Semiconductor Functional Safety Manager

This Functional Safety Manager role offers a rare opportunity to build and lead an entire functional safety capability from the ground up. This is not a replacement hire or a maintenance role. You’ll be the first dedicated functional safety specialist within the organisation, responsible for establishing processes, influencing product strategy, supporting customers and creating the foundations for a future safety team.

The position can be based in Oldham, Bratislava or Germany, with flexibility for exceptional candidates elsewhere in Europe. For candidates based in the UK, the expectation is typically 5 days on-site, although flexibility exists depending on circumstances and travel requirements.

Our client is a global semiconductor company supplying products to automotive and industrial markets. As functional safety requirements continue to grow across their product portfolio, they are investing in a dedicated leader who can bring technical credibility, strategic direction and practical implementation experience.

What makes this role particularly unique is the opportunity to shape the function from day one. You’ll work directly with engineering teams, business unit leaders, customers and senior management to embed ISO 26262 throughout the product lifecycle while building the long-term roadmap for functional safety across the organisation.

As the Functional Safety Manager, you’ll own the company’s functional safety strategy, governance and implementation, acting as the central point of expertise across all automotive semiconductor activities.

Responsibilities include

• Establishing and developing the company’s Functional Safety Management System (FSMS)
• Leading ISO 26262 compliance activities across automotive semiconductor products
• Driving HARA, FMEDA, FMEA, safety concepts, safety planning and safety architecture activities
• Working closely with design and verification teams to implement effective safety mechanisms
• Acting as the primary customer-facing representative for all functional safety matters
• Supporting audits, assessments and interactions with certification bodies
• Building safety cases, safety manuals and supporting documentation
• Coaching, mentoring and developing functional safety capability across engineering teams

What you’ll bring

• Proven experience implementing and leading ISO 26262 functional safety within semiconductor environments
• Strong semiconductor design and verification background
• Experience establishing or significantly developing functional safety processes and frameworks
• Deep understanding of FMEDA, FMEA, safety architecture and diagnostic mechanisms
• Ability to influence stakeholders and build support for functional safety initiatives
• Strong customer-facing communication skills
• Experience working across international engineering organisations

This is an opportunity to create something rather than inherit it. You’ll have direct visibility with senior leadership, influence future product strategy, and build a function that will become increasingly important as the business expands its automotive portfolio. The combination of technical depth, strategic ownership and organisational influence makes this a genuinely unique Functional Safety Manager opportunity.

Salary flexible based on experience, plus pension, healthcare, life assurance, bonus potential and additional employee benefits.

If you are interested in the Functional Safety Manager position, please contact Emily Wright.