Machine Safety Engineering Specialist

What you’ll do:

The Machine Safety Engineer plays a critical role in advancing machine safety across Boyd Thermal facilities. This position is responsible for ensuring the functional safety, compliance, and risk reduction of machinery and automated systems through the application of recognized international standards, risk assessment methodologies, and safety-related control system design. By building internal machine safety expertise, this role will help strengthen our safety culture, accelerate remediation efforts, and support sustainable operational excellence.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead machine safety risk assessments and hazard analyses for manufacturing equipment and automated systems in accordance with ISO 12100, identifying risks across the full machine lifecycle and applying risk prioritization methodologies.
• Design, specify, implement, and validate safety-related control systems and safety functions using electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, software, and automation technologies in compliance with ISO 13849, IEC 62061, and related machine safety standards.
• Develop Safety Requirements Specifications (SRS), define required performance levels (PLr/SIL), and implement safeguards including emergency stops, interlocks, muting, enabling controls, and safe motion functions.
• Perform verification and validation of safety systems through testing, analysis, simulation, and documentation to ensure functional performance, fault tolerance, and regulatory compliance.
• Develop and execute machine safety remediation plans, managing projects from assessment through implementation while ensuring timely completion and proper documentation.
• Partner with EHS, engineering, maintenance, and operations teams to ensure compliance with machinery safety requirements, support safe equipment operation, and drive continuous risk reduction initiatives.
• Prepare and maintain technical documentation, including validation records, risk assessments, safety files, user instructions, and residual risk mitigation plans.
• Support Eaton’s Machine Safety Expert (EMSE) program by mentoring candidates, promoting best practices, and contributing to enterprise-wide machine safety initiatives.

Qualifications:

Basic Qualifications (Required)

• Bachelor degree in Engineering or other technical area from an accredited educational institution
• Minimum 6+ years of experience in machinery safety, automation, or industrial controls engineering.
• Must have strong proficiency in safety system design, validation, and deployment.
• Must have strong familiarity with LOTO procedures and energy control processes.
• Eaton will not consider applicants for employment immigration sponsorship or support for this position. This means that Eaton will not support any CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT plans, F-1 to H-1B, H-1B cap registration, O-1, E-3, TN status, I-485 job portability, etc.
• Must be physically located in the United States and willing to travel up to 50%.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with ANSI B11, NFPA, OSHA 1910, RIA, IEC, and ISO.
• Deep understanding of ISO 13849, IEC 62061, and ISO 12100 standards.
• Experience with safety PLCs, sensors, actuators, and diagnostic systems.
• Ability to perform functional safety analysis and develop safety architectures.
• Familiarity with performance level (PL) and safety integrity level (SIL) determination.
• Strong documentation and communication skills for compliance and training.
• Certification as a Functional Safety Engineer (TÜV) or equivalent (e.g., PILZ, Rockwell)