Head of Physical Robot Safety, Hardware Testing & Safety

Head of Physical Robot Safety, Hardware Testing & Safety
Location: Palo Alto, CA (on-site)

About 1X
We’re an AI and robotics company based in Palo Alto, California, on a mission to build a truly abundant society through general-purpose robots capable of performing any kind of work autonomously.

We believe that to truly understand the world and grow in intelligence, humanoid robots must live and learn alongside us. That’s why we’re focused on developing friendly home robots designed to integrate seamlessly into everyday life.

We’re looking for curious, driven, and passionate people who want to help shape the future of robotics and AI. If this mission excites you, we’d be thrilled to hear from you and explore how you might contribute to our journey.

Role Overview
We are seeking a Head of Physical Robot Safety to spearhead a new chapter in humanoid safety. This role focuses on the design and execution of rigorous physical safety testing—impact, crash, and failure-mode scenarios—to ensure our robots meet the highest standards of safety around people. You will draw on deep physics fundamentals and real-world testing experience to anticipate failure cases, design experiments, evaluate results, and help define new safety benchmarks for humanoids.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute and evaluate tests for robot impact, crash safety, and real-world failure modes

• Prototype and validate safety concepts across mechanical and control domains

• Establish test methodologies and metrics for robot safety in human environments

• Analyze data rigorously to inform design improvements and safety standards

• Collaborate across teams to integrate physical safety into robot design and operation

• Contribute to the creation of new industry standards for humanoid safety

Requirements

• 8+ years in physical safety testing (e.g., automotive crash safety, aerospace interiors, or equivalent)

• Strong fundamentals in physics, mechanics, and impact dynamics

• Comfortable with writing routines in code

• Hands-on experience designing, building, and executing crash or impact tests

• Proven ability to analyze test data and translate findings into actionable design changes

• Passion for pioneering safety in a new domain—autonomous robots living and working with people

Benefits & Compensation

• Salary Range: $170,000 – $235,000

• Health, dental, and vision insurance

• 401(k) with company match

• Paid time off and holidays

Equal Opportunity Employer
1X is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.