System Safety Engineer (F-35)

DCS Corp; Ridgecrest (CA); On-site; USD 97,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

DCS Corp is seeking a System Safety Engineer in Ridgecrest, CA to support F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and AWIIL safety programs. You will analyze safety data, support airworthiness activities, and ensure compliance with DoD instructions and MIL-STD-882.

The role involves independent analyses, reviews of contractor data, and direct support to flight clearance boards. On-site work is required, with emphasis on cross-functional collaboration and rigorous safety documentation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or 8+ years in Aviation Safety or Aircraft Accident/Mishap Investigation.
• High school diploma/GED plus 16+ years of Aviation Safety and Aircraft Accident/Mishap Investigation experience.
• AA/AS/Technical school plus 10+ years Aviation Safety and Aircraft Accident/Mishap Investigation experience. F-35 maintenance experience acceptable in place of experience.

Responsibilities

• Risk Assessment & Hazard Mitigation: identify, assess, and mitigate safety risks for test and fleet aircraft; author formal risk assessments.
• Engineering Evaluations: perform safety evaluations of change requests, deficiency reports, action requests, and test reports across complex aircraft systems.
• Working Group & Board representation: organize and participate in System Safety Groups, Working Groups, and TIMs; develop data packages for safety reviews.
• Inter-Agency Liaison: act as information conduit between Program Office safety team, prime contractors, IPTs, and external partners.
• Flight Clearance Support: assist flight clearance by compiling safety data, tracking hazards, and flagging concerns to boards.
• Mishap & Incident Investigation: analyze fleet mishaps and flight data to identify root causes and corrective actions.
• Safety Documentation & Tooling: coordinate government reviews, author safety papers, and maintain safety databases and fault-tree models.

Skills

US Citizenship

Security clearance

MS Office

On-site work

CommunicationSkills

Independent work

Education

Bachelor's degree or 8+ years Aviation Safety/ Aircraft Mishap Investigation

High school diploma/GED + 16+ years Aviation Safety experience

AA/AS/Technical school + 10+ years Aviation Safety experience

Tools

Isograph Fault Tree Plus

MS Office Suite

Job description

Salary Range: $96,757 - $120,000

The System Safety Team is responsible for the comprehensive execution of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and AWIIL System Safety Programs, spanning System Safety, Flight Safety, and Ground Safety disciplines.

As a System Safety Engineer, you will provide vital technical and analytical support to the Government System Safety Lead. You will ensure both developmental and fielded programs successfully accomplish their system safety milestones in strict accordance with DODI 5000.2 series Instructions, Service-specific instructions, MIL-STD-882, and unique International Partner requirements.

This role involves conducting independent technical analyses, reviewing prime contractor data, assessing fleet/test safety risks, and directly supporting airworthiness and operational safety certifications.

Essential Job Functions

• Risk Assessment & Hazard Mitigation: Conduct independent analyses of contractor engineering data to identify, assess, and mitigate safety risks for both test and fleet aircraft. Author formal risk assessments to support the command's risk acceptance and airworthiness certification processes.
• Engineering Evaluations: Perform technical safety evaluations of change requests, variance requests, deficiency reports, action requests, and test reports. Scope includes complex aircraft systems: electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, fuel, avionics, flight controls, environmental control systems (ECS), egress, weapon integration, secondary power, propulsion, and software interfaces.
• Working Group & Board representation: Organize, facilitate, and actively participate in joint assemblies, including System Safety Groups (SSG), System Safety Working Groups (SSWG), and Technical Interchange Meetings (TIMs). Develop specialized technical data packages to support explosive and LASER safety review boards.
• Inter-Agency Liaison: Act as a critical information conduit between the Program Office safety team, prime contractors, supporting Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) within AWIIL, and external military/partner organizations.
• Flight Clearance Support: Support the flight clearance process for all system users by compiling and presenting up-to-date safety data, tracking open hazards, and highlighting engineering concerns directly to flight clearance boards.
• Mishap & Incident Investigation: Analyze and investigate fleet mishaps, incidents, failures, and associated flight data to identify root causes and implement corrective hazard controls.
• Safety Documentation & Tooling: Coordinate periodic government reviews of prime contractor safety products (including Mishap Plans). Author safety point papers, trade studies, and system safety program plans. Build and maintain safety management databases and fault-tree models.

Required Skills

• Due to the sensitivity of customer related requirements, U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Bachelor's degree or 8+ years in Aviation Safety or Aircraft Accident/Mishap Investigation. High school diploma/GED plus 16+ years of Aviation Safety and Aircraft Accident/Mishap Investigation experience, or Associate's-level (AA/AS/Technical school) plus 10+ years Aviation Safety and Aircraft Accident/Mishap Investigation experience. F-35 specific maintenance experience is acceptable in place of Aviation Safety or Aircraft Accident/Mishap Investigation experience.
• Must be able to obtain a security clearance and maintain one for the duration of employment.
• Technical Software Proficiency: Demonstrated proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Access, Project)
• Must be able to work onsite - This position is not remote work eligible.
• Possess professionalism, courtesy, high moral character, and integrity.
• Excellent communication skills and able to liaison with outside agencies and ability to work independently.

Desired Skills

• Flight Experience: Practical aircraft flight experience (military or civilian pilot/crew).
• Military Background: Direct experience working within military aviation commands, NAVAIR structures, or defense acquisition program offices.
• Software Tools: System safety modeling tools (e.g., Isograph Fault Tree Plus).