Staff Systems Safety Engineer - Defense Tech (In-Office)

Sigma Design Inc; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 127,000 - 168,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance and dental insurance

401(k) with company match

PTO 15 days + 9 holidays

Quarterly bonus program

Voluntary benefits: vision, long-term–

Job summary

Sigma Design has a contract-to-hire Staff Systems Safety Engineer role in Costa Mesa, CA, focusing on establishing and advancing system safety across product lines. You will lead safety strategy, hazard analysis, risk mitigation, and design assurance throughout the lifecycle of complex defense-oriented autonomous systems.

The position requires extensive experience in hardware/software safety, safety standards, and capability to drive safety frameworks.

Qualifications

• 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.
• Familiarity 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)

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 FHA, FTA, SCFTA, 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.

Skills

System Safety

Hazard analysis

Risk management

Safety assessment

MIL-STD-882E

ARP-4754/4761

AR/ JSSSEH

ITAR compliance

Communication

Technical leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering; Aerospace Engineering; Systems Engineering or equivalent

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Relyence

Teamcenter

JIRA

JAMA

Cameo

Ansys

Job description

Sigma Design has a contract-to-hire Staff Systems Safety Engineer role in Costa Mesa, CA, focusing on establishing and advancing system safety across product lines. You will lead safety strategy, hazard analysis, risk mitigation, and design assurance throughout the lifecycle of complex defense-oriented autonomous systems.

The position requires extensive experience in hardware/software safety, safety standards, and capability to drive safety frameworks.