Freelance Automotive Functional Safety Engineer Jobs

Job Summary:

The Senior Functional Safety Engineer serves as the technical owner for Functional Safety work products and is responsible for leading the technical execution of ISO 26262 functional safety activities throughout the product development lifecycle for high-voltage lithium-ion battery systems at American Battery Solutions (“ABS”). This position develops and maintains the technical safety deliverables and evidence required to support compliant product development. The Senior Functional Safety Engineer works closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, suppliers, and customers to ensure Functional Safety requirements are effectively defined, implemented, verified, and maintained throughout the development lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical owner for Functional Safety work products throughout the product development life cycle, leading ISO 26262 safety activities from concept through production.
• Develop and maintain Functional Safety deliverables, including Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment (HARA), Safety goals and Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) classifications, functional safety architecture, Functional Safety Concept (FSC), Technical Safety Concept (TSC), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), and Failure Modes, Effects, and Diagnostic Analysis (FMEDA).
• Develop and allocate Functional Safety Requirements into the system architecture, ensuring complete bidirectional traceability across all safety work products.
• Perform and document Functional Safety analyses, including Single-Point Fault Metric (SPFM), Latent Fault Metric (LFM), Probabilistic Metric for Random Hardware Failures (PMHF), diagnostic coverage, dependent failure analysis, and evaluation of safety mechanisms and fault-tolerant architectures.
• Develop Functional Safety verification and validation strategies, review objective evidence, and ensure compliance with Functional Safety requirements throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Generate and maintain technical evidence support Functional Safety Assessments, confirmation reviews, compliance audits, and safety validation activities.
• Support the development of safe Battery Management System (BMS) architectures and review safety-related hardware and electronic designs for compliance with Functional Safety requirements.
• Lead technical resolution of Functional Safety issues and support change impact analysis for safety-related design modification throughout design, verification, validation, manufacturing, or field operation.
• Support architecture trade studies balancing safety, reliability, diagnostics, performance, and cost objectives.
• Ensure alignment between Functional Safety activities and related engineering analyses, including DFMEA, FMEDA, and FTA.
• Partner with Functional Safety Managers, engineering teams, customers, and suppliers to ensure compliance with organizational processes and technical safety requirements.
• Maintain Functional Safety documentation and evidence within engineering tools including Jama, Medini Analyze, or equivalent platforms.
• Provide technical guidance, mentoring, training, and subject matter expertise to engineering teams while supporting continuous improvement of Functional Safety processes, methodologies, templates, and tools.
• Stay current with ISO 26262 standards, automotive Functional Safety best practices, and emerging semiconductor safety technologies.
• Adhere to federal and state regulations.
• Adhere to all company policies, processes, and procedures.
• Performs other duties as requested, directed, or assigned.
• Predictable and reliable attendance.

Position Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field required.
• Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of engineering experience developing automotive or heavy-duty electrical and electronic systems.
• Minimum of five (5) years of Functional Safety experience applying ISO 26262 or equivalent standards on production programs.
• Expert knowledge of ISO 26262 and strong understanding of automotive electrical and electronic architectures.
• Demonstrated experience developing Functional Safet analyses and work products, including HARA, FSC, TSC, FTA, FMEDA, and hardware architectural metrics including SPFM, LFM, PMHF.
• Working knowledge of Medini Analyze, JAMA, Enterprise Architect, MATLAB/Simulink, or equivalent engineering tools.
• Experience developing safety-critical Battery Management Systems strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of lithium-ion battery systems and Battery Management Systems strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of IEC 61508, Automotive Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination (ASPICE), and systems engineering processes preferred.

Key Competencies:

• Influences Others: Has personal and organizational impact built on mutual trust, fairness, and honesty. Flexes their style to direct, collaborate, or empower, as the situation requires.
• Continual Improvement: Displays a consistent orientation toward producing the highest quality products or services, while keeping a focus on sustainability. Constantly looking for incremental improvements in work processes and results.
• Focuses on Quality: Drives work results with quality focus in actions and results. Applies quality mindset to adhere to company policies, procures and regulatory requirements. Utilizes technical knowledge and process to ensure specifications are met. Establishes practices to fulfill necessary customer requirements, develops and maintains processes to ensure quality measures are met.
• Delivers Results: Achievement-oriented, feeling a sense of urgency to reach goals on time, if not before.
• Takes Initiative: Exhibits strong drive for results and success; conveys a sense of urgency and drives issues to closure; persists despite obstacles and opposition.
• Business Process Thinking: Designing, implementing, and executing business workflow activities that most effectively and efficiently meet the goals of the business unit and ABS.

Physical Requirements / Working Conditions:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Required to walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects; reach with hands and arms; balance; stoop; talk and hear.
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Will be placed in a comfortable office environment for approximately 80% of the work time.
• The noise level in the office environment is usually minimal.
• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office equipment.
• Ability to adjust focus, especially due to concentration on a computer screen.
• May need to lift and carry up to 30 pounds and/or position the body to reach items on the floor/below knee level or reach overhead.
• The noise level in the work environment can be moderately loud.
• May be required to recognize small numbers, letters, symbols, colors on prints, and/or operate field instruments/equipment.

Why Join Us

American Battery Solutions (ABS) provides comprehensive 100% employer paid benefit plans to employees and their family, competitive salary and retirement program. ABS employs a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Benefits Overview

• Paid time off includes 3 weeks vacation, up to 72 hours sick, 15 holidays, and parental leave.
• 100% company-paid medical, dental, vision, short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) offerings.
• Company provided 401K savings plan with immediately vested matching contributions to help you save for retirement.
• Voluntary benefits offerings.
• Tuition assistance.
• Employee Referral Program.
• Employee development and career growth opportunities.

About Us

American Battery Solutions Inc. (“ABS”) is a manufacturer of advanced batteries for commercial, fleet, and industrial on- and off-road vehicles. Located in the heart of the U.S. automotive region with facilities in Michigan and Ohio. In 2023, ABS was acquired by Komatsu, a world leader in construction, mining, forestry, and industrial heavy equipment in support of Komatsu’s 2050 carbon neutrality goal. ABS continues to operate as an independent entity serving Komatsu applications while continuing to expand and grow our core commercial, fleet and industrial business.

As we have grown, ABS has assembled a world-class team of dedicated and experienced engineers. This team is equipped with a deep understanding of high-voltage, automotive-grade battery systems from concept development and prototyping, to testing and validation, to high-volume production. We pride ourselves on developing a diverse team of next generation battery experts.

The Location - Lake Orion

American Battery Solutions Headquarters and Innovation Center is located in the heart of South-East Michigan in Orion Township. Orion Township is a Pure Michigan Trail Town that has a long-standing dedication to enhancing trails and pathways in its community, which is home to the Polly Ann Trail, Paint Creek Trail, and Iron Belle Trail. The township has more than 50 miles of trails. Southeast Michigan also boasts some of the best eating around! Whether your interest is in furthering your education, enjoying one of the many regional sporting events, or enjoying the vast outdoors that Michigan has to offer, you’ll be at the center of it here!

AMERICAN BATTERY SOLUTIONS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

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