Job Description:
Lead Safety Engineer
Your impact
Are you ready to shape the safety governance of some of the UK’s most complex and cutting-edge engineering programmes?
At Leonardo, you will join our Design Integrity team, working within a multi-disciplined environment supporting highly innovative and challenging projects. In this role, you will influence product safety strategy from concept through to certification, ensuring that safety, environmental and regulatory requirements are embedded throughout the lifecycle.
What you will do as Lead Safety Engineer:
1. Support Test Engineering to assure that appropriate safety governance (internal and external), legal and regulatory obligations are met
2. Collaborate with Systems Engineering and Sector Engineering Safety Managers to ensure project safety requirements are achieved
3. Define Product Safety and Environmental requirements (product, contractual, legal and regulatory)
4. Participate in the planning and execution of test programmes to address design safety considerations
5. Contribute to Product Test Strategies and Technology Type Tests from a safety perspective
6. Maintain and approve the Product Safety and Environmental Impact Management Plan – Test Engineering
7. Ensure test equipment safety certification (jigs, fixtures, facilities) and readiness for test, supporting Declaration of Design and Performance compliance
8. Support lifecycle readiness reviews including Design Certification Reviews
9. Provide independent assessment through Product Design Reviews and Software/Firmware gate reviews
10. Provide specialist Product Safety and Environmental guidance within Test Engineering
11. Contribute to continuous improvement of test processes, facilities and documentation
12. Provide independent Safety Management Specialist input across Sectors within the Line of Business
13. Participate in Product Safety Panels and manage safety and environmental incident data within corrective action systems
14. Promote safety culture and best practice across the Line of Business
What you’ll bring
15. Demonstrable experience analysing complex systems from a Product Safety and Product Environmental Impact Management perspective, including consideration of Product Security impacts
16. Experience applying safety tools and techniques within Electronics or Avionics disciplines, including Hazard Log Management, Hazard Identification, Functional Failure Analysis, Fault Tree Analysis, Risk Assessment and ALARP justifications
17. Knowledge of electronic testing standards and compliance requirements
18. Experience in Integration, Test, Evaluation and Acceptance processes
19. Experience of verification and testing aligned to ARP4754 or equivalent standards
20. Experience supporting certification to RTCA/DO-178C Level C and/or RTCA/DO-254 Level C, or equivalent in adjacent regulated sectors
21. Experience achieving Product Safety certification in regulated environments
22. Ability to obtain SC security clearance and operate within UKEO and US ITAR TAA restrictions
23. Experience influencing stakeholders of varying seniority to deliver compliant safety outcomes
Key Skills:
Test, Verification, Systems Engineering, Electronics, Safety Engineering, Leadership, Project Management.
It would be nice, but not essential, if you had:
24. Chartered Engineer status
25. A 2:1 or higher in a relevant engineering or science-based honours degree
26. Awareness of Information Security
27. Tool qualification experience
28. Knowledge of SRAM FPGAs and Firmware Design Methods, Tools and Languages
29. Experience in Model Driven Engineering and applicable airborne or high-reliability software standards
30. Understanding of functional domain architectures for complex systems
31. Knowledge of EU and non-EU safety legislation
32. Experience with Microsoft Office, SAP, Siemens Teamcenter, Cameo System Modeller or IBM DOORS
This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.
Security Clearance
This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit:
Why join us
At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.
Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.
For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.
Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.
At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.
Be part of something bigger - apply now