---
title: 'Lead Functional Safety Engineer at Dexterity'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/lead-functional-safety-engineer-dexterity-redwood-city-dkmn65qgx46q'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-06'
---

# Lead Functional Safety Engineer at Dexterity

- **Company:** Dexterity
- **Location:** Redwood City, CA
- **Compensation:** $186k–$232k
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-17
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-06
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/dexterity/ab404c3f-a336-4a6c-b31b-07d048feb3dc

## Job description

## About Dexterity

Dexterity is the enterprise Physical AI company building intelligent robots for complex industrial work. Dexterity's Mech systems combine the Foresight World Model, robotics, and a Physical AI platform to perform demanding logistics workflows - including trailer loading, trailer unloading, and airport baggage handling - at the speed, reliability, and safety levels required for high-volume operations. Dexterity's Foresight World Model powers real-time perception, planning, and execution across physical environments with the interpretability required for industrial deployment. Dexterity is headquartered in Redwood City, California. Dexterity is backed by world-class investors such as Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Obvious Ventures. We are a diverse and multidisciplinary team with a culture built on passion, trust, and dedication.

## About the Role

Lead functional safety engineering for industrial robots, autonomous mobile systems, and motion-control and drivetrain architectures. Own the full safety lifecycle — from hazard and risk analysis through requirements, architecture, implementation, verification, and validation — to support compliant deployment in North American, European, and Japanese markets.

## Responsibilities

Own the functional safety lifecycle for industrial robots, autonomous mobile systems, and drivetrains—from risk assessment and safety requirements through architecture, implementation, verification, and validation. Establish safety processes and governance, including the Functional Safety Management Plan, integration with the Quality Management System, documentation, reviews, approvals, and audits. Define and validate safety architectures, including safe states, PLr/SIL targets, protective functions, and interfaces across controllers, drives, brakes, sensors, and safety-rated networks. Perform system and component safety analyses, including FMEA/FMEDA, fault tree analysis, and mechanical failure analysis; translate findings into traceable requirements and design evidence. Lead safety verification and validation, using quantitative reliability analysis, fault injection, and testing of stopping performance, fault detection, and safe-state behavior. Guide implementation and global compliance, partnering with engineering teams, certification bodies, and external assessors to meet applicable standards and market requirements. Support safe deployment and customer operations through technical guidance, operating procedures, training, and troubleshooting. Regulatory requirements Machinery risk and functional safety: ISO 12100, ISO 13849-1/-2, IEC 62061, and IEC 61508. Electrical and protective systems: IEC 60204-1, NFPA 79, and IEC 61496. Industrial and mobile robot safety: ISO 10218-1/-2, ANSI/RIA R15.06 and R15.08, ISO 3691-4, ANSI/ITSDF B56.5, UL 1740, and UL 3100, as applicable. Market compliance: Applicable EU machinery and EMC requirements and North American certification requirements.

## Qualifications Required

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or a related engineering discipline. 10+ years of functional safety experience in robotics, automation, autonomous systems, or other safety-critical industries. Proven ownership of the full safety lifecycle, from risk assessment and PLr/SIL determination through implementation, verification, and validation. Hands-on experience with motion controls, safety PLCs, sensors, brakes, safety-rated networks, and PLC or embedded programming. Ability to assess robotic and drivetrain hazards, define fault detection and safe-state behavior, and quantitatively demonstrate required PL/SIL performance. Functional safety certification (TÜV, CFSE, CFSP, or CMSE) preferred. What Makes You Successful Strong ownership and communication skills, with the ability to explain safety decisions to technical and non-technical audiences. Ability to create clear compliance documentation, safety procedures, and customer guidance. Willingness to travel domestically and internationally to customer site as needed to support safety assessments, validation, deployment, and troubleshooting.

## About Dexterity

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Dexterity builds Physical AI and robotic systems that give industrial robots human-like dexterity for complex logistics and warehouse tasks, already deployed in production at major enterprises.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series C‑II)
- **Headquarters**: Redwood City, California, USA
- **Founded**: 2017
- **Founders**: Samir Menon (CEO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: Robotics, Physical AI, logistics automation, warehousing, supply chain operations, e‑commerce, parcel, retail, and aviation.
- **Target customers**: B2B – large enterprises in logistics, warehousing, and material handling.
- **Mission / purpose**: To deliver world‑changing robotics that automate repetitive tasks, allowing human workers to focus on higher‑level cognitive work.

## Products & Services
- **[Mech](https://dexterity.ai)**: An industrial superhumanoid robot with dual‑arm coordination, advanced vision, and an omnidirectional drivetrain. Capable of lifting up to 30 kg per arm (60 lbs top pick, 12 kg side pick) and operating in rugged conditions (0–50 °C, up to 90% humidity). Handles truck loading/unloading, palletizing, and depalletizing. Achieves ~400 boxes/hour loading (vs. industry average of ~300 boxes/hour). Type: Hardware + AI software.
- **[Foresight](https://dexterity.ai)**: A world model for Physical AI, trained on over 100 million autonomous actions in production. Enables long‑horizon reasoning and real‑time decision‑making. Opened to the community via the Foresight API Challenge in 2026. Type: AI software / API.
- **Other robotic systems**: Full‑stack robotics for loading, unloading, sorting, and other complex manipulations in unpredictable environments. Type: Hardware + software.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed.
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue ~$13.5 M (2026 estimate, per LinkedIn). Total funding: conflicting reports – **$396.11 M** (per CB Insights) vs. **$291.2 M** (per LinkedIn). Both figures cited as conflicting.
- **Notable Investors**: Lightspeed, Matter Venture Partners, Sumitomo, Obvious Ventures, B37 Ventures, and at least 14 other investors (CB Insights). Also strategic partnership with Kawasaki Robotics.
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Named one of Business Insider’s 25 most promising robotics startups of 2026.
  - Headcount: 129 employees across 6 countries (US, India, Japan, Taiwan, France, Italy). Job postings up 20% year‑over‑year.
  - Zero safety incidents reported in production.
  - Over 100 million autonomous actions in production.
  - Partnership with Kawasaki Robotics announced in June 2026.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Production‑proven Physical AI**: Robots run full shifts at the world’s largest logistics companies with zero safety incidents.
- **Foresight world model**: A transactable world model built for long‑horizon reasoning – a differentiator vs. competitors that rely on simpler reactive systems.
- **Human‑like dexterity**: Dual‑arm coordination and advanced vision handle edge cases that stop competing solutions.
- **Safety‑first approach**: Emphasized on their website and backed by a clean safety record.

## Strategic Focus
- **Expanding into new verticals**: Moving beyond logistics into aviation (e.g., Customer Success Manager for Aviation Robotics role) and retail.
- **Open‑sourcing AI capabilities**: The Foresight API Challenge invites the community to build on their world model.
- **Deepening enterprise partnerships**: Collaboration with Kawasaki Robotics to combine trusted hardware with Dexterity’s Physical AI.
- **Scaling production deployments**: Continued hiring of field engineers, site operations managers, and technical program managers.

## Why Work Here
- **Cutting‑edge technology**: Work on some of the hardest robotics and AI challenges for the largest businesses on Earth.
- **Real‑world impact**: Robots are already in production – not just demos or pilots.
- **Culture & reviews**: Employer rating 3.3/5 (50 reviews) with work‑life balance 3.0, compensation 3.1, culture 3.0, career 3.1. Mixed but not outstanding.
- **Work policy**: Most roles appear to be on‑site (Redwood City, CA; Gardena, CA; Tracy, CA). No explicit remote/hybrid policy found; job postings list on‑site locations.
- **Engineering culture**: Emphasis on safety, real‑world reliability, and pushing the boundaries of Physical AI. Talent drawn from Stanford, Tesla, Apple, Amazon, etc.
- **Notable perks**: Opportunity to contribute to a world model used in production; involvement in the Foresight API Challenge.

## Sources
1. [dexterity.ai](https://dexterity.ai) – Company website, product descriptions, Foresight, safety claims.
2. [jobs.lever.co/dexterity](https://jobs.lever.co/dexterity) – Careers page, job postings, location info.
3. [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/dexterity-1) – Funding rounds, total raised ($396.11M), investors, founded year, product details.
4. [linkedin.com/company/dexterityinc](https://linkedin.com/company/dexterityinc) – Revenue ($13.5M), headcount (129), funding ($291.2M), locations, reviews, recent hiring trends, partnership announcement.
5. [go.dexterity.ai/resources](https://go.dexterity.ai/resources) – About page, mission, application instructions.

## Other roles at Dexterity

- [Sr. Manufacturing Operations Accountant](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-manufacturing-operations-accountant-dexterity-redwood-city-zbqq5cfm86yx) — Redwood City, CA
- [Facilities Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/facilities-manager-dexterity-redwood-city-dpvjv5jxm6ej) — Redwood City, CA
- [Principal Product Manager, Physical AI Applications (Retail & 3PL)](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-product-manager-physical-ai-applications-retail-3pl-dexterity-redwood-z43nj6w6j8kx) — Redwood City, CA
- [Field Service Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/field-service-engineer-dexterity-redwood-city-h76a0fagh32e) — Redwood City, CA
- [Senior Enterprise Sales Executive](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-enterprise-sales-executive-dexterity-remote-qgbv843djtcj)
- [Marketing Principal/ Director - Physical AI](https://feeny.ai/job/marketing-principal-director-physical-ai-dexterity-redwood-city-ne5h8fv86w9s) — Redwood City, CA
- [Customer Product Solutions Manager, Aviation Robotics](https://feeny.ai/job/customer-product-solutions-manager-aviation-robotics-dexterity-redwood-city-rvv69ybz5f43) — Redwood City, CA
- [Forward Deployed Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/forward-deployed-engineer-dexterity-redwood-city-7vyx1fvvvw78) — Redwood City, CA
- [Sr. Manager Product Service and Support](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-manager-product-service-and-support-dexterity-redwood-city-nsbfm44s210g) — Redwood City, CA
- [Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-dexterity-redwood-city-m6va1xwqn9hy) — Redwood City, CA