Staff/Senior Staff Systems Safety Engineer

Woodward L'Orange•Niles, IL

22h•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated System Safety Engineer to join our Aerospace Electronics team. In this role, you will lead and support safety engineering activities for safety-critical aerospace electronic systems, partnering with systems, hardware, software, certification, quality, and program teams to ensure products are developed with disciplined safety assurance practices. The successful candidate will help define and validate safety requirements, evaluate system architectures, conduct safety analyses, and support compliance with applicable aerospace development and certification expectations. This position is ideal for an engineer who can translate complex safety objectives into practical design guidance, influence cross-functional teams, and help deliver robust electronic solutions for demanding aerospace applications.

Requirements

Aerospace System Safety: Strong understanding of aircraft and avionics system safety principles, failure condition classification, safety objectives, risk mitigation, and safety case development.
Safety Analysis Methods: Demonstrated ability to develop or review FHA, PSSA, SSA, FTA, FMEA/FMECA, CCA, PRA, ZSA, reliability predictions, and related safety evidence.
Aerospace Standards and Certification: Working knowledge of aerospace safety and development guidance such as ARP4754, ARP4761, DO-178C, DO-254, DO-160, and related FAA, EASA, or customer certification expectations.
Requirements and Traceability: Ability to define, allocate, validate, and verify safety requirements while maintaining traceability from hazards and safety objectives through design implementation and test evidence.
Systems Engineering: Experience evaluating system architectures, interfaces, redundancy strategies, monitoring, fault detection, fault isolation, fault tolerance, and degraded-mode operation for safety-critical electronics.
Technical Analysis: Advanced ability to interpret complex technical data, reliability information, test results, and design documentation to assess safety impact and compliance risk.
Cross-Functional Leadership: Proven ability to influence and coordinate across engineering disciplines, program teams, customers, suppliers, and certification stakeholders.
Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex safety findings, assumptions, limitations, and recommendations clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
Problem Solving: Strong analytical judgment and practical decision-making skills for resolving complex safety, certification, and design trade-off challenges.
Continuous Improvement: Commitment to improving safety processes, analysis templates, review practices, and engineering workflows to strengthen product assurance and execution efficiency.
Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline and 8+ years of relevant engineering experience.
Experience with safety-critical aerospace, avionics, electronic control, actuation, propulsion, or aircraft systems is strongly preferred.
Working knowledge of Aviation Development guidelines, including: ARP4754, ARP4761, DO-178, DO-254, etc.
Demonstrated experience developing, reviewing, or supporting system safety analyses and certification artifacts for complex aerospace products.
Experience working with customers, suppliers, designated engineering representatives, certification authorities, or internal compliance teams is preferred.
This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be U.S. Persons within the meaning of the ITAR and EAR, or eligible to obtain all required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce. The ITAR defines a U.S. Person as a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident (i.e., 'Green Card holder'), or a protected person (e.g., asylee, or refugee).

Responsibilities

Lead aerospace system safety activities across the product lifecycle, including hazard identification, safety requirements development, architecture safety assessments, verification planning, and certification support.
Perform and document safety analyses such as Functional Hazard Assessments (FHA), Preliminary System Safety Assessments (PSSA), System Safety Assessments (SSA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), Common Cause Analysis (CCA), Particular Risk Analysis (PRA), and Zonal Safety Analysis (ZSA), as applicable.
Collaborate with systems, electrical, software, mechanical, test, quality, and program teams to allocate safety requirements, evaluate design alternatives, and ensure mitigations are implemented and verified.
Support development assurance and certification activities aligned with common aerospace standards and guidance, including SAE ARP4754 for aircraft and system development, SAE ARP4761 for safety assessment processes, RTCA DO-178C for airborne software, RTCA DO-254 for airborne electronic hardware, and RTCA DO-160 for environmental qualification.
Define and maintain safety artifacts, assumptions, derived requirements, traceability, failure condition classifications, Development Assurance Level (DAL) considerations, and evidence needed to support internal reviews, customer reviews, and regulatory or certification audits.
Advise engineering leadership and program stakeholders on safety risk, compliance strategy, certification impacts, and trade-offs between system architecture, reliability, performance, and maintainability.
Mentor engineers in aerospace safety practices, review safety work products, and promote consistent use of safety engineering methods, tools, and documentation standards.

Benefits

401(k) match (4.5%)
Annual Woodward stock contribution (5%)
Tuition reimbursement and Training/Professional Development opportunities
12 paid holidays, including floating holidays
Industry leading medical, dental, and vision Insurance upon date of hire
Vacation / Sick Time / Vacation Buy-up / Short Term Disability / Bereavement leave
Paid parental leave
Adoption Assistance
Employee Assistance Program, including mental health benefits
Member Life & AD&D / Long Term Disability / Member Optional Life
Member referral bonus
Spouse / Child Optional Life / Optional AD&D / Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending
Voluntary benefits, including: Home / Auto Insurance discounts Whole Life Insurance / Critical Illness Insurance / Legal Assistance / Military Leave