Design Safety Engineer
Full Time
Bristol - Hybrid – minimum 3 days on site per week
Why Rolls-Royce?
We have number of Design Safety career opportunities within our Defence business in Bristol and our satellite site in Derby. We are looking to fill a number of roles with a range of levels of experience from new graduates who are eager to develop, to experienced specialists.
We are a market leader in aero engines for military transport and patrol aircraft, and also have significant scale in naval, and strong positions in combat and helicopter applications. We are pioneering more advanced and innovative power systems to ensure future combat air systems remain at the forefront of mission capability throughout their operational service.
We’ll provide an environment where you can be yourself. An inclusive, digital-first culture that invests in you, gives you a platform for continuous learning, and access to an incredible breadth and depth of opportunities to grow your career.
We offer excellent development, a competitive salary and exceptional benefits. These include bonus, employee support assistance and employee discounts.
Hybrid working is a way in which our people can balance their time between the office, home or another remote location. It’s a locally managed and flexed informal discretionary arrangement. As a minimum we’re all expected to attend the workplace for collaboration and other specific reasons, frequency will depend on business needs, nature of role, what works for the team and for the individual. Discover more on our GBS Service Portal about hybrid working.
What you will be doing:
Design Safety engineers influence design through understanding how failures will affect system operation, and analyse the resulting design, providing feedback on any impact this will have to the safety or reliability of the system and ensuring that the appropriate standards are met. This includes:
Evaluation of design concepts (potential failures, failure consequences and product-level hazards) and to define hazard mitigation strategies.
Evaluation of a component design to identify potential failure modes and their resulting failure effects and criticality (e.g. FMECA).
Identification of critical and significant parts and systems through detailed analysis of product risk level.
To analyse failures numerically using deterministic and probabilistic mathematical methods.
Analyse and quantify risks associated with human / system interaction including Human Factors.
Production of Safety Case reports.
Operation of a Failure Reporting Analysis & Corrective Action System (FRACAS).
Who we are looking for:
Being a part of Rolls-Royce you’ll know we embrace agility, are bold, pursue collaboration and seek simplicity in everything we do. These principles form our values and behaviours and are an essential component of our assessment process and are fundamental qualities that we seek for all roles.
In addition, the following role specific skills are preferred:
Qualification to degree level in a STEM subject and with experience in a relevant engineering environment (Mechanical, Aeronautical, Electrical or Controls).
Good holistic approach to problem solving
Analytical and logical approach.
Familiarity with the design, operation and environment of gas turbine engines.
Knowledge / experience of Safety & Reliability engineering techniques.
To work for Rolls-Royce Defence you need to hold a Security Check (SC) clearance without any caveats to that clearance. Rolls-Royce will support the application for Security Clearance if you don’t currently already have this in place.
Due to the nature of work the business conducts and the protection of certain assets, you must hold a UK nationality. Any dual nationals will require additional scrutiny and background checks prior to commencing work with RRSL.
The professional level and salary of the position will be dependent on the skills and experience of the successful candidate but is anticipated to be Grade 7-10.
It is advised that you inform your current manager of your application for this role.
We are an equal opportunities employer. We’re committed to developing a diverse workforce and an inclusive working environment. We believe that people from different backgrounds and cultures give us different perspectives. And the more perspectives we have, the more successful we’ll be. By building a culture of respect and appreciation, we give everyone who works here the opportunity to realise their full potential.
You can learn more about our global Inclusion strategy at www.careers.rolls-royce.com
Grade: 7-10
Skills Required
- Degree-level qualification in a STEM subject
- Relevant engineering experience in mechanical, aeronautical, electrical, or controls engineering
- Knowledge or experience of safety and reliability engineering techniques
- UK nationality
- Security Check (SC) clearance without caveats, or eligibility to obtain it
Rolls-Royce Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Rolls-Royce and has not been reviewed or approved by Rolls-Royce.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support is strengthened by a U.S. 401(k) program and recent Indianapolis agreements that enhanced retirement benefits. This foundation is complemented by an ongoing company emphasis on competitive retirement provisions across regions.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity value is broadened through a global employee share plan with a broad-based grant in 2024. A matched-purchase program introduced in 2025 further extends access to share ownership.
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Flexible Benefits — Flexible benefits are highlighted through a holistic, choice-based package and flexible working principles under the People Deal. Regional tailoring provides options spanning wellbeing, recognition, and other locally relevant rewards.
Rolls-Royce Insights
What We Do
Delivering power and propulsion solutions in the air, at sea and on land.







