Staff Software Safety Engineer

About Forterra At Forterra, we are unleashing autonomy at scale to transform the battlefield. Our mission is to build the foundational platforms that enable an intelligent ecosystem to coordinate, adapt, and execute with speed and precision even in the uncertainty and disruption of modern conflict. In an era marked by rapid technological change and evolving threats, we design for flexibility, survivability, and operational dominance. Forterra delivers weapons, sensors, and battlefield effects through integrated autonomous networks reaching operational areas faster, safer, and without placing human lives at risk. Our systems operate with distributed control, dynamic routing, and real-time responsiveness, enabling sustained advantage across complex mission environments. About the role Forterra is seeking an experienced Safety Software Engineer to join our team and support the development of safety-critical software for defense and autonomous vehicle systems. This role will spearhead efforts in ensuring that software for unmanned and autonomous ground platforms meets rigorous defense and automotive safety standards. You will play a key role in applying structured safety processes to software-intensive systems, ensuring compliance with both military and autonomy-related standards. What you'll do Lead or contribute to the implementation of safety-critical software standards across defense and autonomous vehicle programs. Develop and refine safety concepts for ground vehicle systems, including architecture, redundancy mechanisms, fault management, and verification activities. Conduct safety analyses such as FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis), FHA (Functional Hazard Analysis), FTA (Fault Tree Analysis), and DFA (Dependent Failure Analysis). Collaborate with cross-functional teams on validation and verification plans for unmanned and autonomous ground vehicles. Support and participate in software integration and qualification testing to demonstrate safety requirements are met. Mentor engineers on safety software principles, tools, and best practices drawn from both defense and autonomous vehicle domains. Stay informed about evolving standards in defense and autonomy to continuously improve practices. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or related field (Master’s preferred). 5+ years of experience in safety-critical software for defense or autonomous vehicle systems.* Experience with standards such as MIL-STD-882E, ISO 26262, IEC 61508, or DO-178C, (for autonomy related safety). Experience with coding standards such as MISRA C/C++, static analysis tools, and code coverage methodologies (incl. branch and MC/DC). Working knowledge of at least one language used in safety-critical development (C/C++) Experience with safety analysis techniques (FMEA, FHA, FTA). Hands-on use of requirements management tools (DOORS, Polarion, Jama) and issue tracking (JIRA). Experience testing on RTOS platforms (e.g., QNX) and with embedded targets, debuggers, and instrumentation. Strong analytical skills in system safety modeling. Experience supporting software verification and validation for autonomous ground platforms, real-time operating systems, or secure embedded systems. Ability to guide testing and certification activities across defense and autonomy projects. Preferred Qualifications Certifications such as CSP, CRE, or Functional Safety Professional (FuSa/ISO 26262). Tooling experience: Vector CANalyzer, Wireshark, GitLab CI, Git, CMake, Conan. Exposure to vehicle networks and diagnostics (CAN, CAN-FD, Ethernet, FlexRay, UDS/J1939) and to logging/trace tools. Knowledge of autonomous vehicle perception, prediction, and control safety challenges. Understanding of secure-by-design principles and cyber-safety in defense and ground vehicle systems. Direct experience in unmanned or autonomous ground vehicles for defense applications. US Salary Range $170,000—$200,000 The salar ... (truncated, view full listing at source)