Principal Safety Engineer

Job Description

Are you an experienced Safety Engineer looking to influence the design and delivery of complex, mission-critical systems?

At Leonardo, you'll work on advanced aerospace, avionics and defence programmes, ensuring safety is designed into innovative technology from concept through to operational deployment. As a Principal Safety Engineer, you'll play a key role in shaping engineering decisions, reducing risk and developing the safety evidence that supports some of the UK's most advanced capabilities.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary engineering team, you'll collaborate with Systems, Software and Hardware Engineers, customers and suppliers to deliver safe, reliable products that perform in some of the world's most demanding environments.

As a Principal Safety Engineer, you'll use your expertise to influence the design and development of complex systems throughout the entire product lifecycle.

• Leading safety assessments from Hazard Identification through to the delivery of Safety Case Reports.
• Applying safety analysis techniques such as Functional Failure Analysis (FFA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and system requirements analysis.
• Influencing system architecture and design decisions by identifying and managing technical risk.
• Developing safety requirements and defining effective verification and validation approaches.
• Producing robust safety arguments and evidence to demonstrate compliance with customer and regulatory requirements.
• Conducting Environmental Impact Assessments and supporting environmental compliance activities.
• Presenting technical safety findings to customers, stakeholders and Integrated Project Teams.
• Supporting investigations relating to safety incidents, observations and lessons learned.
• Working closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams to solve complex technical challenges.
• Contributing to the continuous improvement of Leonardo's Safety & Environmental Management System.

We're looking for engineers who enjoy solving complex technical problems and influencing the development of high-integrity systems.

• Experience delivering safety engineering activities on complex systems.
• Knowledge of safety analysis techniques such as Hazard Analysis, FFA, FMECA, FTA or similar methodologies.
• Experience developing Safety Case Reports and supporting evidence.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• The ability to work collaboratively across multiple engineering disciplines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• The confidence to engage with stakeholders at all levels.

• Aerospace, avionics, defence or other regulated engineering environments.
• CAMEO Systems Modeller.
• IBM DOORS.
• Adelard ASCE.
• Isograph Fault Tree+.
• Azure Dev Ops.
• Systems Engineering methodologies.
• Microsoft Office, particularly Word and Excel.

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit:

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge:
  Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future:
  Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters:
  Free access to mental health support,…