Safety & Compliance Lead

RIVR is a Swiss robotics company pioneering Physical AI and robotic solutions to revolutionize last-mile delivery, giving 1 human the power of 1000. Through the combination of artificial neural networks and innovative robot designs with wheels and legs, RIVR aims to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and scalability in last-mile delivery. Founded as Swiss-Mile, the company rebranded to RIVR in 2025 to better reflect its mission of driving the future of intelligent robotics.

Job Description

As our Safety and Compliance Lead (Sensing), you will play a critical role in ensuring our robots meet stringent regulatory and safety requirements for real-world deployment in urban environments, with a specific focus on our sensing and perception systems. You will work closely with the Embedded Systems Engineer, the key partner responsible for low-level firmware on our robots’ computing units, while your focus will be on enforcing safety standards, identifying compliance risks, and overseeing the implementation of design changes needed for certification, in collaboration with engineering, legal, and operations teams. Your expertise in robotics safety standards, particularly for perception systems, will ensure RIVR’s technology operates safely and legally in public spaces.

What you'll be doing:
• Risk Assessment: Lead comprehensive risk assessments (e.g., HARA, FMEA) for our sensing systems, identifying potential failures, environmental limitations, and human-robot interaction risks.
• Compliance & Standards: Interpret and apply relevant safety standards (e.g., ISO 13849, ISO 13482, UL 4600) directly to your development work, ensuring our perception system is compliant by design.
• Safe Perception Strategy: Develop and implement safety strategies for our robot's complete perception stack (LiDAR, cameras, radar, ultrasonics), building robustness directly into the architecture.
• Testing & Validation: Design and run rigorous testing protocols to validate the reliability, accuracy, and safety performance of our sensing systems in diverse, real-world scenarios.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with hardware, software, and ML engineers to define functional requirements and hazards. You'll partner with systems and embedded engineers to translate safety needs into robust architectures and firmware-level implementations.
• Documentation for Certification: Develop and maintain the detailed documentation for our sensor safety case, including requirements and test reports, to support the certification process for regulatory approvals.
• Enable Global Reach: Your work on safety and compliance will be crucial in achieving regulatory approval for our robots in target markets (e.g., US, Switzerland, UK, EU), directly enabling our global expansion.

What you must have:
• Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of experience in safety engineering, functional safety, or compliance, with a strong focus on sensing systems for autonomous or robotic applications.
• Deep understanding of various sensor technologies (LiDAR, radar, cameras, ultrasonic) and their application in robotic safety and perception.
• Strong knowledge of relevant safety standards and frameworks (e.g., ISO 26262, ISO 13849, CE marking, machine safety directives).
• Proven experience with risk assessment methodologies (e.g., FMEA, FTA) specifically applied to complex sensor-based systems.
• Hands-on experience in testing and validating sensor performance and safety-critical functions.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional engineering and legal teams.

Get some bonus points:
• Experience with AI/ML safety and explainable AI for perception systems.
• Background in human-robot interaction safety standards.
• Familiarity with cybersecurity aspects of sensing systems.
• Connections with regulatory agencies or certification bodies in relevant markets.
• Experience in urban mobility, last-mile delivery, or robotics companies deploying real-world autonomous systems.

RIVR is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team that values every perspective. If you’re passionate about driving innovation in robotics and creating meaningful impact, we encourage you to apply and bring your unique self to our team.

We believe the best work is done when collaborating and therefore require in-person presence in our office locations.