System Safety Engineer III - New Glenn

Blue Origin; Florida; On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a Fully independent System Safety Engineer to own end-to-end safety assessments for New Glenn vehicle elements and subsystems. You will drive hazard analysis, risk quantification, and safety case development while integrating with SE teams across the program.

Responsibilities include leading FHA/PHAs, developing FMECAs, FTAs, and hazard tracking, and supporting certification activities to ensure safety is embedded in design processes.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Aerospace/Systems/Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 5–10 years in system safety and systems engineering.
• Experience with FHA, FMECA, FTA, CCA, PHA artifacts.
• Knowledge of MIL-STD-882, MIL-STD-1629, SAE ARP4761, NASA-STD-8719, FAA Part 450.
• Strong technical writing and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute FHA, PHA, and SSHA for assigned vehicle elements.
• Author FMECAs and derive CILs and basic events.
• Develop and maintain FTAs for safety-critical functions.
• Own hazard sheets and track hazard closure.
• Represent system safety at design reviews and present findings.
• Support verification and certification activities.

Skills

Hazard analysis

FHA

FMECA

FTA

Risk quantification

Safety case

Systems engineering

Technical writing

Education

B.S. in Aerospace Engineering or related field

M.S. preferred

Job description

Application close date

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We’re working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. Join our team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight!

This role supports the development and operations of New Glenn, a single-configuration, heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle capable of routinely carrying people and payloads to low-Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, cislunar, and beyond. Its first stage is fully reusable, and the vehicle was designed from the beginning to be human-capable.

Fully independent system safety engineer with deep systems engineering fluency. Owns end-to-end safety assessment for vehicle elements and subsystems—hazard analysis, failure mode identification, risk quantification, and safety case development—while also contributing to systems engineering integration, verification, and certification activities. This role bridges the gap between the SQMA safety organization and element‑level SE teams, ensuring safety is embedded in the design process rather than applied after the fact. Reports within AERS Engineering & Systems on the New Glenn GS1/9E program.

Core Responsibilities – System Safety

• Lead and execute Functional Hazard Assessments (FHA/FHAA), Preliminary Hazard Analyses (PHA), and Subsystem Hazard Analyses (SSHA) for assigned vehicle elements
• Author and maintain FMECAs for assigned subsystems; derive Critical Items Lists (CIL) and basic events for Fault Tree Analyses
• Develop and maintain Fault Tree Analyses (FTA) for safety‑critical functions; quantify unreliability and identify single‑point failures and common‑cause vulnerabilities
• Perform Common Cause Analyses (CCA) and Zonal Safety Assessments to identify latent failure interactions
• Own hazard sheets and hazard tracking for assigned subsystems; drive hazard closure through design changes, operational controls, or accepted risk
• Develop safety requirements and derive safety‑related design constraints; flow into DNG requirements and track verification closure
• Support Architecture Safety Assessments (ASA)—ensure system architecture meets safety intent and that redundancy/independence claims are substantiated
• Represent system safety at design reviews; author safety review packages and present findings to safety review boards
• Perform safety assessments for Engineering Change Requests (ECRs) and nonconformance dispositions—evaluate safety impact of proposed changes
• Lead or support mishap/anomaly investigation safety analysis (contributing cause identification, barrier analysis, corrective action adequacy assessment)
• Experience with FAA 14 CFR Part 450 public safety requirements

Core Responsibilities – Systems Engineering

• Contribute to element‑level systems engineering for 9E GS1—requirements decomposition, interface management, verification planning, and configuration control
• Lead verification campaigns for safety‑critical requirements—plan, execute, and close out verification evidence
• Perform cross‑subsystem integration analysis at vehicle interfaces where safety and systems engineering intersect (e.g., propulsion/structures, avionics/GN&C, TPS/thermal)
• Represent SE and safety at program‑level forums drive action closure on safety‑related items
• Author technical decision memos and trade study reports for safety‑critical design choices
• Support certification activities—Element Design Reviews (EDRs), Pre‑Ship Reviews (PSRs), Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs)—with safety case artifacts
• Contribute to customer certification safety documentation as the program scales toward national security missions

Qualifications

• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field (M.S. strongly preferred)
• 5–10 years of combined system safety and systems engineering experience, with demonstrated progression in scope and complexity
• Deep, hands‑on experience with hazard analysis methods: FHA, FMECA, FTA, CCA, PHA —not just familiarity, but authorship of these artifacts on real programs
• Working knowledge of systems engineering processes: requirements decomposition, verification planning, interface management, configuration control
• Experience with safety standards and regulatory frameworks: MIL‑STD‑882, MIL‑STD‑1629, SAE ARP4761, NASA‑STD‑8719, FAA 14 CFR Part 450 (at least two)
• Ability to quantify risk—probabilistic methods, reliability modeling, failure rate databases (MIL‑HDBK‑217, NPRD/EPRD, or equivalent)
• Strong technical writing skills—ability to author hazard analyses, safety cases, and technical decision memos that withstand review board scrutiny
• Excellent communication skills—ability to present safety findings to program leadership, design teams, and external reviewers (FAA, customer)

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in relevant engineering field
• Experience with launch vehicle or human‑rated spacecraft safety programs
• Experience with reusable vehicle systems—understanding of how reuse changes the safety paradigm (fatigue, degradation, refurbishment inspection adequacy)
• INCOSE CSEP or ESEP certification