers, accelerating the transition from assisted to automated driving.

In our fast-paced environment big problems ignite us—we embrace uncertainty, leaning into complex challenges to unlock groundbreaking solutions. We aim high and stay humble in our pursuit of excellence, constantly learning and evolving as we pave the way for a smarter, safer future.

At Wayve, your contributions matter. We value diversity, embrace new perspectives, and foster an inclusive work environment; we back each other to deliver impact.

Make Wayve the experience that defines your career!

The Role

As Operational Safety Manager – Japan, you will play a pivotal role in establishing and maintaining the safety framework for Wayve’s expanding operations in a new country. This is a unique opportunity to shape safety culture, processes, and compliance from the ground up, directly influencing how we test and deploy advanced driving technologies. Your expertise will drive risk mitigation, incident management, and regulatory alignment, ensuring our operations are not only safe but also industry-leading. By collaborating with global teams and local stakeholders, you’ll help define the future of autonomous driving safety in Japan and beyond.

Key Responsibilities:

• Safety Risk Management – Monitor daily safety data, assess emerging risks, and implement proactive mitigation strategies.

• Incident Investigation & Resolution – Lead investigations into safety events, determine root causes, and drive corrective actions.

• Audits & Compliance – Conduct safety audits, ensure adherence to Japan safety regulations, and continuously refine policies.

• Cross-Team Collaboration – Work closely with engineers, operators, and global safety teams to align on best practices.

• Safety Culture & Training – Develop training programs, update risk assessments, and drive a strong safety-first mindset across operations.

About you

In order to set you up for success as an Operational Safety Manager at Wayve, we’re looking for the following skills and experience.

Essential

• 5+ years experience of investigating incidents in a fast-paced environment

• Fluency in Japanese and English

• Relevant commercial experience in identifying, monitoring, evaluating, and delivering operational safety

• Demonstrable ability to innovate and problem-solve independently

• Good understanding of industry-relevant standards and guidelines

• Experience in human factors with regards to task overload, attention deficit tiredness, and risks inherent to vehicle’s driver interfaces

• Ability to create and implement new policies and procedures to maintain the safety of our operations

Desirable

• Proven experience in developing safety frameworks for ADAS or autonomous systems.

• Good understanding of vehicle electronics, functions, and their safety implications.

• Knowledge of Japanese road laws and safety regulations for fleet and test operations.

This is a full-time role based in our office in Yokohama, Japan. At Wayve we want the best of all worlds so we operate a hybrid working policy that combines time together in our offices and workshops to fuel innovation, culture, relationships and learning, and time spent working from home. We operate core working hours so you can determine the schedule that works best for you and your team.

We understand that everyone has a unique set of skills and experiences and that not everyone will meet all of the requirements listed above. If you’re passionate about self-driving cars and think you have what it takes to make a positive impact on the world, we encourage you to apply.

For more information visit Careers at Wayve.

To learn more about what drives us, visit Values at Wayve

DISCLAIMER: We will not ask about marriage or pregnancy, care responsibilities or disabilities in any of our job adverts or interviews. However, we do look to capture information about care responsibilities, and disabilities among other diversity information as part of an optional DEI Monitoring form to help us identify areas of improvement in our hiring process and ensure that the process is inclusive and non-discriminatory.