Safety & Mission Assurance Manager - MACH TB

Kratos Defense; Crane (IN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Kratos Defense is seeking a Safety & Mission Assurance Manager for the MACH-TB program in Crane, IN. You will lead a team of Safety & Mission Assurance Engineers, develop and sustain a QMS per ISO 9001:2015, and implement system safety programs that meet MIL-STD-882 and DoD safety requirements across design, test, and field operations.

You will work with engineering, test, manufacturing, and program teams to identify hazards, perform risk assessments, conduct safety reviews, and coordinate with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 3+ years of experience supporting system safety or safety engineering in aerospace/defense.
• Experience with MIL-STD-882 and hazard tracking systems.
• Strong technical writing and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Manages a team of Safety & Mission Assurance Engineers.
• Develop, implement, and maintain a QMS in accordance with ISO 9001:2015.
• Develop and execute system safety programs per DoD, customer, and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain a controlled QMS document library.
• Lead and support corrective action efforts for problems and improvements.
• Perform system safety analyses, hazard analyses, and risk assessments.
• AI&T Safety Oversight: develop and enforce safety protocols for AI&T of hypersonic test vehicles and launch vehicles.
• Coordinate with customers, government representatives, and internal stakeholders on safety and mission assurance matters.
• Promote a strong safety culture through training and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Hazard analyses

System safety

Technical writing

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in Occupational Health & Safety, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field

Master's degree in Safety Engineering, Systems 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.

Keyword: Safety & Mission Assurance Manager

Required Experience:

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%

From: Kratos Defense