What to Expect
This team at Tesla Manufacturing Brandenburg in Grünheide builds the autonomy that lets a reach truck operate unmanned across our warehouse operations. We own the full on-vehicle stack: perception and vision-based localization, state estimation and mapping, motion planning and the behaviour layer that sequences navigation and load handling, the real-time interfaces to the vehicle's motion and safety systems, low-latency teleoperation for supervised recovery, and integration with the WMS and FMS that dispatch and track the work. Our remit runs from that software and systems architecture through to a machine that is functionally safe, CE-certified, and proven from a first pilot cell to dependable, everyday operation.
Achieving CE certification for a driverless industrial truck is the milestone the whole effort has to clear, and it needs a single owner. This role takes the machine from the initial hazard analysis through to a Declaration of Conformity, owning the safety case and the technical file the whole way.
Role mission
You own functional safety and CE conformity for the vehicle, and you stay accountable for the safety and regulatory requirements throughout development rather than only at sign-off. You set the requirements the rest of the team builds against, and you make sure the evidence behind them holds together.
What You'll Do
- Build and own the safety case against the standards that apply to driverless industrial trucks, principally EN ISO 3691-4, ISO 13849-1, and EN ISO 12100.
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Lead the hazard analysis, allocate the required performance levels (PLr), define the protective and warning zones, the speed and separation limits, and the safe-stop behaviour, then validate the achieved performance level and category.
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Write the safety requirements that controls and software must meet, and stay with them through implementation and verification. The Controls Engineer implements the safety PLC; you define what it must do and confirm that it does.
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Compile and maintain the CE technical file, and agree with the vehicle's manufacturer who is responsible for which part of the machinery.
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Own electromagnetic-compatibility and electrical-safety conformity under EN 12895 and EN 1175, drawing on specialists where it makes sense.
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Engage directly with the regulators, an external safety consultant, and any third-party or notified-body assessment we need.
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Keep the machine safe across autonomous and teleoperated operation, and in the aisles it shares with people.
Over time you will build the body of evidence behind all of this: the hazard analysis, the safety requirements specification, the validation plan, the technical-file index, the residual-risk register, and a clear route to the Declaration of Conformity.
What You'll Bring
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Six or more years in functional safety for machinery or robotics, including at least one machine you personally took through a full CE process to a Declaration of Conformity.
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A deep, working command of EN ISO 3691-4, ISO 13849-1, EN ISO 12100, and the EU Machinery Directive and Regulation.
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The ability to turn a safety case into concrete, verifiable requirements and then demonstrate they have been met.
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German is required, as you will engage directly with regulators and local stakeholders, along with solid English to work with the team.
Nice to have
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Safety experience specifically with driverless trucks, AGVs, or AMRs.
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A TÜV Functional Safety Engineer qualification or something equivalent.
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Previous dealings with a notified body.
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Real depth in EMC and electrical conformity.
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A comfortable, AI-native way of working, using modern AI tools in your day-to-day work.
How you work with the team
You set the safety requirements that the Controls Engineer and the software engineers build to, and you check their work against them. You work with the technical lead on the authority handoff between autonomy and a remote operator, and you deal with the vehicle's manufacturer and outside assessors directly. You will not be doing this alone, as the program funds an external CE consultant and a third-party assessment budget to support the role.
Outcomes in first 6-12 months
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The hazard analysis is complete early, with the performance levels, zones, and safe-stop behaviour agreed and accepted by controls and software.
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The CE technical file and validation evidence come together on a timeline that supports production entry rather than trailing it.
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The safety case reaches the point where the first vehicle can be signed off for production use.
Candidates are expected to uphold and actively promote sustainability principles in their daily work, operating in line with Tesla Global Environmental, Health, Safety & Security (EHS&S) Policy and EMAS requirements, fostering a culture of continuous environmental improvement.
Tesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.
