Safety Engineering Lead

About the role

Principal Systems Safety Engineer / Safety Engineering Lead Bristol | Hybrid Working |

Are you an experienced Systems Safety or Product Safety Engineer looking to take on greater technical and leadership responsibility?

We are supporting a leading defence engineering organisation in Bristol with the recruitment of a Safety Engineering Lead to manage and develop a team delivering safety engineering across complex maritime defence systems.

This is an opportunity for someone who enjoys getting involved in the engineering rather than simply managing compliance, and who wants to influence how safety is integrated into product design and development.

Responsibilities

• The role You will lead and develop a team of safety engineers while remaining actively involved in technical delivery.
• Your responsibilities will include:
• Leading, mentoring and supporting safety engineers working across multiple programmes.
• Providing technical direction on hazard analysis, risk assessment and safety engineering activities.
• Overseeing the development of safety cases, hazard analyses and supporting technical evidence.
• Working closely with systems engineering and design teams to influence safety decisions throughout product development.
• Ensuring safety engineering is integrated into engineering processes rather than treated solely as a compliance activity.
• Identifying opportunities to improve existing safety engineering methods, processes and practices.

Qualifications

• A relevant engineering degree or equivalent professional experience is required.

Required Skills

• A strong background in systems safety, product safety or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Practical experience applying safety engineering techniques to complex equipment and systems.
• Knowledge of hazard analysis, functional failure analysis, fault tree analysis and safety case development.
• Experience leading, mentoring or developing other engineers.
• An understanding of how safety engineering supports systems development, design assurance and certification.
• Familiarity with relevant safety standards, ideally including Defence Standard 00-056.
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to challenge technical decisions constructively.
• Experience within Defence or Maritime would be particularly relevant, although candidates from other complex safety-critical engineering sectors will also be considered.

Preferred Skills

• Experience within Defence or Maritime would be particularly relevant, although candidates from other complex safety-critical engineering sectors will also be considered.

Pay range and compensation package

• Company bonus of up to 21%.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Healthcare cash plan.
• Subsidised meals and free onsite parking.

Eligibility

• Due to the nature of the programmes, applicants must meet the nationality requirements for the position, which include British citizenship.
• Relevant security and pre-employment checks will apply.
• If you are a Principal Safety Engineer, Systems Safety Manager, Product Safety Manager or an experienced Senior Safety Engineer looking to progress into leadership, we would be interested in speaking with you.

Pay and benefits

Salary and benefits Salary circa £70,000 depending on experience.