Functional Safety Engineer

MERITUS Talent are working with a leading defence organisation who are well Embedded in the UK manufacturing indsutry, for the recruitment of a Functional Safety Engineer to join their South London office on a permanent, hybrid basis. Due to the security nature of the role and porjects, we can only consider candidates who are a sole British national.

Join a well-established defence engineering team working on the development and assurance of safety-critical control systems for naval vessels, including both surface ships and submarines. This is an opportunity to take a lead role in the safety engineering of platform management systems, contributing directly to national defence operations.

What you'll be doing:

You'll report to the Product Safety Manager and be a key part of the Safety Engineering team, responsible for leading and delivering safety assurance activities across the life cycle of naval systems - from design and development to maintenance and support.

Typical activities include:

• Defining safety work packages and planning against project milestones

• Leading system-level safety analysis across hardware, software, and firmware

• Carrying out and overseeing safety assessments such as HAZOPs, FMECA, FTA, FFA, and LOPA

• Supporting and leading internal and external safety reviews and audits

• Producing safety documentation to meet company and customer requirements

• Presenting safety arguments and influencing technical decisions

• Staying current with relevant safety standards and practices

• Mentoring junior engineers and supporting wider team development

• Occasional travel to customer and supplier sites in the UK and overseas

What we're looking for:

• Experience working in a safety-related engineering role

• Familiarity with safety and defence standards such as IEC 61508 and Def Stan 00-056

• Background in the safety assurance of systems involving COTS or high-integrity software

• Understanding of hardware and software failure modes and effects

• Skilled in hazard identification and safety analysis techniques (FMECA, FTA, etc.)

• Comfortable developing ALARP justifications

• A relevant qualification in Engineering or Safety (eg HND/HNC/Degree/Master's)

Why this role?

• End-to-end involvement: From early concept through to deployment, you'll see the full life cycle

• Challenging projects: Support mission-critical systems on advanced naval platforms

• Flexible working: Options including compressed schedules with alternate Fridays off

• Growth opportunities: Training, mentoring, and exposure to a wide range of safety disciplines

• Strong package: Including private health cover, performance bonuses, and more