---
title: 'Safety Lead at Gatik AI'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/safety-lead-gatik-ai-santa-clara-txtbgv3msjq9'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-17'
---

# Safety Lead at Gatik AI

- **Company:** Gatik AI
- **Location:** Santa Clara, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-09-21
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-17
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/gatikaiinc/jobs/4715236006?gh_jid=4715236006

## Job description

## Who we are

Gatik, the leader in autonomous middle-mile logistics, is revolutionizing the B2B supply chain with its autonomous transportation-as-a-service (ATaaS) solution and prioritizing safe, consistent deliveries while streamlining freight movement by reducing congestion. The company focuses on short-haul, B2B logistics for Fortune 500 retailers and in 2021 launched the world’s first fully driverless commercial transportation service with Walmart. Gatik's Class 3-7 autonomous trucks are commercially deployed across major markets, including Texas, Arkansas, and Ontario, Canada, driving innovation in freight transportation.

The company's proprietary Level 4 autonomous technology, Gatik Carrier™, is custom-built to transport freight safely and efficiently between pick-up and drop-off locations on the middle mile. With robust capabilities in both highway and urban environments, Gatik Carrier™ serves as an all-encompassing solution that integrates advanced software and hardware powering the fleet, facilitating effortless integration into customers' logistics operations.

## About the role

As the Head of Systems and Safety Engineering, you will own the overarching safety architecture, risk management strategy, and system safety engineering life cycle for our autonomous vehicle (AV) platform. You will build and lead a high-performing engineering team while managing technical integration, customer safety alignment, and safety governance across clients, internal engineering divisions, vehicle OEMs, and Tier 1 suppliers.

This role is onsite 5 days a week at our Santa Clara, CA office!

## What you'll do

- Team Leadership & Program Management: Recruit, mentor, and manage a multidisciplinary systems and safety engineering team. Oversee daily team execution, task prioritization, resource allocation across engineering sprints, performance reviews, and team development.
- Safety Case Leadership: Author, evolve, and defend the end-to-end safety case framework (leveraging UL 4600, ISO 26262, and ISO 21448 / SOTIF) to support commercial deployment, public road operations, and regulatory submissions.
- AI & Machine Learning Safety Strategy: Define and implement safety and verification methodologies tailored for advanced AI and ML-based autonomy models (e.g., perception, prediction, planning) using ISO/PAS 8800. Establish quantitative metrics for model robustness, dataset coverage, and edge-case validation.
- Systems Safety Architecture & Requirements: Define system-level safety requirements, hazard mitigations, functional safety concepts, and fail-operational/degradation paths across hardware, compute, and software stacks.
- Comprehensive Risk Management: Oversee formal risk identification methodologies—including Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment (HARA), FMEA, FTA, and System-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA)—ensuring risk traceability matrices remain updated throughout product lifecycles.
- Safety Governance & Operational Oversight: Direct daily safety program operations, chair safety review boards, establish incident response protocols, define system release gate criteria, and continuously monitor operational safety performance metrics.
- Engineering & V&V Integration: Partner with hardware, software, and V&V teams to validate safety arguments through hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, closed-course testing, and high-fidelity simulation.
- Regulatory & External Representation: Lead technical engagement with regulatory agencies (NHTSA, California DMV, DOT), standard committees, and third-party auditors.
- OEM & Tier 1 Supplier Collaboration: Serve as the primary technical authority interfacing with OEM partners and Tier 1 suppliers. Establish joint safety frameworks, define Development Interface Agreements (DIAs), and ensure external supplier components align with system-level functional safety requirements.
- Customer Safety Liaison & Engagement: Serve as the primary safety interface with enterprise customers and commercial partners. Communicate core safety concepts, present operational safety programs, align joint risk-mitigation protocols, and build client confidence in platform safety performance.

## What we're looking for

- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Systems Engineering, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
- 10+ years of experience in systems safety engineering for safety-critical domains (autonomous vehicles, automotive, or aerospace).
- 4+ years of direct engineering management experience leading teams, managing budget/resources, and directing day-to-day engineering operations.
- Proven experience acting as a primary interface to customers or external stakeholders, translating complex safety concepts, risk frameworks, and safety programs into clear executive communications.
- Proven ability to operate, adapt, and drive technical outcomes in a fast-paced frontier technology environment.
- Demonstrated track record building, delivering, and defending an end-to-end safety case for deployed autonomous or robotic systems.
- Deep mastery of functional safety standards: ISO 26262, ISO 21448 (SOTIF), and UL 4600.
- Practical experience applying AI/ML safety frameworks (specifically ISO/PAS 8800) to probabilistic systems.
- Hands-on experience leading hazard analysis techniques (HARA, FMEA, FTA, STPA).
- Proven experience establishing technical safety interfaces with automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, including hands-on experience structuring DIAs.

## Preferred Qualifications

- Ph.D. in Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or Machine Learning.
- Experience managing joint-development automotive programs across multi-party supply chains (OEM, Tier 1, Tier 2) and strategic client fleets.
- Expertise assessing deep neural network (DNN) interpretability, dataset quality, and non-deterministic software verification in safety-critical deployments.
- Direct experience representing safety architectures to state/federal regulatory bodies or external certification entities.
- Proficiency with Goal Structuring Notation (GSN) and enterprise systems management tooling (e.g., Jama, Polarion, DOORS).

Salary Range - $180,000- $260,000

More about Gatik

Founded in 2017 by experts in autonomous vehicle technology, Gatik has rapidly expanded its presence to Mountain View, Dallas-Fort Worth, Arkansas, and Toronto. As the first and only company to achieve fully driverless middle-mile commercial deliveries, Gatik holds a unique and defensible position in the AV industry, with a clear trajectory toward sustainable growth and profitability.

We have delivered complete, proprietary AV technology - an integration of software and hardware - to enable earlier successes for our clients in constrained Level 4 autonomy.  By choosing the middle mile – with defined point-to-point delivery, we have simplified some of the more complex AV challenges, enabling us to achieve full autonomy ahead of competitors. Given extensive knowledge of Gatik’s well-defined, fixed route ODDs and hybrid architecture, we are able to hyper-optimize our models with exponentially less data, establish gate-keeping mechanisms to maintain explainability, and ensure continued safety of the system for unmanned operations.

Visit us at [Gatik](http://gatik.ai/) for more company information and [Careers at Gatik](https://gatik.ai/careers/) for more open roles.

Notable News

- Forbes: [Forget robotaxis. Upstart Gatik sees middle-mile deliveries as the path to profitable AVs](https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2023/09/05/forget-robotaxis-upstart-gatik-sees-middle-mile-deliveries-as-the-path-to-profitable-avs/?sh=52b7a7866e61)
- Tech Brew: [Gatik AI exec unpacks the regulations that could shape the AV industry](https://www.emergingtechbrew.com/stories/2024/09/06/gatik-ai-richard-steiner-regulations-av-industry)
- Business Wire: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241008155613/en/Gatik-Paves-the-Way-for-Safe-Driverless-Operations-%E2%80%98Freight-Only%E2%80%99-at-Scale-with-Industry-First-Third-Party-Safety-Assessment-Framework
- Auto Futures: [Autonomous Trucking Group Gatik Secures Investment From NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS](https://www.autofutures.tv/news-features/autonomous-trucking-group-gatik-secures-investment-from-nippon-express-holdings/s/e125e5df-220b-42b6-b2df-754f54d602a9)
- Automotive News: [Gatik foresees hundreds of self-driving trucks on road soon, and that's just the beginning](https://www.autonews.com/mobility-report/gatik-prepares-launch-self-driving-trucks-scale)
- Forbes: [Isuzu And Gatik Go All In To Scale Up Driverless Freight Services](https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardbishop1/2024/05/30/isuzu-and-gatik-go-all-in-to-scale-up-driverless-freight-services/)
- Bloomberg: [Autonomous Vehicle Startup Takes Off by Picking Off Easier Routes](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-05-24/autonomous-vehicle-startup-takes-off-by-picking-off-easier-routes)
- Reuters: [Driverless vehicles on limited routes bump along despite US robotaxi scrutiny](https://www.reuters.com/technology/driverless-vehicles-limited-routes-bump-along-despite-us-robotaxi-scrutiny-2023-12-13/)

Taking care of our team

At Gatik, we connect people of extraordinary talent and experience to an opportunity to create a more resilient supply chain and contribute to our environment’s sustainability. We are diverse in our backgrounds and perspectives yet united by a bold vision and shared commitment to our values. Our culture emphasizes the importance of collaboration, respect and agility.

We at Gatik strive to create a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone feels they have opportunities to succeed and grow because we know that together we can do great things. We are committed to an inclusive and diverse team. We do not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, marital status or any legally protected status.

## About Gatik AI

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Gatik operates fully driverless, autonomous middle-mile freight networks for Fortune 50 retailers and consumer brands across North America.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series unknown; $153M total funding)
- **Headquarters**: Mountain View, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2017
- **Founders**: Gautam Narang (CEO), Arjun Narang (CTO), Apeksha Kumavat (Chief Engineer)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Autonomous freight / transportation & logistics
- **Target customers**: B2B – large retailers, grocery chains, eCommerce companies (e.g., Walmart, Loblaw, Kroger, PepsiCo, Tyson Foods)
- **Mission**: “Autonomy should solve real problems today” – deploying safe, commercially viable autonomous trucks for regional delivery networks.

## Products & Services
- **Gatik Driver™**: SAE Level 4 autonomous driving system for medium-duty (Class 6) and heavy-duty (Class 8) trucks, purpose-built for middle-mile logistics (distribution centers to retail locations).
- **Gatik Arena™**: Next-generation simulation platform (unveiled July 2025) for training and validating autonomous systems across millions of driving scenarios.
- **Autonomous Freight-as-a-Service**: Fully managed, driver-out delivery operations for commercial customers, with daily revenue-generating routes.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: $600 million in contracted revenue (as of January 2026, following first fully driverless commercial operations at scale)
- **Total Funding**: $153M (across 11 rounds, per LinkedIn)
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Isuzu (mass production partnership), ITOCHU Corporation, Ryder, Goodyear, NVIDIA (compute architecture), Walmart, Loblaw, PepsiCo, Kroger, Tyson Foods.
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - First U.S. company to operate fully driverless trucks at commercial scale (Jan 2026)
  - Multi-year agreement with PepsiCo (June 2026) – largest autonomous freight deployment to date
  - 5-year expansion deal with Loblaw for 50 autonomous trucks in Greater Toronto Area (Sept 2025)
  - Named to FreightTech 25 list for four consecutive years
  - Forbes “America’s Best Startup Employers” (2024, 2025)
  - Headcount grew 17.6% YoY to ~124 employees (LinkedIn, 2025)

## Competitive Advantages
- **First-mover in commercial driver-out middle-mile**: Only company operating fully driverless trucks daily for Fortune 50 retailers at scale.
- **OEM-backed mass production**: Exclusive partnership with Isuzu to mass produce L4-capable autonomous trucks on a dedicated production line.
- **Safety-first approach**: Industry-first third-party safety assessment framework (Oct 2024) and rigorous validation via Gatik Arena simulation.
- **Deep retailer relationships**: Multi-year contracts with Walmart, Loblaw, Kroger, PepsiCo, Tyson – creating high switching costs and recurring revenue.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale commercial operations**: Expand driverless networks across North America, adding new routes and customers.
- **Mass production readiness**: Work with Isuzu to deliver volume manufacturing of autonomous trucks.
- **Geographic expansion**: Deeper presence in Canada (Loblaw) and entry into Japan via ITOCHU partnership.
- **Continuous safety & validation**: Leverage Gatik Arena to accelerate deployment of new scenarios while maintaining safety certification.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture & values**: “Be Builders, Be Agile, Be Relentless, Be United, Be Bold” – emphasis on disciplined engineering, real-world impact, and team collaboration.
- **Work environment**: Office-first culture with pet-friendly offices, daily catered lunches, fully stocked kitchens, and collaborative spaces. Locations include Mountain View (CA), Dallas (TX), Detroit (MI), Phoenix (AZ), Bentonville (AR), Toronto (ON), and others.
- **Benefits**: Competitive salaries, stock options, 401(k) with match, comprehensive health/wellness benefits, paid parental leave, company events/retreats.
- **Engineering focus**: Hands-on work in autonomy, robotics, simulation, and vehicle operations. Team includes engineers from Waymo, Zoox, Aurora, TuSimple, Nuro, and top universities.
- **Growth trajectory**: Rapidly scaling company with proven commercial traction – employees directly shape the future of autonomous freight.

## Sources
1. [gatik.ai](https://gatik.ai/)
2. [archive.gatik.ai/careers](https://archive.gatik.ai/careers/)
3. [archive.gatik.ai/about](https://archive.gatik.ai/about/)
4. [linkedin.com/company/gatik_ai](https://www.linkedin.com/company/gatik_ai)
5. [cbinsights.com/company/gatik-ai](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/gatik-ai)

## Other roles at Gatik AI

- [Training Lead, Safety & Operations](https://feeny.ai/job/training-lead-safety-operations-gatik-ai-santa-clara-rd8dxyka5bxy) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Change Management Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/change-management-lead-gatik-ai-santa-clara-9jt2ew6epjpr) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Sr. Manager, Network Design & Optimization](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-manager-network-design-optimization-gatik-ai-santa-clara-x6t08jnadm92) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Autonomous Vehicle Test Driver](https://feeny.ai/job/autonomous-vehicle-test-driver-gatik-ai-rochester-hills-h8ethrz6w1ag) — Rochester Hills, MI
- [Machine Learning Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/machine-learning-engineer-gatik-ai-santa-clara-qj4vvbdeqt4x) — Santa Clara, CA
- [V&V Systems Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/v-v-systems-lead-gatik-ai-santa-clara-tfgt8wmcztwz) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Senior V&V Engineer – Public Road & Fleet Testing](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-v-v-engineer-public-road-fleet-testing-gatik-ai-santa-clara-bve2atgs8cqk) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Senior V&V Engineer – Closed Course & Proving Grounds](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-v-v-engineer-closed-course-proving-grounds-gatik-ai-santa-clara-4a4kcs7rpaen) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Senior V&V Engineer – Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) & Simulation](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-v-v-engineer-software-in-the-loop-sil-simulation-gatik-ai-santa-clara-xjwtpfs7wyrd) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Senior V&V Engineer – Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) & Test Bench](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-v-v-engineer-hardware-in-the-loop-hil-test-bench-gatik-ai-santa-clara-fm56h6jvepv5) — Santa Clara, CA