Senior Defence Safety Engineer

Are you an experienced, versatile safety engineer looking to lead complex work across multiple defence domains? Do you enjoy shaping proportionate solutions, influencing clients and helping others connect technical evidence with the decisions that matter? We’re expanding our defence safety capability across air, land, maritime, WOME and broader defence roles. Join us to lead high-impact assignments spanning complex acquisition and in-service programmes, digital safety-case transformation, independent assurance, information systems and emerging technologies.

AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services and nuclear organisation delivering some of the most complex and critical programmes across defence, aerospace, nuclear and other highly regulated sectors. Join our established Safety & Environmental Assurance community; knowledge sharing and collaboration are at the heart of what we do.

• Formal technical assurance, peer review and access to experienced practitioners and subject matter experts.
• Domain Communities of Interest and professional networks.
• Regular team meetings, knowledge-sharing events and informal mentoring.
• Career development support aligned wherever possible to your experience, interests and goals.

We aim to align assignments with your skills, interests and career goals while balancing client and business needs. We welcome experienced applicants from industry, MOD and the Armed Forces, including those returning after a career break.

Assignments could include:

• Technical leadership of safety cases and assurance strategies for complex defence capabilities.
• Digital safety-case and safety-information initiatives that improve traceability, currency and decision support.
• Safety management for pan-domain services, information systems and emerging technologies.
• Assurance reviews, governance improvement and multidisciplinary support to major programmes.

You will lead significant safety engineering assignments and provide trusted advice to clients and delivery teams. Combining technical depth with practical consultancy, you’ll help teams focus effort on the decisions and evidence that matter most. Lead the planning and delivery of safety engineering and safety assurance work packages, balancing quality, schedule and cost. Lead the development, maintenance and assurance of safety cases, safety assessments, hazard logs and safety management arrangements.

Select and apply proportionate safety analysis techniques, and provide technical direction to multidisciplinary teams. Develop robust safety arguments and evidence strategies that support informed acceptance and operational decisions. Provide clear, pragmatic advice to senior client stakeholders, engineering leaders, suppliers and assurance authorities. Review and assure technical outputs, share knowledge with less-experienced colleagues and promote consistent good practice. Help develop future work by understanding emerging client needs, strengthening relationships and supporting follow‑on activity where appropriate.

Contribute to capability development, reusable methods, digital approaches and the wider professional community.

• Substantial experience delivering safety engineering or safety assurance in a defence environment, gained through industry, MOD or the Armed Forces.
• Experience leading safety cases, safety assessments, hazard‑management activities or technically complex work packages.
• Sound knowledge of systems engineering, with the technical judgement to develop proportionate, defensible solutions where information is incomplete or evolving.
• Confident client‑facing communication, stakeholder management and production of high‑quality technical…