Safety Engineering Manager (Systems Engineer)

Safety Engineering Manager - Autonomous & AI Systems

Location: London (Hybrid - 3 days in office)

Employment Type: Permanent, Full Time

About the Company

I'm working with a rapidly expanding technology start-up at the forefront of building safety solutions for autonomous and AI-driven systems. The company's software provides a critical "trust layer" to ensure that autonomous platforms operate safely, predictably, and meet regulatory standards across high-demand sectors like aerospace, robotics, and advanced mobility.

With secured projects and growing demand, the company is scaling quickly and looking for people who are passionate about shaping the future of autonomous systems. This is a chance to make a real impact in a fast-moving, innovative environment where you'll have significant ownership and visibility.

The Role

This is a key leadership position, where you'll take charge of safety engineering for their highly complex autonomy and AI assurance products. You will work directly with cross-functional teams to ensure the safety and certification of products from the ground up, playing an essential role in the delivery of safe and high-performance autonomous systems.

With this company's rapid growth, you'll have the opportunity to influence safety practices, define safety standards, and shape processes as the company scales. You'll be involved in high-level decision-making and mentor the team to ensure that safety remains at the forefront of development.

Key Responsibilities

Lead safety analyses (HAZOP, FHA, FTA, FMECA) for autonomous systems and components.
Develop and define safety requirements, safety cases, and architectures for safety-critical systems.
Ensure compliance with applicable safety standards and certification requirements (e.g., DO-178C, DO-254, ISO 26262, IEC 61508, and AI/robotics-specific guidelines).
Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams (systems, software, hardware, ML) to integrate safety considerations throughout the product lifecycle.
Support safety reviews, audits, and certification processes, and engage with regulators and independent certification bodies.
Continuously improve internal safety processes, tools, and standards.
Lead, mentor, and develop junior engineers and peers in the safety engineering discipline.

Candidate Profile

Degree (BSc/MSc/PhD) in Safety Engineering, Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline with a focus on safety-critical systems.
Proven experience delivering safety-critical systems, ideally in aerospace, robotics, autonomous systems, automotive, or other regulated industries.
Strong expertise in safety engineering methods and tools (FHA, FTA, HAZOP, FMECA, safety case development).
Deep understanding of safety-critical software and hardware standards (DO-178C, DO-254, ISO 26262, IEC 61508).
Familiarity with emerging safety standards for AI/robotics (ISO/IEC TR 24028, IEEE P7009) is highly advantageous.
Strong problem-solving and analytical skills with the ability to make pragmatic decisions in a fast-paced environment.
Excellent communication skills, with experience collaborating across multidisciplinary teams.
Comfortable in a start-up environment where you'll need to be flexible, proactive, and ready to step up as needed.

Why Join?

Immediate Impact: You'll join a growing start-up in a rapidly evolving industry and play a key role in shaping safety standards for autonomous systems.
Ownership & Visibility: This is a high-visibility role, where you'll have direct input into the company's safety engineering practices and influence key decisions.
Collaborative Environment: You'll be working with a passionate, motivated team that values ownership, curiosity, and progress.
Hybrid Working: Flexible working with a requirement for just three days in the office.
Growth Potential: The company is scaling quickly, so there will be opportunities to grow, take on more responsibility, and develop your career.
Competitive Benefits: Salary sacrifice pension scheme, EV car scheme, cycle-to-work scheme, and more.

If you're excited about safety-critical systems and want to be part of a fast-growing, high-impact company, please get in touch.

Contact Coral at DCS Engineering

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