Leonardo
Lead Safety Engineer
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Lead Safety Engineer – Radar and Advanced Targeting Systems
Salary: £60,000 – £80,000
Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range within that band, benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the range are governed to protect internal equity.
About the Role
Within Leonardo’s Radar and Advanced Targeting Systems (RATS) line of business, you will contribute to the design and delivery of world-class, innovative multi-role surveillance radars and countermeasure systems, helping to protect people and nations.
As the Lead Safety Engineer in our Design Integrity function (supporting Test Engineering), you will ensure robust safety governance is applied across all projects—meeting internal standards as well as legal and regulatory requirements.
Your responsibilities will span test safety and product test equipment safety, from early concept phase to certification. By integrating safety, environmental, and regulatory considerations throughout the product lifecycle, you will help deliver solutions that are safe, compliant, and equivalent to the highest industry standards.
The role involves hybrid working (minimum 3 days onsite) at either our Edinburgh or Newcastle site, with regular travel required between both locations.
What You Will Do
- Collaborate with Systems Engineering & Sector Engineering Safety Managers to ensure compliance with all project safety requirements.
- Define Product Safety & Environmental criteria (addressing product, contractual, legal, and regulatory needs).
- Participate in the planning and execution of test programmes, addressing design safety considerations.
- Ensure test equipment safety certification (including jigs, fixtures, electrical, electronic, optical, and RF equipment/facilities) and readiness for testing, supporting Declaration of Design & Performance compliance.
- Assist in lifecycle readiness reviews, including Design Certification Reviews.
- Provide independent safety assessments through Product Design Reviews.
- Offer specialist safety & environmental guidance within Test Engineering.
- Attend Product Safety Panels and manage safety & environmental incident data within corrective action systems.
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What You’ll Bring
Education & Qualification:
- Ideally Chartered Engineer status.
- A 2:1 (or higher) degree in a relevant engineering or science based discipline.
Experience & Expertise:
- Extensive experience applying safety tools and techniques within electronics or avionics, including:
- Hazard Log Management
- Hazard Identification
- Functional Failure Analysis
- Fault Tree Analysis
- Risk Assessment
- ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) justifications
- Knowledge of electronic testing standards and compliance requirements.
- Experience in Integration, Test, Evaluation, and Acceptance (ITEA) processes for complex systems.
- Working knowledge of ARP4754 (or equivalent) verification methods.
- Experience supporting certification to RTCA/DO-178C (Level C) or RTCA/DO-254 (Level C), or in adjacent regulated sectors.
- Demonstrated success in Product Safety certification within regulatory environments.
The provided list is not exhaustive—we encourage your application, regardless of whether you match all criteria. A strong attitude and drive to learn are the most critical attributes.
Security Clearance
This position is subject to pre-employment security screening aligned with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). Additional National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, potentially including eligibility checks for:
- Security Check (SC) clearance
- Developed Vetting (DV) clearance
For further details, visit: Security & Vetting – Leonardo Careers.
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Why Join Leonardo?
At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of our success. We provide a comprehensive benefits package supporting your well-being, career, and work-life balance:
- Time to Recharge – Generous leave policy with up to 12 annual flexi-days.
- Secure Your Future – Award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
- Wellbeing Matters – Free access to:
- Mental health support
- Financial advice services
- Employee-led networks (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Ethnicity groups)
- Reward Performance – Qualification for bonus scheme (applies to all employees at management level and below).
- Never Stop Learning – Free access to 4,000+ online courses across platforms like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
- Refer a Friend – Earn rewards through our employee referral programme.
- Tailored Perks – Up to £500/year in flexible benefits, including health, dental, tech discounts, gym memberships, and more.
- Flexible Working – Adjustable hours with hybrid work options (part-time arrangements may also be available – discuss with hiring manager).
Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence & Security, employing over 53,000 people worldwide—nearly 9,000 within the UK across nine sites. Our team of innovators and engineers drives progress in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), fostering intergenerational knowledge-sharing across a multicultural environment.
Commitment to Inclusion & Accessibility Leonardo is dedicated to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. Diversity fuels our creativity and innovation, delivering better outcomes for people and customers. Should you require support during the recruitment process, please disclose your needs—we’re here to help.
Primary Location: Edinburgh, UK Additional Locations: Newcastle, UK Contract: Permanent Working Arrangement: Hybrid
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