Lead, Safety Assurance

The company is transforming cities through autonomous technology to create a safer, greener, more accessible world. Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, May develops and deploys autonomous vehicles (AVs) powered by our innovative Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) technology that literally reimagines the way AVs think.

Our vehicles do more than just drive themselves - they provide value to communities, bridge public transit gaps and move people where they need to go safely, easily and with a lot more fun. We’re building the world’s best autonomy system to reimagine transit by minimizing congestion, expanding access and encouraging better land use in order to foster more green, vibrant and livable spaces. Since our founding in 2017, we’ve given more than 500,000 autonomous rides to real people around the globe. And we’re just getting started. We’re hiring people who share our passion for building the future, today, solving real-world problems and seeing the impact of their work. Join us.

Job Summary

The company is seeking a Lead, Safety Assurance to serve as the company's primary authority on autonomous vehicle safety compliance. Reporting to the Legal team and supporting the engineering safety team, this senior subject matter expert role operates independently from the engineering Safety organization to provide an objective, compliance-anchored perspective on the company's safety posture. This person will lead regulatory engagement on safety matters end-to-end—from monitoring emerging federal and state requirements to leading NHTSA correspondence, reviewing SGO incident narratives, and maintaining the compliance documentation that underpins the company's ability to operate and expand.

This role requires someone who combines deep regulatory expertise with firsthand knowledge of how federal safety frameworks apply in practice—and who can translate that knowledge into durable internal processes appropriate in an agile startup environment, credible external submissions, and sound counsel to Safety and Legal leadership.

Essential Responsibilities

NHTSA & SGO Leadership

• Review, quality-assure, and approve SGO incident narratives prior to submission, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and appropriate framing

• Monitor NHTSA and state enforcement trends, proposed rulemakings, safety guidance, and regulatory developments at the state and federal levels; proactively surface implications to Safety and Legal leadership

• Support responses to NHTSA investigations or enforcement actions, coordinating with outside counsel and internal stakeholders as needed

Regulatory Compliance & Gap Analysis

• Monitor federal and state AV regulatory requirements and assess alignment with the company’s internal safety policies, identifying gaps where internal standards fall short of the regulatory floor

• Support development of internal safety benchmarks, including review of the company SMS calibrated against applicable federal standards, including FMVSS, NHTSA frameworks, SAE standards, and other industry best practices

• Participate in enterprise risk management activities with a regulatory consequence lens, assessing whether identified operational risks carry regulatory implications

• Track emerging ADS-related guidance, enforcement trends, and state-level rulemakings; maintain a current regulatory landscape view for leadership

Compliance Documentation & Submissions

• Create and maintain a comprehensive library of compliance documentation, including regulatory context summaries, gap analyses, submission records, and background materials

• Prepare and review safety-relevant regulatory submissions and correspondence, ensuring accuracy of safety content and appropriate routing through Legal prior to submission

• Prepare supporting documentation for regulatory engagements where safety posture is relevant, including materials for meetings with state DOTs, federal agencies, and other stakeholders

Safety Assurance & Cross-Functional Advisory

• Advise on passenger and public safety best practices informed by federal standards, NTSB findings, and industry precedent; support their operationalization within the company’s safety programs

• Provide regulatory compliance perspective to Safety leadership on safety case development, incident response, and operational risk decisions

• Coordinate with outside counsel on regulatory strategy, submission review, and government engagement as needed

• Brief executive and Legal leadership on regulatory developments, compliance status, and recommended response actions

Skills and Abilities

Success in this role typically requires the following competencies

• Exceptional written communication skills; able to translate complex technical safety content into accurate, defensible regulatory language

• Ability to operate independently and exercise sound judgment across ambiguous, high-stakes situations

Qualifications and Experience

Candidates most successful in this role typically hold the following qualifications or comparable knowledge or experience:

• 7+ years of experience in AV safety regulation, incident management, or safety compliance within NHTSA, a federal agency, or an AV/automotive company

• Deep familiarity with NHTSA’s Standing General Order (SGO) reporting requirements and crash investigation processes

• Hands-on experience with FMVSS, NHTSA exemption frameworks, and SAE ADS taxonomy

• Proven ability to prepare and manage regulatory submissions, safety correspondence, and compliance documentation

• Experience working closely with or alongside legal counsel on regulatory matters and strategy

Preferred

• Prior experience at NHTSA’s Office of Automation Safety, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance, or equivalent federal safety office

• Background in crash reconstruction, forensic engineering, or ADS safety case evaluation

• Experience briefing senior leadership or executive teams on incident trends and regulatory strategy

• Graduate degree in mechanical engineering, safety engineering, or a related technical field

• Experience working within cross-functional teams to manage safety critical issues

Physical Requirements

• Standard office working conditions which includes but not limited to:

• Prolonged sitting

• Prolonged standing

• Prolonged computer use

• Travel Required?   Minimal: 1%-10%

Benefits and Perks

• Comprehensive healthcare suite including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability plans. Domestic partners who have been residing together at least one year are also eligible to participate.

• Health Savings and Flexible Spending Healthcare and Dependent Care Accounts available.

• Rich retirement benefits, including an immediately vested employer safe harbor match.

• Generous paid parental leave as well as a phased return to work.

• Flexible vacation policy in addition to paid company holidays.

• Total Wellness Program providing numerous resources for overall wellbeing

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and/or people of color are less likely to apply to a job unless they meet every qualification. At the company, we’re committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workforce, so if you’re excited about this role but your previous experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway! You may be the perfect candidate for this or another role at the company.

Want to learn more about our culture & benefits? Check out our  website !

The company is an equal opportunity employer.  All applicants for employment will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, genetics or any other legally protected basis.   Below, you have the opportunity to share your preferred gender pronouns, gender, ethnicity, and veteran status with the company to help us identify areas of improvement in our hiring and recruitment processes. Completion of these questions is entirely voluntary.  Any information you choose to provide will be kept confidential, and will not impact the hiring decision in any way. If you believe that you will need any type of accommodation, please let us know.

Note to Recruitment Agencies:  the company does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Furthermore, the company does not pay placement fees for candidates submitted by any agency other than its approved partners.

Salary Range

$140,000 — $200,000 USD

The company uses automated tools to support — but not replace — human judgment in our recruiting process, to find out more please click  here