Lead Engineer, System Safety
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 15, 2026. First seen by Alion on Oct 1, 2026.
What we do:
As our Lead Engineer, System Safety, you will take ownership of safety engineering across the full aircraft lifecycle. You will be accountable for the overall safety strategy, governance, technical direction, and successful execution of the system safety function across the program. This role provides organizational leadership, drives safety-related decision making, and is ultimately responsible for achieving program-level safety objectives. In this role, you will operate at aircraft level, with responsibility not only for ensuring the delivery of core aircraft and systems safety assessments, but also for driving a coherent systems safety process across all engineering domains.
This position requires an experienced professional with expertise in definition and application of processes and procedures in alignment with SAE ARP4754B and SAE 4761A, safety requirements definition, management & performance measurement within an agile product development environment. You will work with different engineering disciplines and will liaise closely with the Strategy Team to ensure requirements meet our customer & business case needs.
What you can do:
Own the System Safety function for assigned aircraft programs, ensuring the development and execution of the overall safety strategy throughout the product lifecycle
Serve as the technical authority and primary decision-maker for system safety matters, providing direction, prioritization, and risk disposition recommendations
Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of system safety activities across engineering disciplines, suppliers, and external partners
Represent the safety organization in executive reviews and provide clear communication of program safety status, risks, and recommendations
Influence technical and program decisions by balancing safety, certification, performance, cost, schedule, and operational considerations
Lead supplier and partner engagements related to safety analyses, compliance activities, and risk management
Provide leadership for safety compliance activities supporting aircraft certification and regulatory approval and program milestones
Act as a primary interface with certification authorities, designated representatives, and external stakeholders on safety-related topics
Plan, lead, and review all system safety analyses (FHA, PSSA, SSA, CMA, PRA, ZSA, etc.) across the aircraft and define and verify system safety requirements and safety analysis artifacts to ensure design integrity and safety
Develop and uphold a structured, auditable and proactive safety process, aligned with SAE ARP4754A/ARP4761 and PL.2510
Ensure effective cross-functional integration of safety requirements and risk mitigations with design, test, flight operations and compliance teams
Provide technical expertise and guidance to the Engineering team and cross-disciplinary research & development teams working on the development & certification of passenger carrying eVTOL aircraft
Mentor, coach and provide technical leadership to safety engineers and cross-functional engineering teams in all aspects of Safety System Engineering industry best practices
Applies safety engineering principles to support investigation, analysis, planning, design, development, testing, evaluation, and implementation of eVTOL systems
Reviews and prepares safety engineering and technical analysis reports, and other technical documentation
Applies safety engineering principles to facilitate functions such as system integration, configuration management, and testing
Drive consistency, quality, and continuous improvement of safety processes, methods, tools, and standards across the organization
Influencing aircraft design to improve system safety features and design
What you can contribute:
Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, electrical, mechanical engineering, or related field is required; advanced degree preferred
A minimum of eight (8) years of aerospace experience leading safety engineering activities at the aircraft or system-of-systems level
Proven ability to plan and deliver multiple safety analyses and workstreams to aggressive schedules
Strong experience across the safety lifecycle delivering various functional safety analyses (AFHAs, PASAs, PRAs, ZSAs, ASA etc.)
Prior experience with complete OEM aircraft development programs doing systems safety and reliability from the initial design until industrialization
Experience with Flight Controls and electric propulsion (preferred)
Experience with safety aspects of RTCA DO-178B/C and RTCA DO-254 (preferred)
Excellent understanding of FAA/EASA certification processes for the aircraft and subcomponents
Strong working knowledge of SAE ARP4754A and ARP4761, and regulatory frameworks including PL.2510 and 23.1309
A minimum of three (3) years of experience with at least one (1) of the following 14 CFR Airworthiness Standards: Part 23, 25, 27, 29, 33, 34 or 35
Capable of setting a positive tone, managing ambiguity and driving accountability across teams
Excellent abstraction and communication skills
Experience working on novel air vehicles (eVTOL, rotorcraft, multi-rotors, or UAS).
Experience with 2X.1309 and PL.2510 and relevant regulations and guidance materials.
Experience conducting Particular Risk, Zonal Safety, Common Mode and / or Reliability analyses.
Awareness of the interrelationship between Cyber Security and Safety
Understanding and experience using fault tree / failure analysis software and analysis tools for safety systems
Sense of urgency, proactive delivery of communication and follow-up
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
Ability to independently prioritize and accomplish work within time constraints
Self-motivated and growth-oriented personality
Critical thinker, adept at relationship building and leading through influence