---
title: 'Staff Safety Engineer at Third Wave Automation'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/staff-safety-engineer-third-wave-automation-union-city-7wnngt4v3k44'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-15'
---

# Staff Safety Engineer at Third Wave Automation

- **Company:** Third Wave Automation
- **Location:** Union City, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-09-12
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-15
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/thirdwaveautomation/jobs/7993375003

## Job description

Company Description

Third Wave Automation is a rapidly growing startup that has demonstrated its core technology components, proven its market fit, and just closed its Series C funding. If you are excited about cutting edge machine learning, robotics that affects the real world, and want to join a company where your skills can have a huge impact, you’ll fit right in.

Third Wave Automation is applying modern machine learning to materials handling—delivering site-specific forklift navigation and infrastructure-free pallet handling that continuously adapts to changing floor configuration and warehouse demand.

Job Description

The Mission: Architecting Safety for Physical AI

At Third Wave Automation, we don’t just deploy technology; we transform how the world’s largest OEMs and logistics providers operate. Moving 3,000lb autonomous reach trucks with centimeter precision means that safety isn't just a regulatory hurdle—it is the bedrock of our product, our customer trust, and our entire business model.

We are looking for a Staff Safety Engineer to act as our primary technical authority on system safety and compliance. We do not want a "box-checker" or someone whose favorite phrase is "because the standard says so." We are looking for an innovator—a deeply technical engineer who understands why a standard exists and can propose novel, compliant architectures that accommodate the bleeding edge of Physical AI. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will have full autonomy. You will inherit a strong foundation, but you will have the absolute authority to refine, correct, or completely rebuild our frameworks if there is a better way.

## How You Can Make an Impact

- Architect the Safety System: Partner directly with Product and Engineering leaders to weave safety into the DNA of our robotics platform. Your job isn't to slow them down; it’s to show them how to move fast, safely—pushing our systems to go above and beyond the baseline requirements.
- Industry Influence & Advocacy: Represent TWA on national and international standards committees. We are building tech that outpaces current regulations; you will advocate for and influence standards bodies to accommodate and safely regulate the next generation of embodied AI.
- AI-Augmented Execution: While AI will never dictate our safety architecture, we expect our leaders to be at the forefront of modern productivity. You will leverage generative AI and advanced tooling to parse dense regulatory updates, draft technical documentation, and streamline hazard analysis—acting as a massive force multiplier for your own output.
- Lead the Certification Vanguard: Own and drive the end-to-end certification processes for complex autonomous systems across hardware, software, and cybersecurity.
- The Voice of Trust: Act as the definitive safety authority for our Tier-1 OEM partners and customers. You will translate our rigorous safety architecture into customer confidence and business value.
- EHS Leadership: Safety starts at home. You will oversee our internal Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) programs, ensuring our field engineers, deployment teams, and lab staff have the right training, protocols, and protection to do their best work.

What You'll Do (Your First 90 Days and Beyond)

- Assess the Foundation: Conduct a deep-dive audit of our existing safety architecture, EHS programs, and compliance documentation. Identify immediate areas for improvement or complete reinvention.
- Build Cross-Functional Alliances: Establish strong partnerships with Product, Engineering, and Field Operations leaders to embed safety requirements smoothly into our development and deployment cycles.
- Drive Key Certifications: Take immediate ownership of ongoing certification processes (e.g., IEC 61508, ISO 13849, ISO 21434) and map out the strategy for future regulatory compliance.
- Engage with Standards Bodies: Begin representing Third Wave Automation in relevant industry committees, advocating for standards that align with the realities of modern embodied AI.
- Elevate EHS Protocols: Review and upgrade our internal Environmental, Health, and Safety training to ensure every TWA employee operates with the highest level of protection.

## Qualifications

- 10+ Years of Deep Expertise: A decade or more of hands-on experience in safety engineering within robotics, autonomous systems, automotive, or heavy industrial automation.
- Regulatory Mastery: Deep, working knowledge of OSHA regulations and core autonomy standards, specifically IEC 61508, ISO 13849 (Parts 1 & 2), and ISO/SAE 21434 (Cybersecurity).
- The "First-Principles" Mindset: The technical depth to challenge engineering assumptions and propose innovative safety solutions rather than relying on outdated boilerplate compliance.
- AI Fluency: Comfortable leveraging LLMs and modern software tools to 10x your efficiency in research, technical writing, and workflow automation without compromising engineering rigor.
- Diplomacy & Gravitas: Proven experience participating in industry standards committees and the professional polish to influence C-suite executives, OEMs, and regulatory bodies.
- A "Builder's" Autonomy: The ability to operate in a high-growth startup environment where you are trusted to define the roadmap, not just execute someone else’s plan.

## Preferred & Desired Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
- Deep experience navigating functional safety audits and successfully achieving safety certifications for complex hardware/software systems.
- Outstanding interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex safety standards into clear, actionable engineering requirements.
- Outstanding interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex safety standards into clear, actionable engineering requirements.

The pay range for this position is $166,000 - $249,000/yr+ benefits+equity; however, base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.  Base pay information is based on market location.

More About Working Here

Our Core Values:

- Safety. We consider safety in everything we do.
- People. We care about our teammates as people.
- Encouragement. We encourage teaching, asking questions, and sharing opinions.
- Transparency. We are transparent and sincere in our actions.

A robust set of benefits and perks:

- Comprehensive benefits. Health, Dental, Vision, and a 401k matching program, to boot!
- Flexible working schedule. Be productive when you work best.
- Show & Tell. We love to learn from one another, and see the cool stuff everyone is working on!
- Meals are covered. Lunch is provided every day, and dinner for those evenings that run long.
- Stacks of snacks. Donuts are a main food group, and the snack shelf is always stocked with a wide variety of items.
- Great teammates. One of the best parts of working here!

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We value each person's expertise and experiences. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

All qualified applicants able to work in the United States are encouraged to apply. We are unable to sponsor H-1 visas subject to fees required by the ‘Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers’ Presidential Proclamation dated September 21, 2025.

## About Third Wave Automation

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Third Wave Automation provides an intelligent, autonomous warehouse automation platform combining a hybrid fleet of autonomous forklifts with a fleet management system and remote operation capabilities.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series C)
- **Headquarters**: Union City, California, USA
- **Founded**: 2018
- **Founders**: Arshan Poursohi (CEO) and Julian Mason

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Warehouse Automation, Robotics, Physical AI
- **Target customers**: B2B, focusing on warehouse, distribution, and manufacturing operations of all sizes (SMB to Enterprise), particularly those with existing forklift fleets.
- **Mission or purpose statement**: To alleviate increasing supply chain stress using intelligent physical AI products and services that bring people and automated systems together to improve throughput, efficiency, and safety.

## Products & Services
- **Shared Autonomy Platform**: The core technology—a software-defined system that combines autonomous forklifts, intelligent fleet management, and remote operation/assistance. It is designed to improve over time through continuous learning.
- **ArmadaFMS (Fleet Management System)**: The software platform for operators to manage the entire forklift fleet, execute and monitor workflows, respond to system requests, and configure warehouse zones dynamically.
- **TWA Reach**: A fully autonomous reach truck that can be deployed on-site within weeks without requiring additional infrastructure changes.
- **Remote Exception Handling & Remote Operation**: Allows a single operator to manage up to 10 forklifts, intervening only when the autonomous system encounters an issue, which it learns from over time.
- **Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS)**: A pay-as-you-go subscription model with a fixed monthly fee, requiring no large capital outlay and offering flexible terms.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed.
- **Key Metric**: Total funding of **$97M** across 4 rounds (Seed, Series A, B, C).
    - Series C (Oct 2024): $27M led by Woven Capital (Toyota's growth fund).
    - Series B (Aug 2021): $40M led by Norwest Venture Partners.
    - Series A (Jun 2020): $15M led by Innovation Endeavors.
    - Seed (Jun 2018): Led by Eclipse.
    - Venture Round (Feb 2023): $15M led by Zebra Technologies and Qualcomm Ventures.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Woven Capital (Toyota), Norwest Venture Partners, Innovation Endeavors, Eclipse, Zebra Technologies, Qualcomm Ventures, and The Raymond Corporation (technology partnership).
- **Growth Signals**: 
    - Annual revenue estimated at **$3.5M** (LinkedIn data).
    - Headcount of **33 employees**, with a -10.6% yearly growth but a +2.4% monthly growth, and **5 active job postings** (monthly posting growth of +66.7%).
    - Claims a **2-week go-live time** and full deployment in 1-4 months.
    - Reports **100% inventory accuracy**, **zero safety incidents**, and **zero racking damage** across thousands of operating hours.
    - Presence in Japan.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Shared Autonomy**: The unique hybrid model where a single remote operator manages a fleet of autonomous forklifts, intervening only for exceptions. The system continuously learns from these interventions, improving its autonomy over time.
- **No Infrastructure Upgrades**: The system is software-defined and requires no changes to existing warehouse racks, floors, or infrastructure, enabling rapid deployment.
- **RaaS Model**: Lowers the barrier to entry for automation by avoiding large capital expenditures (CapEx) with a predictable monthly subscription fee.
- **Safety-First Design**: Designed to comply with ANSI/ITSDF B56.5 and ISO 3691-4 standards, with a proven track record of zero injuries.
- **Single Source Provider**: Provides the entire stack—hardware, software, and support—as one integrated solution.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scaling Deployment**: Moving from pilot programs to rapid, large-scale deployments with a focus on a payback period of under 12 months for customers.
- **Continuous Improvement**: The core differentiator is a system that gets smarter with every shift, improving efficiency, safety, and accuracy over time.
- **Partnerships**: Deepening ties with key partners like The Raymond Corporation and Toyota (via Woven Capital) to expand market reach and integrate with existing material handling ecosystems.
- **Global Expansion**: Establishing a presence in Japan, a key market for automotive and logistics automation.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Rated **4.1/5.0 on LinkedIn** (11 reviews) with a Culture score of **4.7/5.0**. Employees describe the culture as inclusive, supportive, and driven by innovation, with cross-functional collaboration and weekly demos.
- **Work Model**: Flexible work hours and partial remote work options. The HQ is in Union City, CA.
- **Benefits**:
    - Comprehensive health, dental, vision, life insurance, FSA/HSA, telemedicine, and mental health support (Spring Health, EAP).
    - 401(k) with up to a 4% company match.
    - **$4,000 annual professional development budget** for training, courses, and certifications.
    - Daily lunches, snacks, and dinner for late workers.
    - Flexible vacation with no accrual, plus paid holidays and a company-wide break.
- **Engineering Focus**: High concentration of technical talent (33% of staff) with talent sourced from Toyota Research Institute, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and top robotics companies. Open roles include Senior Perception, Robotics, and SRE engineers.
- **Impact**: Opportunity to work on a physical AI product that directly improves warehouse safety and efficiency, with a clear mission and real-world impact.

## Sources
1. [thirdwave.ai](https://thirdwave.ai/)
2. [thirdwave.ai/about-us](https://thirdwave.ai/about-us)
3. [thirdwave.ai/join-our-team](https://thirdwave.ai/join-our-team)
4. [LinkedIn Company Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/thirdwaveautomation)
5. [Greenhouse Careers Page](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/thirdwaveautomation)

## Other roles at Third Wave Automation

- [Sr. Robotics Field Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-robotics-field-engineer-third-wave-automation-union-city-3jpkkm00xs7h) — Union City, CA
- [Senior Software Engineer - Robotics](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-robotics-third-wave-automation-union-city-ks0d539dphbe) — Union City, CA
- [Staff Technical Product Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-technical-product-manager-third-wave-automation-union-city-y3kdgj2azrky) — Union City, CA
- [Sr. Data Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-data-engineer-third-wave-automation-union-city-182sw5btxtzn) — Union City, CA