Manager, System Safety Engineering

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 166,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Top-tier benefits

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA seeks a System Safety Engineering leader to drive safety across our product portfolio from concept through deployment. You will guide safety analyses, develop risk mitigation strategies, and foster a culture of safety within engineering teams.

You will oversee complex FHA/FTA/SCFTA analyses, define safety requirements, and engage with customers and regulators. A strong leadership track record and US security clearance eligibility are required.

Qualifications

• B.S. degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Systems Engineering, or equivalent technical discipline.
• 7+ years in System Safety Engineering with at least 1 year in a leadership role.
• Proven ability to build, scale, and manage teams of 5+ engineers on complex programs.
• Strong background in safety analyses: FHA, FTA, SCFTA, FMECA.
• Extensive knowledge of MIL-STD-882E, JSSSEH or similar standards.
• Experience with safety-critical hardware/software in defense/aerospace, preferably Weapon Systems.
• Experience designing System Safety frameworks including Design for Safety and Hazard Analysis.
• Excellent cross-functional communication and strategic thinking; able to lead at multiple levels.
• Eligibility to pursue and maintain U.S. security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of System Safety Engineers with technical guidance on safety principles.
• Manage resources and recruit to support multiple programs.
• Conduct performance reviews and career development planning.
• Develop and implement System Safety program plans aligned with MIL-STD-882E.
• Define the organization’s vision and standardize safety processes across product lifecycles.
• Oversee FHA, FTA, SCFTA, and SAR analyses and safety requirements.
• Collaborate with design teams to implement safety solutions.
• Support milestone reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR) representing System Safety.
• Liaise with customers, regulators, and internal stakeholders on safety matters.
• Drive continual improvement in System Safety processes and methodologies.
• Ensure compliance with safety standards; contribute to proposals and business development.
• Provide management-level reporting on team performance and program status.

Skills

System Safety

Leadership

FHA

FTA

SCFTA

FMECA

MIL-STD-882E

Safety Standards

Clearance (US)

Education

B.S. degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Systems Engineering or equivalent

M.S. degree (preferred)

Tools

Relyence

Teamcenter

Confluence

JAMA

Cameo

JIRA

Job description

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril’s family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.

ABOUT THE TEAM

Anduril’s System Safety Engineering organization partners across Anduril’s engineering, manufacturing, and operations organizations to ensure our autonomous systems are safe for development, testing, and deployment in complex operational environments. Our mandate spans the complete product lifecycle, from early concept design through production scale-up and fielded operations. We make our products safe by guiding product teams through safety analyses such as: Functional Hazard Analysis, Fault Trees, Hazard Management and Hazard Mitigation activities, identifying hazards early and partnering with design teams to engineer safety into hardware, software, and operations.

ABOUT THE JOB

We are seeking experienced System Safety Engineering leaders to join our rapidly growing team in Costa Mesa, CA and drive system safety excellence across Anduril’s product portfolio. As a System Safety leader at Anduril, you will play a critical role in developing and implementing robust safety frameworks. Your expertise will be instrumental in guiding product teams through the System Safety lifecycle, from initial concept through design, qualification, production, and field deployment. You will drive continuous improvement initiatives, lead the development of risk mitigation strategies, and foster a safety culture across the organization. Leveraging your deep knowledge of system safety tools (FHA, FTA, SCFTA, SSA, FMECA, etc.) and hazard analysis methodologies, you will ensure that our systems operate safely under diverse and demanding operating conditions.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Lead and manage the performance of a team of System Safety Engineers, providing technical guidance and mentorship on system safety principles, best practices, and artifact development.
• Manage resource allocation and capacity planning to support multiple concurrent programs, and drive recruiting efforts to maintain growth trajectory.
• Conduct performance management, career development planning, and succession planning.
• Develop and implement tailored System Safety program plans aligned with MIL-STD-882E and the needs of Anduril and its customers.
• Define and communicate the System Safety organization’s vision, goals, and framework to standardize development efforts across the business and integrate safety processes across all stages of product development.
• Oversee and review complex safety analyses, including FHA (Functional Hazard Analysis), Fault Tree, SCFTA (Safety Critical Functional Thread Analysis), and SAR (Safety Assessment Report).
• Develop system safety requirements and collaborate with design teams to implement safety solutions.
• Support Milestone Reviews such as PDR, CDR, and TRR representing System Safety.
• Liaise with customers, regulatory bodies, and internal stakeholders on safety-related matters.
• Drive continuous improvement in System Safety processes and methodologies.
• Ensure compliance with relevant military and industry safety standards.
• Contribute to proposal efforts and support business development activities, as required.
• Provide management-level reporting and communications on team performance, program status, and strategic initiatives.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• B.S. Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or equivalent technical discipline
• 7+ years of experience in System Safety Engineering, with at least 1 years in a leadership role
• Proven track record building, scaling, and managing technical teams of 5+ engineers for complex advanced programs
• Strong background in safety analysis techniques, including FTA, FHA, SCFTA, and FMECA.
• Extensive knowledge of MIL-STD-882E, JSSSEH or other relevant safety standards.
• Experience with safety-critical hardware and software systems in the defense or aerospace industry, with a preference for Weapon Systems
• Experience setting up a System Safety Engineering framework for a product or program, including early stage Design for Safety and Hazard Analysis experience
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with ability to influence cross-functionally at all levels
• Strategic thinking with ability to balance hands‑on technical work with management responsibilities
• Eligibility to pursue and maintain a U.S. security clearance, as required

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• M.S. Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or equivalent technical discipline
• 10+ years of experience in System Safety Engineering, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Experience managing teams through periods of rapid growth (2x+ team expansion)
• Track record of developing talent and promoting team members into leadership roles
• Experience or familiarity with ISO 26262, ARP-4754, ARP-4761, and MIL-STD-516C
• Experience with software safety, software assurance, or Level of Rigor for safety‑critical software systems
• Executive‑level communications, reporting, and roadmap presentation experience
• Technical writing experience developing standards, specifications, user guides, and policies
• Experience with Relyence, Teamcenter, Confluence, JAMA, Cameo, and JIRA
• Experience drafting requirements for software and hardware systems
• Active U.S. security clearance

US Salary Range

$166,000—$220,000 USD

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril’s total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top‑tier benefits for full‑time employees, including:

Benefits

At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you’re supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.

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By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third‑party service provider to conduct pre‑employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third‑party service provider provides risk‑intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public‑record information, and other lawful open‑source or commercial data sources. This third‑party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.