System Safety Engineer
Location:Onsite Tucson, AZ
Employment Type:Full-Time, Contract
Work Arrangement: 100% Onsite
Lead the Safety of Mission-Critical Defense Systems
Legion Technical Solutions is seeking an experienced Principal System Safety Engineer to support one of our premier aerospace and defense clients. This is an outstanding opportunity for a seasoned safety engineer who is passionate about developing safe, reliable, and mission-ready systems that support critical national defense initiatives.
As a technical leader, you'll help drive the development and execution of comprehensive system safety programs throughout the entire product lifecycle—from early concept and design through production, fielding, sustainment, and end-of-life disposal. You'll collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams, government stakeholders, and program leadership to ensure safety is integrated into every phase of development.
If you enjoy solving complex engineering challenges, influencing system architecture, mentoring engineers, and working on technologies that truly matter, we'd love to hear from you.
What You'll Be Doing
As a Principal System Safety Engineer, you'll lead the planning, execution, and continuous improvement of comprehensive MIL-STD-882E System Safety Programs supporting advanced defense technologies.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Develop and implement comprehensive MIL-STD-882E compliant System Safety Programs.
- Lead system safety engineering efforts across the full product lifecycle—from concept development through production, deployment, sustainment, demilitarization, and disposal.
- Perform System Safety Program analyses including:
- Task Series 100 – System Safety Management
- Task Series 200 – Hazard Analysis
- Task Series 300 – Safety Evaluation
- Task Series 400 – Safety Verification
- Conduct detailed safety analyses of hardware, software, electrical systems, and mechanical designs.
- Evaluate engineering drawings, schematics, and system architectures to identify:
- Potential hazards
- Failure modes
- Fault tolerance
- Latent hazards
- Compliance with safety requirements
- Develop clear, measurable, and testable system safety requirements.
- Review existing requirements to ensure compliance with customer specifications and military standards.
- Perform system, subsystem, software, and design safety analyses throughout product development.
- Prepare Safety Assessment Reports, hazard analyses, and technical documentation for customer review and approval.
- Present safety analyses and recommendations during technical design reviews and customer briefings.
- Support hazard tracking, risk assessment, and mitigation activities.
- Collaborate closely with systems, software, hardware, electrical, mechanical, integration, and test engineering teams to ensure safety requirements are incorporated throughout the design.
- Coordinate directly with customer safety organizations, government representatives, subcontractors, suppliers, and program leadership.
- Review operational, maintenance, and test procedures to ensure appropriate administrative safety controls are implemented.
- Monitor technical execution of safety activities while supporting program schedules and milestones.
- Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior System Safety Engineers.
- Support customer audits, design reviews, and program milestones requiring safety approval.
Required Qualifications
Successful candidates will possess a combination of technical expertise, leadership, and systems engineering experience.
Minimum qualifications include:
- Bachelor's degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM).
- Significant professional experience in:
- System Safety Engineering
- Systems Engineering
- Aerospace or Defense Engineering
* Extensive experience developing and executing **MIL-STD-882E** System Safety Programs.
- Strong understanding of:
- Hazard analysis methodologies
- Safety risk assessment
- Requirements development
- Systems engineering principles
- Experience reviewing electrical, mechanical, and system-level engineering documentation.
- Ability to interpret customer specifications and military standards.
- Experience preparing technical reports and customer-facing documentation.
- Strong communication and presentation skills.
- Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Ability to mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership.
U.S. Citizenship required.
Active U.S. Government security clearance or ability to meet program security requirements (program dependent).
Preferred Qualifications
Candidates with the following experience will be especially competitive:
- Aerospace or defense industry experience.
- Software safety engineering.
- Hardware safety engineering.
- Integrated Product Team (IPT) leadership.
- Safety certification of complex weapon, radar, sensor, avionics, or mission systems.
- Experience supporting Department of Defense acquisition programs.
- Customer-facing technical leadership.
- Root cause investigations and failure analysis.
- Safety verification and validation planning.
- Risk management and hazard tracking systems.
Technologies & Standards
You'll have the opportunity to work with technologies and standards including:
- MIL-STD-882E
- System Safety Engineering
- Hazard Analysis
- Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
- Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
- Safety Assessment Reports
- Requirements Management
- Systems Engineering
- Hardware & Software Safety
- Electrical & Mechanical Design Reviews
- Defense Acquisition Programs
Why You'll Love This Opportunity
This role offers the opportunity to:
- Lead the safety strategy for sophisticated defense systems used around the world.
- Influence product architecture from concept through deployment.
- Partner with highly respected engineering and program leadership teams.
- Mentor the next generation of System Safety Engineers.
- Work on technically challenging programs that directly support national security.
- Join a collaborative engineering culture focused on innovation, technical excellence, and mission success.
About Legion Technical Solutions
Legion Technical Solutions is a specialized engineering and technology staffing partner connecting exceptional professionals with many of the nation's leading aerospace, defense, intelligence, and advanced manufacturing organizations.
Our mission is to build lasting relationships by providing an outstanding candidate experience, transparent communication, and opportunities that align with your technical expertise and long-term career goals. We understand that great engineers have choices, and we're committed to helping you find a role where your work has meaningful impact.
About Our Client
Our confidential client is a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, delivering advanced systems that support national security and critical defense missions worldwide. Their engineering teams are recognized for developing innovative radar, sensing, missile defense, command and control, and mission systems that push the boundaries of technology and engineering excellence.
Engineers joining this organization have the opportunity to work on highly visible programs, collaborate with world-class technical experts, and contribute to technologies that make a real difference in protecting those who serve.
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## Equal Opportunity Employer
Legion Technical Solutions is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where every employee is respected and valued. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.
