Functional Safety Engineer

Location: Liberty

Job Title:

Functional Safety Engineer

Job Description

The Functional Safety Engineer ensures that safety control systems and related electrical and automation designs comply with applicable functional safety standards and regulations. This role audits, designs, and validates Safety Control Systems, leads cross-functional collaboration, and manages third-party validation partners to achieve targeted safety performance levels. The engineer provides hands-on technical support, develops project plans and schedules, and drives continuous improvement in safety PLC logic, safety circuitry, and risk reduction measures across industrial and automation environments.

Responsibilities

* Develop detailed project plans and schedules for functional safety activities, including deliverables, milestones, concerns, and key performance indicators.

* Audit Safety Control Systems (SCS) for compliance with ISO standards, ANSI B11, and relevant occupational safety regulations.

* Identify and document non-conformities within SCS designs, electrical schematics, and safety PLC implementations.

* Design and verify technical countermeasures to achieve target control categories and performance levels for safety-related systems.

* Audit SCS design modifications and safety PLC changes to ensure correlation with intended design and compliance requirements.

* Manage and coordinate a third-party consultant group by defining milestones, monitoring concerns, and tracking key performance indicators.

* Lead cross-functional communication and collaboration to ensure timely issue resolution and alignment on safety requirements.

* Provide clear written and verbal project status reports to management and stakeholders, highlighting progress, risks, and countermeasures.

* Review Safety PLC programs and electrical schematics to ensure compliance with applicable safety and regulatory standards.

* Work closely with external validation vendors to verify their work products and keep third-party validation companies accountable from a technical perspective.

* Set and implement countermeasures to resolve identified safety issues and non-conformities, including spot auditing and follow-up verification.

* Predominantly review, modify, and redo Safety PLC logic and safety circuitry to meet functional safety requirements.

* Support the Control Reliability team through mentorship, technical coaching, and knowledge sharing on functional safety best practices.

* Perform hands-on troubleshooting, commissioning, and implementation of safety-related control systems as needed.

* Use risk assessment tools and methodologies, including FMEA and FMEDA, to evaluate and mitigate functional safety risks.

* Configure and integrate Safety PLC platforms and communication protocols for industrial and automation systems.

* Prepare and deliver technical presentations and documentation using Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint to communicate analyses and recommendations.

* Support operations during scheduled shutdowns, including July and December, to implement and validate safety-related changes.

* Be available to support weekends, off-shifts, and holidays as required by project and operational needs.

* Demonstrate a positive, team-oriented attitude and contribute to cross-functional success in a fast-paced industrial environment.

Essential Skills

* 5+ years of experience in functional safety engineering within industrial or automation sectors, with a preference for 7-10+ years of experience.

* Technical Associate's Degree or higher in a related discipline such as electrical, automation, or industrial engineering.

* Functional Safety Certification, such as TÜV Functional Safety Engineer, Functional Safety Expert, or equivalent.

* In-depth knowledge of ISO 13849-1, ANSI B11, and other relevant functional safety and machinery safety standards.

* Demonstrated technical problem-solving skills with proven experience implementing effective countermeasures.

* Safety PLC programming experience, including the ability to read, interpret, modify, and configure safety logic.

* Experience with PLC and Safety PLC communication protocols and system integration in industrial automation environments.

* Proficiency…