principle safety engineer

Principal Safety Engineer — Defence

Location: Bristol (Hybrid / Remote options available)
Salary: £60,000–£68,000 + excellent benefits
Security Clearance: Must be eligible for SC Clearance

We are seeking an experienced Principal Safety Engineer to join a growing engineering team delivering complex and high-profile programmes within the defence sector. This is an excellent opportunity for a safety professional looking to work across the full engineering lifecycle in a collaborative and technically challenging environment.

The Role

You will play a key role in delivering safety engineering activities across defence projects, supporting the development of robust safety cases and ensuring compliance with relevant industry and defence standards.

The role offers flexible hybrid working, with remote working options available alongside time spent with teams and customers in Bristol as required.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver safety engineering and safety assurance activities across defence programmes
• Support hazard identification, risk assessment, and safety case development
• Engage with multidisciplinary engineering teams across the engineering lifecycle
• Ensure compliance with defence and industry safety standards
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of Safety Management Systems
• Liaise with customers, stakeholders, and regulatory bodies where required

Essential Experience

• Experience working across more than one phase of the Engineering Lifecycle
• Strong understanding of engineering design principles and through-life engineering considerations
• Familiarity with defence safety standards and guidance, including:
  • DSA-02
  • JSP430
  • Def Stan 00-56
  • MIL-STD-882E
  • BS EN 61508
• Understanding of Safety Management System principles
• Ability to obtain and maintain SC Clearance

Desirable

• Previous experience within defence, aerospace, maritime, or complex engineering environments
• Experience supporting safety cases for software, systems, or hardware programmes
• Strong stakeholder engagement and technical communication skills

Benefits

• Competitive salary (£60k–£68k DOE)
• Hybrid and remote working flexibility
• Generous pension contribution
• Annual leave package
• Professional development and training support
• Career progression opportunities within a growing organisation