Location: Swindon (must be willing to travel to Europe when required)
About STARK
STARK is a new kind of defence technology company revolutionising the way autonomous systems are deployed across multiple domains. We design, develop, and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost-effective. This provides our operators with a decisive edge in highly contested environments.
We are focused on delivering deployable, high-performance systems, not future promises. In a time of rising threats, STARK is bolstering the technological edge of NATO Allies and their Partners to deter aggression and defend Europe today.
Your Mission
You will be the systems safety lead for a next-generation Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), driving a safety-by-design approach across the entire product lifecycle. This includes ensuring all mechanical, electrical, and software subsystems meet stringent safety requirements. As a Principal / Senior Systems Engineer, you will define the safety-critical architecture and interfaces, manage safety integration and verification activities, and drive system safety validation through rigorous testing, hazard analysis, and compliance reporting.
Responsibilities
* Serve as the system safety lead for UAS product development and upgrades, owning overall platform safety and coherency from concept through delivery.
* Work day-to-day within multidisciplinary teams (mechanical, electrical, avionics, software, test) across the full lifecycle of UAS design, integration, test and fielding.
* Conceptualise and capture system architecture for new platforms and enhancements, producing technical trade studies, safety-critical sizing, and system performance assessments.
* Establish and execute the system safety program, including the development of Preliminary Hazard Analyses (PHA) and System/Subsystem Hazard Assessments (SHA/SSHA).
* Lead and coordinate Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) activities across multidisciplinary teams.
* Produce layout and system design plans, define Interface Control Documents (ICDs) and enforce interface control processes for mechanical, electrical, and software subsystems.
* Establish and maintain requirements baselines, including safety requirements, and traceability using industry tools (e.g., IBM DOORS) and MBSE approaches.
* Implement robust change control processes to manage and assess the impact of all design changes on system safety and compliance.
* Act as the technical interface between internal teams, suppliers and customers to coordinate payload integration, unique/custom hardware or software interfaces, and ensure on-time capability delivery.
* Manage tactical engineering tasks during development sprints and test campaigns, resolving cross-discipline issues and maintaining configuration control.
Required qualifications & attributes
* Degree (or equivalent) in Systems, Aerospace, Electrical or a closely related Engineering discipline.
* Significant industry experience with demonstrable systems engineering and system safety responsibility on UAV/aerospace or equivalent complex, safety-critical platforms.
* Strong practical experience integrating complex systems: power systems, RF/EMC, EO sensors, networking, flight controllers and payload interfaces.
* Proven track record in requirements capture, compliance analysis, and verification/validation activities; proficient with requirements management tools (IBM DOORS or similar).
* Demonstrable experience leading and executing safety analyses, including Hazard Assessments (PHA/SHA/SSHA) and FMEA/DFMEA.
* Familiarity with safety standards (e.g., ARP4754A, ARP4761, DO-178C, DO-254) and the principles of requirements and change control in a regulated environment.
* Familiarity with MBSE principles, interface control processes and configuration management in regulated environments.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills; highly organised and detail-oriented.
* Ability to operate effectively in fast-moving, ambiguous environments and to travel within the UK/Europe for testing and integration.
* A genuine passion for system development, integration and testing and a collaborative, inclusive team approach.
* Security-cleared or eligible to obtain UK defence clearance.
Desirable
* Prior experience leading Systems Engineering and authoring safety assurance documentation and risk management artefacts.
* Experience integrating complex/custom payloads for partner or customer use (hardware, electrical and software interfaces).
* Background in start-up or scale-up environments where rapid prototyping, iterative testing and pragmatic engineering decisions are typical.