Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. With over 7,500 people in the UK, operating across defence, space, aerospace, and digital security, we help build a future we can all trust. Thales supports the security and stability of our nation by providing extraordinary technology to our customers, as well as delivering social value to the UK with our products and services.
Product Safety Engineer
Bristol, Crawley or Reading - Hybrid.Thales develop and engineer cutting edge products and technologies such as autonomous platforms (air and maritime), high performance sonar arrays, Air Traffic Management systems, electronic warfare & counter measure systems, to name a few.
We’re expanding our central safety team, which operate across highly critical development programmes and serve as a Thales UK Subject Matter Expert function. The position of Product Safety Engineer is a senior level position and will work closely alongside Safety Managers.
You'll have opportunity to work on several high value, high visibility programmes, directly supporting the UK MOD and allied Naval projects. You'll be supported by a vast network of specialist safety professionals and have access to enhanced learning, training and academic support programmes to elevate your career through our various partnerships and internal development programmes.
As a Product Safety Engineer at Thales, your day to day responsibilities will include but not be limited to:
- Developing safety plans & ensuring the implementation at project level
- Applying and leveraging your knowledge of Systems Safety Engineering to complex systems and supporting/mentoring junior Product Safety / Systems Safety Engineers
- Undertaking systems safety activities and assessments
- Ensuring that Thales products are supported by robust safety cases and evidence
- Working in multidisciplinary project/product teams to identify and manage hazards and risks
- Undertaking Systems Safety activities and assessment
- Working in multidisciplinary project/product teams to identify and manage hazards and risks
- Working across a range of activities at various stages of the systems engineering lifecycle.
What we are looking for:
- Experience of Systems Safety, Product Safety or Safety Engineering activities in defence would preferred, but we are equally open to considering experience from safety critical industries i.e. aerospace, medical, oil & gas, rail or automotive.
- Experience of preparing Safety Cases and familiar with ALARP principles and arguments
- Demonstrable experience of undertaking Systems Safety activities including System Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Event Tree Analysis (ETA), Common Cause Failure Analysis, Functional Failure Analysis (FFA), Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), Interface Hazard Analysis (IHA), System Hazard Logs, System Hazard Analysis Reports
- Ability to work collaboratively in an engineering development environment, ensuring Systems Safety compliance is achieved throughout the project life cycle
Security Clearance statement
This role will require SC Clearance. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant will undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance. Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance.
To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.
For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the National Security Vetting (NSV) Agency - United Kingdom Security Vetting - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
What we can offer
We’re committed to giving you opportunities to be your best. We believe in embracing the passion and potential of our people, and to achieve this we offer market leading training, development and experiences, along with the opportunity to be mentored and coached by some of the smartest minds in the industry. We hire from within as our first priority, so you’ll have a myriad of opportunities within our diverse, global organisation.
Our packages will include bonus, a strong pension contribute plan matched up to 7%, Private healthcare, development focused targets and relocation support can be provided if required along with a variety of learning, development and career enhancement opportunities.
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At Thales, we ensure equal opportunities, pay and working conditions for all. The benefits we offer include private medical insurance, buying or selling annual leave, cycle to work schemes, employee discounts, paid volunteering day, stocks and shares, annual bonus and much more depending on the role. Read more about our benefits here.
We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued for who they are and the unique strengths they bring. Discover more about our programmes, employee networks, wellbeing policies, and inclusive features here.
If this role isn’t quite right for you, we encourage you to join our talent community where your details will be shared with our recruitment teams for other potential opportunities. Join the Talent Community here.
Join Thales in the UK – Innovate with us and shape the future!
Skills Required
- Bachelor degree (BEng, BSc) or equivalent in a numerate, scientific or engineering subject or equivalent training/experience.
- Experience with Naval Combat Systems or Highly Integrated Systems.
- Working knowledge and regular implementation of Safety Management System (SMS) processes to meet project requirements.
- Familiarity with safety analysis techniques (FTA, Event Tree, FMECA, RBD, LOPA, QRA) and their application.
- Understanding and implementation experience of safety assessment processes and delivering them on safety programmes.
- Experience creating and implementing Safety Management Plans and managing associated work package activities.
- Familiarity with processes for capturing, recording and managing safety requirements.
- Knowledge of relevant standards and sources of safety requirements (Def Stan, BS EN, ISO, IEC, etc.).
- Good working knowledge of formal Hazard ID and risk assessment methodologies (HAZID, HAZOP, FHA, BowTies) with practical implementation on projects.
Thales Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Thales and has not been reviewed or approved by Thales.
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Retirement Support — Retirement plans with employer contributions and matches, profit sharing, and share purchase opportunities are emphasized across multiple regions. These elements are positioned as competitive components of total rewards.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Generous PTO that increases with tenure, paid holidays, and paid military, maternity, and paternity leave are described. This breadth supports work–life balance across locations.
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Flexible Benefits — Hybrid work options, flexible schedules, and parental supports such as childcare benefits and leave for sick children are available in several markets. Flexibility is presented as a core part of the employee experience.
Thales Insights
What We Do
Thales is a global high technology leader investing in digital and “deep tech” innovations – connectivity, big data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and quantum technology – to build a future we can all trust, which is vital to the development of our societies. The company provides solutions, services and products that help its customers – businesses, organisations and states – in the defence, aeronautics, space, transportation and digital identity and security markets to fulfil their critical missions, by placing humans at the heart of the decision-making process.
