Safety Systems Engineer

Akkodis; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 243,560,000 - 343,849,000; Full time

Job summary

Akkodis is seeking a Staff Systems Safety Engineer to lead safety engineering across a portfolio of advanced defense and autonomous systems. This is a highly visible technical leadership role responsible for shaping safety strategy, influencing system architecture, and ensuring the safe design and operation of complex platforms spanning air, maritime, ground, space, and counter-UAS domains.

This position is ideal for candidates who have deep expertise in System Safety Engineering,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 8+ years of Systems Safety Engineering experience.
• Experience with safety-critical hardware and/or software systems.
• Expert knowledge of MIL-STD-882E.

Responsibilities

• Lead system safety activities across multiple complex programs and product lines.
• Establish and implement system safety frameworks, processes, and best practices.
• Perform hazard identification, risk assessment, and mitigation planning throughout the product lifecycle.
• Drive design-for-safety principles early in system development.
• Conduct and lead FHA, FTA, SCFTA, FMECA and hazard tracking.
• Develop safety cases and supporting evidence for advanced autonomous systems.
• Support customer reviews, regulatory engagements, and military safety assessments.
• Present safety strategy, findings, and recommendations to technical leadership.

Skills

System Safety Engineering

Hazard analysis

Safety-focused leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Akkodis is seeking a Staff Systems Safety Engineer to lead safety engineering efforts across a portfolio of advanced defense and autonomous systems. This is a highly visible technical leadership role responsible for shaping safety strategy, influencing system architecture, and ensuring the safe design and operation of complex platforms spanning air, maritime, ground, space, and counter-UAS domains.

This position is ideal for candidates who have deep expertise in System Safety Engineering, safety-critical hardware and software, and hazard analysis methodologies, while also bringing experience with modern autonomous or AI-enabled systems.

Beyond traditional safety engineering, this role offers the opportunity to help define the future of AI/ML safety frameworks, autonomous system assurance methodologies, and software safety processes for next-generation defense technologies.

Rate Range: $85/hour to $120/hour; The rate may be negotiable based on experience, education, and other factors.

Responsibilities:

• Lead system safety activities across multiple complex programs and product lines
• Establish and implement system safety frameworks, processes, and best practices
• Perform hazard identification, risk assessment, and mitigation planning throughout the product lifecycle
• Drive design-for-safety principles early in system development

Conduct and lead safety analyses including:

• Functional Hazard Assessments (FHA)
• Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
• Software-Caused Fault Tree Analysis (SCFTA)
• Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA)
• Develop and maintain hazard tracking and risk management programs
• Lead root cause investigations and safety incident analyses
• Collaborate with systems, software, hardware, test, and platform engineering teams
• Influence architecture and design decisions to ensure safety requirements are incorporated from concept through deployment
• Develop safety cases and supporting evidence for advanced autonomous systems
• Support customer reviews, regulatory engagements, and military safety assessments
• Present safety strategy, findings, and recommendations to technical leadership and executive stakeholders

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 8+ years of Systems Safety Engineering experience
• Experience with safety-critical hardware and/or software systems
• Expert knowledge of MIL-STD-882E

Demonstrated experience performing and leading:

• FHA
• FTA
• SCFTA
• FMECA
• Hazard tracking and risk management
• Experience conducting failure investigations and root cause analysis
• Strong technical leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Experience leading design reviews and influencing engineering decisions
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance

Why Join Us?

This is more than a traditional system’s safety role.

You'll help shape the safety foundations for the next generation of autonomous and AI-enabled defense technologies. The organization is actively evolving its approach to AI/ML safety, autonomous system assurance, and software safety engineering, creating an opportunity to define best practices that will influence products deployed across multiple mission-critical platforms.

If you're passionate about solving complex safety challenges at the intersection of autonomy, software, and defense technology, we'd love to hear from you.

Disclaimer: These benefit offerings do not apply to client-recruited jobs and jobs that are direct hires to a client.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

Benefit offerings available for our associates include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, additional voluntary benefits, an EAP program, commuter benefits, and a 401K plan. Our benefit offerings provide employees with the flexibility to choose the type of coverage that meets their individual needs. Eligible for paid leave or any other paid leave required by Federal, State, or local law, as well as Holiday pay where applicable.

To read our Candidate Privacy Information Statement, which explains how we will use your information, please visit https://www.akkodis.com/en/privacy-policy.

The Company will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with federal, state, and local laws and/or security clearance requirements, including, as applicable:

• The California Fair Chance Act
• Los Angeles City Fair Chance Ordinance
• Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers