Sr. Safety Engineer

Senior Staff Safety Engineer

We are seeking an experienced Senior Staff Safety Engineer to lead system safety activities for a family of Unmanned Systems supporting defense and commercial applications. In this role, you will:

• Lead system safety analyses and documentation for complex unmanned aircraft systems, including weaponized configurations, in accordance with MIL-STD-882 and related standards.
• Collaborate with systems engineering, design, integration, test, and program management to ensure safety requirements are properly derived, implemented, and verified and hazards are identified, mitigated, and verified.
• Represent safety in customer, internal, and external design and safety reviews, presenting safety analyses and recommendations.
• Serve as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in system safety, mentoring junior engineers and improving safety processes and tools across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the System Safety Program in accordance with MIL-STD-882E (or latest revision), including plans, analyses, tracking, and reporting.
• Plan and perform system safety analyses, including (as applicable):
• Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA)
• Functional Hazard Analysis (FHA)
• System Hazard Analysis (SHA)
• Subsystem Hazard Analysis (SSHA)
• Software/System-of-Systems safety assessments as needed
• Perform Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analyses (FMECA) and other reliability/safety-related analyses to support hazard identification and mitigation.
• Derive, allocate, and track safety requirements from top-level system and mission requirements down to subsystems, software, and interfaces.
• Develop and maintain system safety-related documents and deliverables, which may include:
• System Safety Management Plan (SSMP) or System Safety Program Plan (SSPP)
• Safety Assessment Report (SAR)
• Hazard Tracking System / Hazard Log
• Hazardous Materials Management Plan (HMMP)
• Work closely with design teams to identify and implement design mitigations for identified hazards and verify that mitigations are effective.
• Integrate safety considerations into system architecture, CONOPS, mission threads, and operational procedures.
• Support test planning and execution to validate safety requirements and verify closure of hazard controls, including participation in test readiness reviews and post-test assessments.
• Present safety analyses, findings, and recommendations at technical and program reviews (e.g., SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, safety boards, and weapon system safety reviews).
• Coordinate and interface with customer safety organizations, weapon system safety boards, fuze/safety boards, and relevant government agencies as required.
• Drive continuous improvement of system safety processes, templates, tools, and training within the engineering organization.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science/Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace, Mechanical Engineering, or related field; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DoD Secret security clearance.
• 8+ years of relevant safety and/or weapons system safety experience.
• Travel up to 15% to support customer meetings, design reviews, integration, and test events.
• Demonstrated experience applying MIL-STD-882E (or later) in a defense or aerospace environment, including planning and execution of hazard analyses and tracking of mitigations.
• Hands-on experience with:
• Hazard analyses (e.g., PHA, FHA, SHA, SSHA).
• FMECA or similar reliability/safety analysis methods.
• Authoring and maintaining safety documentation such as:
• System Safety Management/Program Plan (SSMP/SSPP)
• Safety Assessment Reports (SAR)
• Hazard Logs / Hazard Tracking System
• Environmental / Hazardous Materials Management Plan (HMMP) or equivalent.
• Experience presenting system safety content and artifacts at technical and program reviews (e.g., SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, safety boards).
• Experience working in a collaborative, multidisciplinary engineering environment and effectively communicating safety-related issues, risks, and mitigations to engineering leadership and program stakeholders.
• Ability to perform in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment where small teams share broad responsibilities.
• Strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet program and company objectives.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Systems Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science/Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace, Mechanical Engineering, or related field from an ABET-accredited institution.
• Current, active U.S. DoD Secret clearance or higher.
• Experience with UAVs / UAS and/or weaponized unmanned systems.
• Experience with weapon system safety, including:
• Participation in weapon system safety boards, fuze boards, and/or rocket motor safety boards.
• Familiarity with MIL-STD-1316 (Safety Criteria for Fuze Design) and MIL-STD-1901 (Safety Criteria for Fuze- and…