Senior Systems Safety Engineer, Omen
Anduril
Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril’s family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
Job Description
Anduril is seeking Systems Safety Engineer to join the Omen team at our Costa Mesa HQ. Omen is Anduril’s hover-to-cruise autonomous air vehicle (AAV) that packs the endurance, payload, and mission flexibility of much larger airplanes into a novel runway-independent Group 3 platform. Omen can operate from ship decks, beaches, or remote island clearings, providing true runway independence and freedom of maneuver across defense and civilian domains. Omen is the first tail-sitter aircraft with a mass-production contract, with an order of 50 systems representing a decisive investment that anchors production and accelerates the development of future systems.
You will work on the System Safety and Airworthiness aspects of new aircraft development effort in a lean, high-ownership culture where you directly shape the product and operate at a velocity to fly new designs within months, not years.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
- Bring a pragmatic and right-sized approach to Systems Safety and Airworthiness to enable Omen Capability realization at the speed of relevance
- Develop and implement a tailored Systems Safety approach aligned with MIL-STD-882E and the end-user for the Omen Capability
- Engage with customers, end-users and local regulatory authorities to Identify appropriate Airworthiness frameworks and recognized standards to develop the overall Airworthiness strategy as a foundation for design efforts
- Develop Airworthiness plans and documentation in support of regional regulatory processes and submissions
- Develop Systems Safety requirements and collaborate with Vehicle, Mission, Support and Production design teams to implement Safety Safety best practices
- Identify the need for and conduct complex safety analyses, including FHA (Functional Hazard Analysis), System/Subsystem Hazard Analysis, System of Systems Hazard Analysis, Environmental Hazard Analysis, Operating and Support Hazard Analysis, Health Hazard Analysis, Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and SCFTA (Safety Critical Functional Thread Analysis), Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA)
- Identify and document hazards and risks for the Omen project, manage hazard tracking databases, and ensure proper risk mitigation strategies are implemented
- Support System Design Reviews (SDR) and engineering governance structures such as Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR), Critical Design Reviews (CDR), Test Readiness Reviews (TRR), Safety Review Boards (SRB) representing System Safety and Airworthiness
- Lead and triage Systems Safety outcomes from Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) investigations and mishap reports
- Drive continuous improvement in Systems Safety processes and methodologies
- Develop and own the Omen System Safety Program Plan (SSPP)
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND ATTRIBUTES
- Bachelor degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical or Systems Engineering, or equivalent technical discipline
- 10+ years industry experience as a Systems Safety Engineer aligned with Airworthiness activities
- Experience with safety-critical hardware and software systems in the Defense or Aerospace industries, specifically crewed aircraft, rotorcraft, UAS or weapon systems
- Extensive knowledge of AC 23-1309-1E, MIL-STD-882E, MIL-STD 516C airworthiness, AC-17-01, and other relevant safety standards
- Experience establishing and maintaining relationships with civil and military Airworthiness authorities
- Proven experience working civil and military Airworthiness processes, including MIL-HDBK-516 series documents, throughout the life cycle of a developmental aircraft to achieve successful program completion
- Experience developing and managing Airworthiness plans, tracking of Airworthiness criterions, and similar activities
- Strong background in safety analysis techniques, including FTA, FHA, SCFTA, and FMECA
- Failure investigation/analysis experience with proven track record of solving problems and preventing reoccurrence
- Experience with crewed or uncrewed developmental autonomous aircraft (Group 3 UAS or larger)
- Understanding of high voltage and high power systems or hybrid powertrains advantageous
- Experience with guidelines, standards and processes such as ARP-4754, ARP-4761, DO-178C, DO-254, JSSSEH, MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461 is desirable
- Familiarity with technical software packages such as Relyence, Teamcenter, JIRA, JAMA, Cameo, and/or Ansys
- Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal and communication skills
- A sincere commitment to a positive, inclusive, and collaborative culture
- Eligible to obtain and maintain a security clearance in United States, United Kingdom, or Australia
The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:
Healthcare Benefits
- US Roles: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans at little to no cost to you.
- UK & AUS Roles: We cover full cost of medical insurance premiums for you and your dependents.
- IE Roles: We offer an annual contribution toward your private health insurance for you and your dependents.
Additional Benefits
- Income Protection: Anduril covers life and disability insurance for all employees.
- Generous time off: Highly competitive PTO plans with a holiday hiatus in December. Caregiver & Wellness Leave is available to care for family members, bond with a new baby, or address your own medical needs.
- Family Planning & Parenting Support: Coverage for fertility treatments (e.g., IVF, preservation), adoption, and gestational carriers, along with resources to support you and your partner from planning to parenting.
- Mental Health Resources: Access free mental health resources 24/7, including therapy and life coaching. Additional work-life services, such as legal and financial support, are also available.
- Professional Development: Annual reimbursement for professional development
- Commuter Benefits: Company-funded commuter benefits based on your region.
- Relocation Assistance: Available depending on role eligibility.
Retirement Savings Plan
- US Roles: Traditional 401(k), Roth, and after-tax (mega backdoor Roth) options.
- UK & IE Roles: Pension plan with employer match.
- AUS Roles: Superannuation plan.
The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about the specific compensation and benefit details associated with this role during the hiring process.
To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.
