Ml Engineer Intern — Trust & Safety Systems

Tiktok; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

PlasmaLeap Technologies is seeking a Safety Engineer to lead technical safety across our manufacturing, workshop, laboratory, and R&D environments. You will drive hazard analyses, risk assessments, and safety design reviews while translating findings into practical engineering controls.

You will build safety requirements for chemical handling, containment, and high‑voltage systems, and embed safety into all project stages from concept to startup.

Qualifications

• Degree in chemical, process, mechanical, electrical or safety engineering with relevant coursework.
• Proven background in technical safety and risk management within industrial settings.
• Experience applying hazard analysis methods to real-world design and operations.
• Strong ability to translate risk analysis into practical engineering improvements.
• Experience facilitating structured risk studies such as HAZOP, FMEA, bow-tie or What-If.
• Demonstrated knowledge of electrical, chemical and mechanical hazards and controls.
• Experience investigating incidents and driving corrective actions.
• Excellent written and spoken communication to coach and influence teams.
• Chartered status or eligibility is highly regarded.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical safety across manufacturing, workshop, laboratory, R&D and deployment environments with a practical focus on chemical, process, electrical and mechanical risk.
• Lead hazard design reviews and risk assessments using HAZOP, FMEA, What-If and other fit-for-purpose methods.
• Review process flows, P&IDs, equipment layouts, control philosophies and designs to identify hazards and strengthen controls.
• Develop engineering requirements for chemical handling, containment, ventilation, and high‑voltage systems.
• Embed safety into concept design, procurement, fabrication, commissioning, startup and operations.
• Establish and maintain change management and pre-startup safety review processes.
• Lead investigations into incidents and near misses with root-cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Collaborate with engineers, scientists, technicians, contractors and operators to create safer solutions.
• Interpret WHS legislation, NSW requirements, standards and guidance for safe design.
• Build scalable safety tools, standards and design assurance processes for trials and deployments.
• Report critical risks and trends to COO and drive proactive risk management.

Skills

Chemical safety

Process safety

Risk management

HAZOP

FMEA

What-If reviews

Electrical safety

Mechanical safety

Incident investigation

Communication skills

Scale-up experience

Chartered Engineer status

Education

Bachelor's degree in chemical, process, mechanical, electrical, safety engineering or related field

Job description

Safety Engineer

PlasmaLeap Technologies

Job Description

Company Description

PlasmaLeap Technologies is a globally recognised Australian clean‑chemicals company reinventing how the world makes molecules. We’re decarbonising heavy industry and eliminating input scarcity by putting clean, distributed chemical production in the hands of communities themselves. Our proprietary plasma reactors use renewable electricity, air and water to produce green fertilizers and fuels, creating a scalable, commercially viable pathway to net‑zero that strengthens food security and bypasses fragile, fossil‑fuel global supply chains entirely.

If you want to build deep tech that solves climate and food security in the same breath, and you want to do it at speed, with urgency, with purpose, and with people who are actually executing not just talking about it then you’ll fit right in.

Why you should join PlasmaLeap Technologies

• We Move Fast – Build, test, and learn outside your comfort zone alongside curious, driven teammates.
• We Make an Impact – Work on meaningful challenges that decarbonise industry and improve global food security.
• We’re Getting Recognised – PlasmaLeap is earning global recognition through international awards, world‑class investors backing us from multiple continents, and growing publication and patent output as we redefine what’s possible in clean chemicals.
• We Own It – Every team member has a voice and takes real ownership in a culture of experimentation as we rapidly develop, prototype and scale our technology.
• We’ve Got You – Receive support through personal days, opportunities to travel and professional development opportunities.
• Enjoy fun, engaging company events while working hard on ambitious goals.
• Competitive salary, equity, and coverage for training and conferences.

How you’ll spend your time

• Lead technical safety across our manufacturing, workshop, laboratory, R&D and deployment environments, with a practical focus on chemical, process, electrical and mechanical risk.
• Lead structured hazard and design reviews, including HAZOP, FMEA, What-If and other fit‑for‑purpose risk assessment methods.
• Review process flows, P&IDs, equipment layouts, control philosophies and engineering designs to identify hazards and strengthen controls before equipment is built or modified.
• Develop practical engineering requirements for chemical handling, containment, ventilation, pressure systems, machine guarding, high‑voltage systems, isolations, interlocks and emergency shutdowns.
• Embed technical safety into concept design, procurement, fabrication, FAT, SAT, commissioning, startup, operation, maintenance and decommissioning activities.
• Establish and maintain proportionate Management of Change and pre‑startup safety review processes for equipment, process and operational changes.
• Lead investigations into significant incidents, near misses and process upsets using strong root cause analysis, clear accountability and sustainable corrective actions.
• Partner with engineers, scientists, technicians, contractors and operators to develop inherently safer, practical and maintainable solutions.
• Interpret applicable WHS legislation, NSW requirements, codes of practice, Australian Standards and recognised engineering guidance.
• Build scalable technical safety tools, standards and design assurance processes for field trials, customer sites and future deployments across Australia and internationally.
• Champion proactive risk management and report to the COO on critical risks, design gaps, actions, trends and priorities.

About You

• Relevant degree in chemical, process, mechanical, electrical, safety engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in technical safety, process safety, engineering risk management or safety‑critical industrial design.
• Experience in a technical, industrial, manufacturing, chemical processing, energy, laboratory, construction or R&D environment.
• Strong working knowledge of hazard identification, risk assessment and control selection, with the ability to translate analysis into practical engineering improvements.
• Experience facilitating or contributing to structured risk studies such as HAZOP, FMEA, bow‑tie or What‑If reviews.
• Confidence assessing chemical, electrical and mechanical hazards, including stored energy, pressure, machinery, hazardous substances and industrial electrical systems.
• Experience reviewing engineering documentation and participating in design, commissioning or operational readiness reviews.
• Strong incident investigation and root cause analysis capability, with a focus on systemic and engineering‑based corrective actions.
• Excellent communication skills and the confidence to coach, challenge and influence engineers, scientists, technicians, contractors and managers.
• Small‑company or scale‑up experience, especially where you have built practical systems and processes from scratch rather than only followed established corporate frameworks.
• Highly regarded: process safety management, functional safety, machine safety, high‑voltage systems, chemical manufacturing, pressure equipment, hazardous areas, or nitric acid and fertiliser processing experience.
• Highly regarded: Chartered Professional Engineer status, relevant professional accreditation, or eligibility to obtain it.