Weapons Systems Safety Engineer

The Weapons Systems Safety Engineer develops and executes a Program-specific System Safety Assessment Plan for weapons, munitions, and loitering munition systems. This role provides system safety subject matter expertise on assigned programs, performing and publishing assessments and analyses required to support design, development, test, and sustainment of advanced weapon systems.

The engineer will be responsible for performing and delivering System Safety Hazard Assessments (SSHA), Safety Assessment Reports (SAR), Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analyses (FMECA), Functional Hazard Analyses (FHA), Hazardous Materials Management Plans (HMMP), Operating and Support Hazard Analyses (O&SHA), and more, with a focus on compliance to DoD system safety requirements and explosive ordnance standards.

Position Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain System Safety Program Plans for weapons, munitions, and loitering munition systems to ensure compliance with DoD safety regulations, MIL-STD-882E, and MIL-STD-1316.
• Perform safety analyses including fault tree analysis, failure hazard effects analysis, and explosive safety assessments for energetic systems.
• Conduct and document hazard analyses related to fuzing, initiation systems, energetic materials, and warhead safety, in accordance with MIL-STD-1316, MIL-STD-2105, and MIL-STD-331.
• Liaison with program management, system engineering, test organizations, and customer agencies to ensure all design activities align with system safety requirements.
• Provide MBSE-driven safety engineering using Cameo to integrate hazard tracking and safety analyses within the digital systems engineering environment.
• Assist in the management of hazards realized in operation, storage, handling, maintenance, or arising from configuration changes.
• Perform technical safety risk analysis/management for developmental and fielded weapon systems.
• Participate in System Safety Working Groups and lead discussions with stakeholders, regulatory bodies, and test organizations (e.g., WSESRB, E3RB).
• Provide safety engineering training to team members and support internal reviews of safety practices.
• Write safety-related system requirements and ensure traceability into system design using MBSE methods.
• Support independent safety reviews, including reviews for qualification testing, insensitive munitions compliance, and live-fire test events.
• Develop and publish safety cases, white papers, and technical reports to support weapon system certification and deployment.
• Identify, analyze, and resolve system safety risks across multiple technical disciplines, including propulsion, energetics, control systems, and electronics.
• Mentor junior engineers and support knowledge sharing across programs.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years of experience in System Safety Engineering for weapons, munitions, or energetics systems.
• Proficient in performing hazard analyses, explosive safety assessments, fault tree analysis, failure analysis, and risk management.
• Direct experience in applying MIL-STD-882E, MIL-STD-1316, MIL-STD-2105, MIL-STD-331, and related DoD safety standards.
• Familiarity with DoD acquisition lifecycle safety requirements and weapon system safety review boards (e.g., WSESRB).
• Experience in MBSE using Cameo, integrating system safety data and hazard tracking into system architecture models.
• Strong background in systems engineering disciplines: electronics, avionics, software, energetics, mechanical/structural.
• Working knowledge of explosive ordnance design and safety assessment.
• Occasional travel within the U.S. to support test events, reviews, and safety boards may be required.

Bonus Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in Engineering or related technical field.
• Experience with loitering munitions, UAV-integrated weapons, or missile systems.
• Familiarity with Insensitive Munitions (IM) testing and explosive hazard mitigation.
• Experience supporting test range safety reviews and explosive siting approvals.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills.
• Proficiency in technical documentation, Word, Excel, and safety reporting tools.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, multi-disciplinary environment where small teams manage broad responsibilities.
• Demonstrated initiative, ownership of work products, and continuous improvement mindset.
• Strong teamwork, collaboration, and communication skills to effectively interface with technical and non-technical stakeholders.