Operational Safety Lead - Defense

About Applied Intuition

Applied Intuition is the vehicle intelligence company that accelerates the global adoption of safe, AI‑driven machines. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion following its recent Series F funding round, Applied Intuition delivers the Vehicle OS, Self‑Driving System, and toolchain to help customers build intelligent vehicles and shorten time to market. 18 of the top 20 global automakers and major programs across the Department of Defense trust Applied Intuition's solutions to deliver vehicle intelligence.

Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining, and agriculture industries and is headquartered in Mountain View, CA, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Diego, CA, Ft. Walton Beach, FL, Ann Arbor, MI, London, Stuttgart, Munich, Stockholm, Bangalore, Seoul, and Tokyo. Learn more at

As the Operational Safety Lead, you will be creating tools to aid our operational teams in evaluating and mitigating safety risks. You will also be the guiding authority on accepting operational safety risk for all projects. Projects include ground, maritime, and flight tests of crewed and uncrewed platforms for Group 1‑5 UAS, including ordinance. Projects also include uncrewed and crewed maritime vehicles and ground vehicles.

The COS will oversee, review, and revise as necessary the comprehensive operational safety program for ground, maritime, and flight test operations, including experimental test, demonstration, and corporate flights.

• Setting company safety requirements.
• Work with the leaders of each vertical to ensure their standard operating procedures (SOPs) support the company’s safety requirements.
• Work with project and vertical leads to aid in evaluating risks for each project.
• Serve as an impartial arbitrator of risk for projects and take direct authority for safety anytime the risk level goes above “Medium.”
• Stay informed of the latest regulatory guidance and industry best practices pertaining to operational safety. Disseminate new information and ensure company policies and procedures remain in compliance. Provide direct input to operators, test engineers, and aircrew by hosting safety stand‑downs and recurrent safety training.
• Collaborate with testing organizations in developing, updating, and approving individual programs’ Test Risk Analyses Worksheets (TRW).
• Be a leader in Test Risk Management through coordination with the Test Engineer of each program and by participating in test plan reviews, test operations, pre‑ and post‑test operational briefings, and test readiness reviews.
• Collaborate in the development of and amendments to, company’s operations and test documentation, including operations manuals, test SOPs, local procedures, etc. This includes procedures involving ground handling of aircraft.
• Lead periodic reviews of operational safety plans for each vertical and ensure that mitigation procedures are practical, being used, and are modified if required to ensure test team safety.
• Procure and provide necessary safety training to operators and those evaluating safety risk.

• Graduate of a certified test pilot school or at least 10 years of testing experience to include leading test teams.
• FAA Part 107 license (or better).
• Maintenance, experimental, developmental, or production test experience.
• Ordinance handling experience.
• 100 hours minimum PIC for Part 107.

• Must be willing to travel up to 25% of the time.
• This role can be based in one of the following locations:
  Washington, DC;
  Mountain View, CA;
  San Diego, CA;
  Ann Arbor, MI; or Fort Walton Beach, FL. While preference will be given to candidates local to these areas, applicants from other U.S. locations will also be considered, provided they are willing to travel or potentially relocate for the position.

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must have an active U.S. security clearance.

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• 8 years of aviation, 4 years of aviation safety experience.
• Experience working with government test teams and navigating government Safety Review Boards.
• Advanced degrees will be considered as additional…