Aviation Safety Officer (R4177)

What you'll do:

• Supervise the Aviation Safety Program for all Aircraft Division products and flight test programs.
• Ensure safety is prioritized during product design, flight readiness reviews, mission planning, and operational execution.
• Lead the system safety program per MIL-STD-882, SAE ARP4761, and relevant civil standards.
• Own the System Safety Program Plan (SSPP), hazard tracking system, safety-critical function/item lists, and all related analyses and reports.
• Oversee system safety requirements definition, verification, and validation from aircraft level down to configuration item level.
• Manage hazard identification, risk assessment, mitigation planning, and closure tracking for all safety-related issues.
• Lead mishap and incident investigations, including root cause analysis, corrective actions, and reporting to stakeholders.
• Assess the safety implications of test findings, defects, and workarounds, ensuring proper risk disposition.
• Interface with government regulators and customers to ensure regulatory and contractual compliance.
• Drive a culture of proactive safety, integrating lessons learned into design, training, and operations.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Aviation Safety, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in aviation system safety, flight test safety, or airworthiness roles.
• Hands-on experience implementing safety programs in accordance with MIL-STD-882, SAE ARP4761, and/or ARP4754A.
• Experience planning and executing developmental flight test programs for manned or unmanned systems.
• Demonstrated success leading incident/mishap investigations, authoring formal reports, and briefing findings to leadership and customers.
• In-depth understanding of safety risk management, hazard analysis, and system-level safety assessments.
• Proven ability to collaborate with engineering, test, and operations teams in high-tempo aerospace environments.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including report writing for government and regulatory bodies.

Preferred qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Safety Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified System Safety Professional (CSSP), or Aircraft Accident Investigator certification.
• Hands-on experience developing and testing safety-critical systems or software.
• Experience with military type certification or airworthiness qualification processes.
• Familiarity with FAA, DoW, or EASA safety and airworthiness frameworks.
• Background in AI/autonomy safety, UAV flight testing, or hybrid flight control systems.
• Mishap investigation leadership experience, ideally under AFMAN 91-223, NAVSAFECOM, or similar standards.
• Military experience as a pilot, maintainer, or aviation safety officer.
• Working knowledge of export control (ITAR/EAR) and data protection requirements in aerospace programs.
• Experience supporting or leading Safety Review Boards (SRBs) or Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs).