Sr. Staff Safety Engineer

AeroVironment•Huntsville, AL

3d•$133,500 - $203,750•Onsite

About The Position

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. You will 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. You will represent safety in customer, internal, and external design and safety reviews, presenting safety analyses and recommendations. You will also serve as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in system safety, mentoring junior engineers and improving safety processes and tools across the organization.

Requirements

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).
Hands-on experience with: FMECA or similar reliability/safety analysis methods.
Hands-on experience with: 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.
U.S. Citizenship is required.

Nice To Haves

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 Initiation-System-Design).
Experience with software safety, including software hazard analysis and coordination with software engineering teams to implement and verify safety mitigations.
Familiarity with DO-178C (and related guidance such as ARP4754A/ARP4761), including safety-driven determination of software levels and evidence required to support airworthiness or certification.
Familiarity with AMCOM 385-17 (System Safety in Army Materiel Acquisition) and its application to Army aviation and weapon system safety programs, including support to Army safety and weapon system safety boards.
Experience with other safety-related standards and disciplines, such as: Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability (RAM) analyses.
Experience with other safety-related standards and disciplines, such as: Human factors / human-systems integration considerations as they relate to safety.
Experience with requirements management and MBSE tools (e.g., Jama, Cameo) to ensure traceability between hazards, safety requirements, design mitigations, and verification evidence.

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.