Staff Systems Safety Engineer

Sigma Design; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 191,000 - 254,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental insurance options

401(k) with company match

PTO: 15 days + 9 holidays

Quarterly bonus program

Voluntary benefits: vision, long-term,

Job summary

Sigma Design is seeking a Staff Systems Safety Engineer (Contract-to-hire) for its Costa Mesa, CA facility. The role leads system safety across programs, developing safety frameworks, hazard analyses, risk mitigation, and design assurance throughout the product lifecycle.

Requirements include a technical Bachelor’s (Master’s preferred) and 12+ years in system safety or equivalent, with experience in FHA/FTA/SCFTA/FMECA and leading design reviews.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or equivalent; Master’s preferred.
• 12+ years of relevant experience as a System Safety Engineer or equivalent.
• Extensive experience with safety-critical hardware and software in regulated industries.
• Expert knowledge of System Safety Engineering principles and methods.
• Advanced experience with FHA, FTA, SCFTA, and FMECA.
• Ability to lead safety frameworks across multiple products/programs.
• MIL-STD-882E and related standards familiarity.
• Experience with design reviews (PDR, CDR, MRR) and leadership communication.
• Experience with failure investigations and corrective actions.
• Familiarity with ARP-4754, ARP-4761, MIL-STD-516C, JSSSEH; preferred.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement System Safety methodologies across programs.
• Lead safety efforts across concurrent programs and drive safety strategy.
• Develop and execute System Safety program plans per standards.
• Conduct FHA/FTA/SCFTA/FMECA analyses and provide guidance.
• Influence architecture to include safety in lifecycle decisions.
• Establish hazard management and risk-tracking frameworks.
• Support and lead design reviews (PDR, CDR, MRR).
• Lead failure investigations and corrective actions.
• Develop safety documentation and reporting tools for design, manufacturing, deployment.
• Verify safety requirements and hazard controls at program and portfolio levels.
• Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, quality, and program teams.
• Represent safety efforts to customers and regulators.

Skills

System Safety Engineering

Hazard analysis

FTA

FHA

SCFTA

FMECA

Design for Safety

Safety requirements development

PDR/CDR/MRR support

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace or Systems Engineering

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Relyence

Teamcenter

JIRA

JAMA

Cameo

Ansys

Job description

Staff Systems Safety Engineer (Contract-to-hire)

Sigma Design has collaborated with a leading defense technology company seeking an experienced Staff Systems Safety Engineer to join their facility in Costa Mesa, CA. This company specializes in autonomous systems and next-generation defense technologies. This position is contract to hire and fully In-Office.

While on contract you are eligible for:

• Multiple options for medical insurance and dental insurance including some with FSA and HSA
• 401(k) with up to 4% company match
• 15-days of accrued PTO and 9 company paid holidays
• Quarterly bonus program
• Voluntary benefits: vision, long-term disability, and life insurance
• Monday – Friday, day shift
• $92.00 - $122.00 an hour. The hourly range for this role is an estimate based on multiple factors, including experience, education, training, skills, and business considerations. Actual compensation may vary based on the candidate’s qualifications and alignment with the role

Primary Function:

The Staff System Safety Engineer is responsible for establishing and advancing system safety methodologies across product lines, leading safety strategy across multiple programs, and driving the development of safety frameworks that support complex product development. This role provides technical leadership in safety engineering, hazard analysis, risk mitigation, and design assurance throughout the product lifecycle.

Essential Job Functions - Responsibilities:

• Define and implement System Safety methodologies, processes, and best practices across multiple programs and product lines.
• Lead system safety efforts across concurrent programs, resolving complex technical challenges and driving safety strategy.
• Develop and execute System Safety program plans aligned with applicable safety standards and program requirements.
• Perform and provide technical guidance on safety analyses, including Functional Hazard Assessments (FHA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Software-Critical Fault Tree Analysis (SCFTA), Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), and System Safety Assessments.
• Influence system architecture and design decisions to incorporate Design for Safety principles throughout the product lifecycle.
• Establish hazard management processes, risk tracking infrastructure, and mitigation frameworks to support product development and deployment.
• Support and lead design reviews, including PDR, CDR, and MRR, providing technical expertise and safety guidance to cross-functional teams and leadership.
• Lead complex failure investigations, root cause corrective actions (RCCA), and lessons learned initiatives to improve system safety.
• Develop safety processes, documentation, and reporting tools to improve design, manufacturing, and deployment operations.
• Verify and validate safety requirements, risk reduction measures, and hazard controls at the program and portfolio level.
• Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, quality, and program teams to ensure compliance with safety standards and requirements.
• Represent safety engineering efforts with customers, regulatory organizations, and industry groups as needed.
• Follow Business Technology policies to protect sensitive data and reduce information security occurrences.

Education and Experience: (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities)

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or an equivalent technical discipline required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 12 years of relevant industry experience as a System Safety Engineer or equivalent engineering role preferred.
• Extensive experience with safety-critical hardware and software systems, preferably within aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated industries.
• Expert knowledge of System Safety Engineering principles, including hazard analysis, risk management, and safety assessment methodologies.
• Advanced experience with safety analysis techniques including FTA, FHA, SCFTA, and FMECA.
• Experience developing and implementing System Safety Engineering frameworks across multiple products or programs.
• Experience with requirements decomposition and safety requirements development at the system and system-of-systems level.
• Strong understanding of MIL-STD-882E and other applicable military and industry safety standards.
• Experience supporting design reviews (PDR, CDR, MRR) and communicating technical information to leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Experience with failure investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective action implementation.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and technical leadership skills.
• Experience with ARP-4754, ARP-4761, MIL-STD-516C, JSSSEH, or related safety standards preferred.
• Familiarity with tools such as Relyence, Teamcenter, JIRA, JAMA, Cameo, and/or Ansys preferred.
• Experience with software safety cases, AI/ML software safety, software/firmware HITL/SITL, and hardware/software requirements development preferred.
• Compliance (background check, ITAR, vaccine, etc.)
  • ITAR - Permanent resident of the United States (“U.S. person” as defined by ITAR)
  • Background - Pass a post-offer background verification.

Work Environment

Standard office environment with normal amounts of office related conditions. Occasionally may be required to work in environmental conditions that emulate typical user environments in order to facilitate design testing and validation. Occasionally may be required to travel as required to other facilities, clients, or suppliers.

SigmaDesign is an Equal Opportunity Employer