System Safety Engineer

Department: Engineering Delivery & Design Organisation

Location: Bristol Office

Employment Type: FullTime

Our Mission

At Vertical Aerospace, we are pioneering the way for electric aviation. The Valo, our eVTOL (electric, vertical, take-off and landing), 'zero emissions' aircraft will set a new safety standard for how we will navigate the sky.

We won't realise our mission following the same legacy processes and traditions our predecessors followed, instead, we want to 'redefine' aerospace best practices. We are growing quickly from a prototype business to a scaling SME, and the next few years will be critical to our success and delivering on our ambitious goals. Valo is targeting airliner-level safety certification in 2028 ahead of entering service with our airline and operator customers.

What to Expect:

We are seeking a System Safety Engineer to join our growing Aircraft Safety team. The team works across both aircraft and system levels to support the delivery of safety assessments and ensure that safety principles are embedded throughout the engineering lifecycle. This role is ideal for someone early in their engineering career who is curious, eager to learn, and excited about working on cutting-edge aircraft technologies.

You will work alongside experienced safety and systems engineers, supporting safety analyses and contributing to the development of the aircraft safety case. You will gain exposure to the safety processes used on certification programmes and develop hands-on experience applying safety analysis techniques in a collaborative engineering environment.

In this role, you will support safety activities across aircraft systems and work closely with design, systems, and test teams to help identify potential risks and ensure safety considerations are incorporated into system architectures and designs. This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to build a strong foundation in aircraft safety engineering while contributing to the development of a novel aircraft platform.

What You'll Do:

• Support the development of safety assessments such as Functional Hazard Assessments (FHAs), Preliminary System Safety Assessments (PSSAs), Fault Tree Analyses (FTAs), and System Safety Assessments (SSAs) under the guidance of senior safety engineers.

• Assist in safety activities for aircraft systems such as Flight Control Systems, Actuation Systems, and Battery Management Systems.

• Contribute to cross-system safety analyses including Common Mode Analysis (CMA), Particular Risk Analysis (PRA), and Zonal Safety Analysis (ZSA).

• Support the development and maintenance of safety requirements derived from safety analyses.

• Assist with the preparation and documentation of safety artefacts used in certification programmes.

• Collaborate with systems, design, test, and integration teams to ensure safety requirements are incorporated into system development and design.

• Contribute to improving safety processes, documentation, and tools within the Aircraft Safety Team.

What You'll Bring (Essential):

• Degree (or expected degree) in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related discipline.

• Understanding of engineering principles for safety-critical systems.

• Awareness of aircraft safety analysis methods such as FHA, FTA, or reliability analysis.

• Basic knowledge of aircraft certification frameworks and safety standards.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.

• Good communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams.

• Enthusiasm for learning and developing expertise in aircraft safety engineering.

Desirable:

• Exposure to system safety analysis techniques such as Fault Tree Analysis, STPA, or reliability modelling.

• Awareness of aerospace safety standards such as SAE ARP4754A/B and ARP4761/A.

• Familiarity with aircraft safety regulations such as SC-VTOL or CS/Part 23.1309.

• Exposure to model-based systems engineering (MBSE) tools or processes.

• Interest in novel aircraft platforms such as eVTOL, UAM, or advanced air mobility systems.

• Basic awareness of DO-178C and DO-254 development assurance frameworks.

• Internship, academic project, or industry experience involving aircraft systems is desirable.

What can you expect from us?

We're on a mission. Where others see limits, we see opportunity, and we work at pace. Working at Vertical isn't your average role but for those seeking a challenge, a flexible, supportive organisation and an incredible team; working here is an opportunity to do the best work of your career.

Our approach promotes ingenuity and courage, while our environment builds success through diligence in safety and being open in the way we work. The only way we're going to assure the next chapter of aviation history is by working as a team, relentlessly, towards our goal. 

Our benefits

Our people matter - we're not going anywhere without them. Which is why our company benefits go beyond the essentials.

• 26 days holiday, plus bank holiday

• 5 extra days per year to buy (or sell)

• 5 extra days holiday when you get married or enter a civil partnership

• Additional 4% of your salary to spend on extra benefits

• Award-winning digital health and wellbeing service (Help@Hand)

• Company performance based bonus - rewarding company and individual performance

• Company Share Scheme - open to every Vertical employee

• Company Pension Scheme - 5% and we match it

• Breakfast on us, every day

We may just be the hardest job you've ever had, but we're confident it will be the most rewarding. Join the team today and help us shape the future of Advanced Air Mobility.

Disclaimer Statement

We encourage you to apply even if you may not have all the experience listed in the advert. We recognise that talent comes in various forms and we are committed to providing opportunities that create an environment of growth, diversity, and inclusion for everyone. As part of our desire to review and make our processes fair, we may ask you questions related to these aspects during the application process. For more information on how we will use your data, see our Legal section.