Head of System Safety

Hypersonica GmbH; Greater London; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Hypersonica GmbH seeks an established safety leader to own system safety across the lifecycle of Europe’s defence systems. You will build and lead a lean Safety function, implement hazard analysis, safety cases, and assurance arguments, and work with engineering to translate hazards into concrete requirements.

You’ll engage with test ranges, regulators, and NATO standards, guide risk assessments in flight-test operations, and mentor teams to raise the organisation’s safety capabilities.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading system-safety in aerospace/defence environments.
• Proven ability to build and grow a safety function with clear technical authority.
• Hands-on expertise in hazard analysis, safety requirements, and assurance arguments.

Responsibilities

• Own the system safety of products across lifecycle from concept to operation.
• Build and lead Hypersonica’s Safety function including external partners.
• Define safety framework and translate hazard analyses into practical requirements and actions.
• Manage safety cases and assurance evidence with traceability to risk.

Skills

System safety

Hazard analysis

Safety cases

Flight-test safety

NATO standards

Leadership

Job description

Help Build Europe's Hypersonic Capability

At Hypersonica, we’re redefining what’s possible in European defence technology. We exist to deliver speed, resilience, and technological independence at a pace that sets a new standard. We are a small, elite team working on problems that matter, and solving them fast.

By joining Hypersonica, you’re not stepping into a predefined role. You’re joining a talent dense environment where every individual shapes the direction of the company. Our philosophy is to hire a small number of exceptional people with broad, deep technical capability, strong judgement, and the ability to operate autonomously.

We hire for talent, not rigid boxes. This role represents a business need, but the way it evolves will be shaped by the individual. If you’ve achieved what others said was impossible, or you bring a unique combination of skills that doesn’t fit a traditional mould, we want to hear from you. The work you do here directly contributes to Europe’s technological independence.

What you'll do

• Own the system safety of Hypersonica’s products across their lifecycle, from concept and development through test and operation.
• Build Hypersonica’s Safety function and team (incl. external partners and service providers), establishing a capable, lean organisation with clear technical authority.
• Set the safety framework for complex defence systems and work with engineering to turn early hazard analysis into practical requirements, design choices, and resolved actions.
• Own safety cases and assurance evidence, keeping safety arguments, hazard logs, verification, assumptions, and change impacts traceable and proportionate to risk.
• Lead the safety approach for flight-test operations, including readiness criteria, safety reviews, test-specific risk assessment, operational controls, and test release.
• Represent Hypersonica’s safety position with test ranges, regulators, and qualification authorities, and define the practical application of relevant military airworthiness, range, product, explosives or ordnance, and NATO standards.
• Provide independent technical challenge, make high-consequence judgements under ambiguity, and upscale concerns where the evidence does not support a safe decision.
• Build safety capability across engineering and test teams, using anomalies, near misses, and design changes to drive lasting improvement.

Who you are

• An established safety leader with significant experience in aerospace, defence, guided weapons, propulsion, autonomy, or another high-consequence engineering environment.
• Experience in building, scaling, or materially shaping a safety function and leading safety specialists.
• Strong hands‑on system‑safety expertise, including hazard analysis, safety requirements, safety cases and assurance arguments, risk management, verification, and safety governance.
• Meaningful experience of flight‑test safety and operations, including test planning, readiness reviews, test‑site interfaces, and operational risk assessment.
• Able to engage directly with complex safety‑critical products, including hardware, software, autonomy, propulsion, avionics, and system integration, and apply relevant military airworthiness, range, product, explosives or ordnance, and NATO standards.
• Sound judgement under uncertainty and high consequence: able to balance mission, technical, schedule, and safety considerations, and know when to seek additional expertise.
• Clear, authoritative communication with engineering teams, senior leadership, test organisations, regulators, and qualification authorities.
• Fluent in English; German fluency desirable given our bilingual working environment, though not required for this specialist discipline.

What we offer

• A mission‑driven environment with the opportunity to work on one of Europe’s most consequential defence challenges, with direct impact on sovereign capability and security.
• Daily collaboration with leading experts across engineering, operations, business development, and defence, with genuine opportunities to learn, contribute, and grow.
• Exposure to the full lifecycle of complex defence programmes, from customer requirements and commercial strategy through to engineering delivery and flight testing.
• High ownership and autonomy: no time tracking and no micromanagement, just clear objectives and accountability for outcomes.
• A fast‑paced environment where good ideas are implemented quickly and feedback from testing and flight drives real decisions.
• A culture that values clarity, integrity, and excellence, and supports people who take initiative and push boundaries responsibly.
• Competitive compensation and real share options aligned with responsibility and impact, not tenure or hierarchy.

Hypersonica is an equal‑opportunity employer and assesses candidates solely on merit, capability, and potential.