Principal Safety Engineer

Leonardo; Luton; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Time to Recharge: up to 12 flexi-days

Pension up to 15% employer contrib.

Mental health support

Bonus scheme

Free access to 4,000+ online courses

Flexible benefits up to £500

Hybrid working

Job summary

Leonardo is seeking a Principal Safety Engineer in Luton to influence the design and delivery of mission-critical systems. You will lead safety assessments, drive safety case development, and collaborate across systems, software and hardware teams to ensure safety is integrated from concept to deployment.

The role requires delivering robust safety arguments, managing technical risk, and engaging with stakeholders at all levels.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering safety engineering activities on complex systems.
• Knowledge of safety analysis techniques such as Hazard Analysis, FFA, FMECA, FTA or similar methodologies.
• Experience developing Safety Case Reports and supporting evidence.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead safety assessments from Hazard Identification through to the delivery of Safety Case Reports.
• Apply safety analysis techniques such as FFA, FTA and system requirements analysis.
• Influence system architecture and design decisions by identifying and managing technical risk.
• Develop safety requirements and defining verification and validation approaches.
• Produce robust safety arguments and evidence to demonstrate compliance with customer and regulatory requirements.
• Conduct Environmental Impact Assessments and support environmental compliance activities.
• Present technical safety findings to customers and Integrated Project Teams.
• Support investigations relating to safety incidents, observations and lessons learned.
• Work with multidisciplinary teams to solve complex technical challenges.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of Safety & Environmental Management System.

Skills

Safety engineering

Hazard analysis

FMECA/FTA

Safety Case Reports

Stakeholder communication

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Tools

CAMEO Systems Modeller

IBM DOORS

Adelard ASCE

Isograph FaultTree+

Azure DevOps

Systems Engineering methodologies

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Description

Join us in shaping the safety of next-generation aerospace and defence technologies

Are you an experienced Safety Engineer looking to influence the design and delivery of complex, mission-critical systems?

At Leonardo, you'll work on advanced aerospace, avionics and defence programmes, ensuring safety is designed into innovative technology from concept through to operational deployment. As a Principal Safety Engineer, you'll play a key role in shaping engineering decisions, reducing risk and developing the safety evidence that supports some of the UK's most advanced capabilities.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary engineering team, you'll collaborate with Systems, Software and Hardware Engineers, customers and suppliers to deliver safe, reliable products that perform in some of the world's most demanding environments.

Your impact

As a Principal Safety Engineer, you'll use your expertise to influence the design and development of complex systems throughout the entire product lifecycle.

Your Responsibilities Will Include

• Leading safety assessments from Hazard Identification through to the delivery of Safety Case Reports.
• Applying safety analysis techniques such as Functional Failure Analysis (FFA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and system requirements analysis.
• Influencing system architecture and design decisions by identifying and managing technical risk.
• Developing safety requirements and defining effective verification and validation approaches.
• Producing robust safety arguments and evidence to demonstrate compliance with customer and regulatory requirements.
• Conducting Environmental Impact Assessments and supporting environmental compliance activities.
• Presenting technical safety findings to customers, stakeholders and Integrated Project Teams.
• Supporting investigations relating to safety incidents, observations and lessons learned.
• Working closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams to solve complex technical challenges.
• Contributing to the continuous improvement of Leonardo's Safety & Environmental Management System.

What You'll Bring

We're looking for engineers who enjoy solving complex technical problems and influencing the development of high-integrity systems.

Essential Experience

• Experience delivering safety engineering activities on complex systems.
• Knowledge of safety analysis techniques such as Hazard Analysis, FFA, FMECA, FTA or similar methodologies.
• Experience developing Safety Case Reports and supporting evidence.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• The ability to work collaboratively across multiple engineering disciplines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• The confidence to engage with stakeholders at all levels.

Desirable Experience

• Aerospace, avionics, defence or other regulated engineering environments.
• CAMEO Systems Modeller.
• IBM DOORS.
• Adelard ASCE.
• Isograph FaultTree+.
• Azure DevOps.
• Systems Engineering methodologies.
• Microsoft Office, particularly Word and Excel.

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: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

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 UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

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.

Primary Location

GB - Luton - Cap. Green 300

Contract Type

Permanent

Hybrid Working

Hybrid