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SMS Lead
Ann Arbor, MI
May Mobility 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
May Mobility is building the future of safe, reliable autonomous transportation. As the SMS Lead, you will own and operate the company’s Safety Management System — the program backbone that governs how safety objectives are set, how safety performance is measured, how incidents are tracked and learned from, and how a safety culture is sustained across the organization. This is a dedicated SMS program role: hazard identification and risk assessment are owned by our Risk Management Lead, and safety case development sits with our Safety Case Lead. Your mandate is to make the SMS itself work — as a living, auditable, regulation-aligned system that ties those functions together.
You will anchor the SMS in ICAO Doc 9859’s four-pillar structure and ensure obligations flowing from UN ECE R157 and UL 4600 are reflected in our program-level documentation and governance. If you are energized by building and running rigorous safety programs — not just writing documents but making them real — this role is for you.
Essential Responsibilities
SMS Program Ownership
- Own the end-to-end lifecycle of the May Mobility Safety Management System, including the Safety Policy (MM-SMS-POL-001) and all subordinate SMS procedures, work instructions, forms, and records.
- Maintain alignment of the SMS structure with the ICAO Doc 9859 four-pillar framework (Safety Policy & Objectives, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance, Safety Promotion) and map regulatory obligations from UN ECE R157 and UL 4600 into the SMS document hierarchy.
- Own the SMS document control process: version management, review cycles, approval workflows, and controlled distribution.
- Drive annual SMS reviews and gap analyses; track open findings and corrective actions through to closure.
Safety Performance Monitoring & Measurement
- Establish and maintain the company’s Safety Performance Monitoring & Measurement (SPMM) program, including definition of safety performance indicators (SPIs) and safety performance targets (SPTs) across lagging and leading dimensions.
- Collect, analyze, and report safety performance data on a recurring cadence; surface trends, anomalies, and systemic issues to safety leadership.
- Maintain the Safety Review Board (SRB) reporting package; produce executive-level safety dashboards and periodic safety reports.
- Interface with the Risk Management Lead and Safety Case Lead to ensure SMS performance data informs risk register updates and safety case evidence.
Incident Reporting & Investigation Coordination
- Track the company’s safety occurrence reporting and investigation coordination process; ensure incidents, near-misses, and hazard reports are captured, triaged, and routed to the appropriate functional owner.
- Maintain the occurrence database and ensure investigation closure records are complete and traceable within the SMS.
- Coordinate lessons-learned and after-action review processes; ensure outputs are fed back into SMS procedures and training materials.
- Serve as the SMS point of contact for regulatory occurrence reporting obligations (NHTSA voluntary reporting, state-level AV incident reporting).
SMS Audits & Compliance
- Plan and coordinate internal SMS audits; manage findings, corrective/preventive actions (CAPAs), and closure verification.
- Maintain audit readiness across all SMS documentation; serve as the primary contact for third-party or regulatory SMS assessments.
- Track evolving regulatory requirements (UN ECE WP.29, NHTSA AV guidance, state AV frameworks) and assess their impact on the SMS program; initiate updates as required.
Safety Promotion & Culture
- Champion a non-punitive, just safety culture across engineering, operations, and fleet management teams.
- Design and deliver SMS training programs for new hire onboarding, role-specific SMS competency, and recurrent safety awareness.
- Maintain the safety communication plan; manage internal safety bulletins, lessons-learned dissemination, and safety awareness campaigns.
Cross-Functional Integration
- Partner with the Risk Management Lead and Safety Case Lead to ensure the SMS program provides the governance structure that supports their respective outputs.
- Embed SMS requirements and reporting checkpoints into program milestone gates in coordination with Systems Engineering, Operations, and Program Management.
- Interface with the Director/VP of Safety on SMS maturity roadmap, resource needs, and organizational safety strategy.
Skills and Abilities
Success in this role typically requires the following competencies:
- Deep working knowledge of safety management system frameworks: ICAO Doc 9859 (primary), UN ECE R157, UL 4600, and/or MIL-STD-882.
- Demonstrated experience building or operating SMS program infrastructure: document control, SPMM, occurrence reporting, audit management, and safety promotion.
- Sufficient fluency in automotive and AV safety standards (ISO 26262, ISO 21448, ISO 8800) to integrate SMS obligations with engineering safety activities — without needing to own those activities.
- Strong analytical skills: able to define meaningful SPIs, identify performance trends, and communicate data-driven safety insights.
- Excellent written and verbal communication; proven ability to produce executive-level safety reports and regulatory submissions.
- Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and drive cross-functional alignment on program governance and compliance.
- Experience managing regulatory interactions (NHTSA, FMCSA, state AV regulators, or equivalent) is a strong plus.
Qualifications and Experience
Candidates most successful in this role typically hold the following qualifications or comparable knowledge or experience:
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
- 5+ years of experience in safety management, safety program management, or safety engineering in a regulated or safety-critical industry.
- 3+ years of direct, hands-on experience owning or significantly contributing to a formal Safety Management System (SMS) program — aerospace, rail, automotive, or AV domains strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience with SMS documentation, SPMM program design, occurrence reporting systems, and internal audit coordination.
- Familiarity with UN ECE R157 / WP.29 AV regulatory framework and ICAO Doc 9859 SMS structure.
Desirable Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in a relevant engineering or safety discipline.
- SMS Lead or Safety Management System certification (e.g., ISASI, IATA SMS, SMS Pro, or equivalent).
- Experience in the autonomous vehicle, ADAS, advanced aviation, or robotics domain.
- Familiarity with UL 4600 SMS and safety assurance requirements for AV systems.
- Experience interfacing with NHTSA, state DMVs, or other AV regulatory bodies on safety program submissions.
- Software Development Knowledge & Practical Application: has run their own analyses of safety performance data (SPIs, SPTs, occurrence trends, audit findings) within the last 24 months using Power BI, Excel, SQL, or AI / automation tools, and interprets engineering safety artifacts produced by the Risk Management and Safety Case Leads without depending on a data analyst.
Physical Requirements
Travel Required? Minimal 0-10%
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 May Mobility, 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 May.
Want to learn more about our culture & benefits? Check out our website!
May Mobility 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 May Mobility 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: May Mobility does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Furthermore, May Mobility does not pay placement fees for candidates submitted by any agency other than its approved partners.
Salary Range
$150,000 - $220,000 USD
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