Vehicle Operational Safety Engineer II

Job description

[Woven by Toyota](https://woven.toyota/en) is enabling Toyota’s once-in-a-century transformation into a mobility company. Inspired by a legacy of innovating for the benefit of others, our mission is to challenge the current state of mobility through human-centric innovation — expanding what “mobility” means and how it serves society. Our work centers on four pillars: AD/ADAS, our autonomous driving and advanced driver assist technologies; Arene, our software development platform for software-defined vehicles; Woven City, a test course for mobility; and Cloud & AI, the digital infrastructure powering our collaborative foundation. Business-critical functions empower these teams to execute, and together, we’re working toward one bold goal: a world with zero accidents and enhanced well-being for all. The Vehicle Operations Safety Engineer supports the safe, compliant, and risk-informed execution of vehicle operations through operational safety oversight, safety case reviews, and mission constraint evaluation. This role works closely with operations, engineering, quality, and safety teams to assess operational readiness, identify hazards, and support data-driven, risk-based decision-making for vehicle deployment and testing activities. The position plays a key role in evaluating operational safety risks, supporting safety release case development and review, and ensuring mission constraints are clearly defined, validated, and operationally effective. ### Key Responsibilities - Lead the review and support safety release cases, operational safety cases, and supporting evidence to evaluate operational readiness and risk acceptance decisions. - Assess mission constraints, operational limitations, and safety controls to ensure vehicle operations remain within approved safety boundaries. - Support data-driven and risk-based decision-making using operational safety metrics, incident trends, audit findings, and safety performance data. - Conduct operational safety risk assessments for vehicle testing, deployment activities, route changes, environmental conditions, and procedural modifications. - Identify hazards, evaluate risk severity and likelihood, and recommend mitigations and operational controls to reduce safety exposure. - Collaborate with engineering, operations, and safety stakeholders to ensure operational safety assumptions, constraints, and mitigations are adequately documented and maintained. - Conduct vehicle operations safety patrols, inspections, and operational assessments to identify unsafe conditions, process gaps, and operational risks. - Track, investigate, and follow up on audit findings, safety concerns, incidents, and corrective actions to ensure timely resolution and continuous improvement. - Support incident investigations, root cause analysis, and development of corrective and preventive actions. - Assist in developing, reviewing, and improving operational processes and procedures aligned with the organization’s Quality Management System (QMS) and operational safety objectives. - Monitor compliance with internal safety standards and operational procedures. - Maintain safety documentation, risk registers, operational readiness records, audit documentation, and safety assessment reports. - Participate in operational readiness reviews, safety review boards, and cross-functional risk discussions. - Promote a proactive safety culture through operational guidance, risk awareness, and continuous improvement initiatives. ### Qualifications - Bachelor’s degree in Safety, Engineering, Operations Management, Quality, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. - 5+ years experience in vehicle operations, fleet safety, autonomous vehicle operations, transportation safety, manufacturing safety, or a related operational environment. - Experience conducting operational risk assessments and implementing risk mitigation strategies. - Familiarity with safety case frameworks, safety assurance methodologies, operational safety evaluations, or functional safety principles. - Experience supporting data-driven operational decisions using safety metrics, operational trends, or risk analysis. - Understanding of mission constraints, operational design domains (ODD), or operational safety limitations in vehicle testing or deployment environments. - Familiarity with audit processes, corrective actions, and continuous improvement methodologies. - Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills. - Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced operational environment. ### Preferred Qualifications - Knowledge of U.S. AD/ADAS vehicle safety regulations and applicable industry standards. - Experience with Safety Management Systems (SMS). - Knowledge of ISO standards, functional safety, or Safety of the Intended Functionality (SOTIF) principles. - Knowledge of Quality Management Systems (QMS) and process/procedure development. - Experience supporting operational readiness reviews, safety validation activities, or safety governance boards. - Proficiency with reporting tools, documentation systems, data analysis tools, and risk tracking platforms.