Director, Organizational Safety

Aurora hires talented people with diverse backgrounds who are ready to help build a transportation ecosystem that will make our roads safer, get crucial goods where they need to go, and make mobility more efficient and accessible for all. 

Aurora is seeking a highly experienced and strategic Director, Organizational Safety to spearhead the continuous improvement and scaling of our Enterprise Safety Management System (SMS). Reporting directly to the Chief Safety Officer, you will serve as a critical pillar of Aurora’s safety leadership team.

You will be the primary architect of the Aurora Approach to Organizational Safety, ensuring that safety is integrated into the DNA of our corporate culture and business processes. You will maintain and continuously improve Aurora’s strong Safety Culture, and ensure appropriate safety assurance protocols are in place to maintain the health of Aurora Safety Programs. You will also establish and maintain credible and appropriate approaches to managing safety risk to the organization, products and operations, including responsibility for the governance of the highest level risk-based decision-making via management of the Safety Review Board.

In this role, you will 

Strategy & Governance

• Aurora SMS framework: Ensure the Aurora SMS framework remains state of the art and appropriate to manage the unique risks of autonomous technology development and operations, that it is scalable, transparent, and aligned with industry-leading standards and delivers measurable improvements.
• Safety Review Board (SRB): Ensure that the SRB maintains appropriate visibility on enterprise safety risks and is presented with necessary and timely information to make decisions on managing safety risks. Manage the agenda, risk synthesis, and follow-up for Aurora’s highest safety governing body to ensure the Accountable Executive is appropriately informed on safety. Support SRB decision making for Aurora driverless products before they are released on public roads.

Safety Risk Management & Assurance

• Safety Concern Reporting (SCR): Lead the enterprise-wide program for reporting, triaging, and investigating safety concerns, fostering a "just culture" where employees feel empowered to report risks without fear of retribution.
• Safety Risk Management Approach and Integration: Define and oversee the methodologies used for identifying, evaluating, mitigating, and monitoring organizational, product and operations safety risks. 
• Fleet Safety Oversight: Provide strategic direction to the Manager of Fleet Safety, ensuring that DOT/FMCSA compliance, driver fitness, and vehicle inspection programs are appropriate for Aurora product and operations and ensuring execution is conformant to safety policies.

Leadership & Culture

• People Management: Lead and mentor a high-performing team, including the Fleet Safety organization and SMS Team.
• Safety Thought Leadership: Drive the internal and external communications narrative regarding safety performance, safety case/SMS integration and cultural maturity.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Legal, HR, Finance, and Engineering to ensure safety risk mitigations are reflected in corporate policies and insurance frameworks.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience developing and/or managing a comprehensive Safety Management System (SMS) within a safety-critical transportation industry (e.g., Automated Driving Systems, Aviation, Rail, Marine, or Automotive).
• Proven Leadership: At least 5 years of experience managing diverse safety teams and leading through other managers to derive results through highly effective teams.
• Expert Risk Management: Demonstrated mastery of applied, credible methodologies for Safety Risk Management (SRM) at an enterprise level.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Safety Management, or a related technical discipline.
• Technical Acumen: Deep understanding of safety-critical systems and relevant standards and best practices (e.g., FMVSS, ISO, ICAO, AVSC).
• Communication: Exceptional ability to synthesize and derive insights from complex data for C-suite executives, business partners, and regulatory bodies.
• Industry Influence: Experience representing an organization in industry forums or helping shape national/international safety standards.

Desirable Qualifications 

• Advanced Degree: Master’s or Ph.D. in Safety Engineering, Human Factors, or Safety Management
• Professional Certification: Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Director of Safety (CDS), or equivalent.
• AV Experience: Direct experience with the unique risk management challenges of autonomous vehicle technology or complex robotics.

The base range for this position is $176,000 - $228,000.  Aurora’s pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, the successful candidate’s starting base pay will be determined based on factors including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, relevant education or training, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future. The successful candidate will also be eligible for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits.

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