Safety & Mission Assurance Manager - MACH TB

Kratos Defense and Security Solutions; Crane (IN); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance

401(k) Savings Plan

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Paid Time-Off

Education Reimbursement

Job summary

Kratos Defense and Security Solutions is looking for a Safety & Mission Assurance Manager in Crane, IN to oversee safety standards for hypersonic test vehicle operations. This position requires a Bachelor's degree in Occupational Health & Safety or related fields, with at least 3 years of relevant experience. The role involves developing safety programs, managing a team, and ensuring compliance with quality standards.

Benefits include medical insurance, a 401(k) savings plan, and paid time off, with travel required approximately 10% of the time.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in aerospace, defense, or high-reliability environments.
• Experience performing hazard analyses and maintaining hazard tracking systems.
• Working knowledge of MIL-STD-882 and related standards.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of Safety & Mission Assurance Engineers.
• Develop and implement the Quality Management System (QMS).
• Conduct system safety analyses and risk assessments.
• Support design and operational activities ensuring safety requirements.

Skills

System safety principles and standards

Technical writing

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Health & Safety or related field

Master’s degree in Safety Engineering or related discipline

Job description

GENERAL JOB SUMMARY

The Safety & Mission Assurance Manager for the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed (MACH‑TB) program requires a unique blend of industrial safety expertise, mission assurance and high‑stakes aerospace operational experience. In the Assembly, Integration, and Test (AI&T) phase, safety is paramount due to the handling of experimental flight vehicles, solid rocket motors, and mission assurance oversight of the sub‑contractor supplied Test Vehicles and Launch Vehicles. This role partners with engineering, test, manufacturing, and program teams to identify hazards, assess risk, and ensure compliance with DoD, customer, and regulatory safety requirements along with maintaining compliance to the ISO 9001 Quality Standards. The Safety & Mission Assurance Manager has a critical role in supporting high‑risk operations, including development, test, and fielded systems.

LOCATION

• Crane, IN

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Manages a team of highly motivated Safety & Mission Assurance Engineers
• Develop, implement, and maintain the Quality Management System (QMS) in accordance with industry standards ISO 9001:2015
• Develop and execute system safety programs in accordance with DoD, customer, and regulatory requirements (e.g., MIL‑STD‑882 and related standards).
• Maintains a controlled QMS document library.
• Leads and supports Corrective Action efforts for problem identification, improvement, and prevention.
• Perform system safety analyses, including hazard analyses, risk assessments, fault tree analyses, and mishap risk evaluations.
• AI&T Safety Oversight: Develop and enforce safety protocols for the Assembly, Integration, and Test (AI&T) of hypersonic experimental Test Vehicles (TV) and Launch Vehicles (LV).
• Support design, development, integration, test, and operational activities to ensure safety and quality requirements are incorporated early and maintained throughout the lifecycle.
• Participate in design reviews, test readiness reviews, risk management and safety review boards.
• Prepare, review, and maintain system safety documentation, including Safety Program Plans (SSPPs), Hazard Tracking Logs (HTLs), and safety assessment reports.
• Cross‑Provider Quality Audit: Establish a unified Quality Management System (QMS) oversight framework that harmonizes the different quality standards of multiple commercial partners into a single, cohesive MACH‑TB 2.0 standard.
• Perform root‑cause analysis for any "near‑miss" or incident during vehicle integration or recovery, ensuring lessons learned are applied to the next high‑cadence test flight.
• Conduct safety audits, inspections, and assessments of facilities, operations, and test configurations.
• Investigate incidents, close calls, and mishaps; perform root cause analyses and recommend corrective actions.
• Coordinate with customers, government representatives, and internal stakeholders on safety and mission assurance related matters.
• Interface with government partners and industry partners to align safety standards across the program.
• Support compliance with OSHA, DoD, and program‑specific safety requirements.
• Promote a strong safety culture through training, mentorship, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Experience And Skills

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

Significant supervisory responsibility

JOB SKILLS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field. 3+ years of experience supporting system safety or safety engineering efforts in an aerospace, defense, or high‑reliability environment.
• Working knowledge of system safety principles and standards (e.g., MIL‑STD‑882).
• Experience performing hazard analyses and maintaining hazard tracking systems.
• Strong technical writing, analytical, and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with cross‑functional technical and program teams.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Safety Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years in safety management, specifically within aerospace manufacturing, launch operations, or flight testing.
• ISO 19011:2018 Lead Auditor Certification
• Experience supporting missile, space, aircraft, or hypersonic systems.
• Familiarity with range safety, explosives safety, or test safety requirements.
• Professional certifications such as CSP, ASP, or equivalent.
• Experience working on classified or government‑contracted programs.
• Active or ability to obtain a DoD Secret clearance.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work may occur in office, laboratory, manufacturing, and test environments. Position may require travel to test sites, ranges, or customer locations. Must be able to support high‑hazard operations while adhering to strict safety and security protocols.

Travel Requirement

Travel will be required approximately 10%

Job Benefits

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance Coverage
• Life/ADD & Short/Long Term Disability Insurance
• 401(k) Savings Plan
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Paid Time-Off (PTO)
• Holidays
• Education Reimbursement

Kratos Defense is an Equal Opportunity Affinitve Action Employer. EOE, Minorities, Females, Vet, Disabled, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or any other protected class. All qualified job seekers are encouraged to apply.

EEO Is The Law

Disability Accessibility Accommodation

If you require an accommodation to navigate or apply to our careers site, please send your request to [e-mail] or call 858‑964‑2916. Any inquiries not related to requesting an accommodation will be discarded.

Pay Transparency

The company will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.

Job Applicant Privacy Notice

For applicants in the EU and California residents, please review our privacy notice.