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Master Thesis Functional Safety
Volvo Group
Source: Headcount Labs · original listing ↗
Job data: Headcount Labs, ODbL 1.0. Job descriptions belong to their employers.
Source date: 10/13/2026
About this role
Transport is at the core of modern society. Imagine using your expertise to shape sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions for the future. If you seek to make a difference on a global scale, working with next-gen technologies and the sharpest collaborative teams, then we could be a perfect match. Background and Objective: At Volvo Construction Equipment, safety is not just a feature; it is a foundation. We are committed to delivering high-quality and safe products. While actively explore emerging technologies such as AI and connectivity, we are equally committed to continuously mastering the classical methods that underlying functional safety. For functional safety, the probability of dangerous failure per hour (PFHD) is one key parameter. PFHD depends on various factors, for example, the architecture, diagnostic coverage, and common cause factor which also known as beta factor. In the machinery domain, different functional safety standards differ the approaches to determine the beta factor, and whether a fixed or variable beta factor is used in PFHD calculations. For example, ISO 13849-1 and IEC 62061 consider slightly different scoring methods to determine the beta factor. Another example is, ISO 13849-1 and ISO 13849-2 use a simplified approach with a fixed beta factor of 2%, while in practice the beta factor may be a variable figure. Based on selected functional safety standards and reports in the machinery domain, the aim of this thesis is to compare the current approaches for determining the beta factor and to discuss their pros and cons and possible strengthens, as well as summarize how the beta factor contributes to PFHD based on the designated architectures in the machinery domain. Main Tasks: • Gain an overview of the functional safety standards landscape in the machinery industry. • Develop a solid understanding of key functional safety concepts, including but not limited to PFHD, common-cause failure, and the beta factor. • Investigate how the beta factor is determined and applied in selected functional safety standards and reports, including their assumptions, applicability, and limitations. This mainly includes: • The simplified approach in ISO 13849-1 and ISO 13849-2. • The detailed calculation method in ISO/TR 13849-3. • The methods in IEC 62061 and the ISO 19014 series. • Relevant insights from ISO 25119 series and IEC 61508 series. • Based on the above investigation, perform cross-standards analysis which mainly include: • How beta factors are determined. • Discuss the pros and cons of these beta factor methods, as well as possible strengthen for the machinery domain. • How beta factors contribute to PFHD, based on designated architectures in the machinery domain. • Document and present the results of the thesis work. Methods: • Review selected standards and relevant literature. • Conduct interviews and discussions with subject matter experts. • Participate in meetings and workshops, when applicable. Requirements: • The candidate should have a bachelor’s degree and is now completing his/her master's degree, ideally majoring in safety-critical system engineering, embedded systems or related field. • The candidate should be self-driven, with excellent learning and analytical capabilities, as well as have good documentation and communication skills in English. • Ability to work independently while collaborating with industry experts. • During the thesis period, the candidate should have possibility to be on site Volvo Construction Equipment at Eskilstuna regularly. • Knowledge of functional safety is a great merit. Provided by Volvo Construction Equipment: • An opportunity to contribute to a thesis project with relevance for a future career in functional safety. • Practical insight into functional safety in the machinery industry. • An industrial supervisor for regular discussions. • Remuneration for the thesis work. Other Info: • The thesis could accept one or two master students. • The thesis scope is 30 ECTS credits. • Kick-off date: As soon as agreed. • Location: Eskilstuna, Sweden. • Last day to apply: 30 november. Contact Person: • Yin Chen. Functional safety specialist. Email: yin.chen@volvo.com We value your data privacy and therefore do not accept applications via mail. Who we are and what we believe in We are committed to shaping the future landscape of efficient, safe, and sustainable transport solutions. Fulfilling our mission creates countless career opportunities for talents across the group’s leading brands and entities. Applying to this job offers you the opportunity to join Volvo Group . Every day, you will be working with some of the sharpest and most creative brains in our field to be able to leave our society in better shape for the next generation. We are passionate about what we do, and we thrive on teamwork. We are almost 100,000 people united around the world by a culture of care, inclusiveness, and empowerment. Part of Volvo Group, Volvo Construction Equipment is a global company driven by our purpose to build the world we want to live in. Together we develop and deliver solutions for a cleaner, smarter, and more connected world. By unleashing everyone’s full potential, we build a more sustainable future for all our stakeholders. Come join our team and help us build a better tomorrow.