Lead Functional Safety Engineer

We’re looking for a Lead Functional Safety Engineer to provide technical leadership and governance across the functional safety lifecycle for projects spanning multiple industries. You’ll ensure that safety‑related systems are specified, designed, implemented, and validated in line with relevant standards, delivering robust and compliant solutions for our clients. Acting as a technical authority, you’ll guide safety strategy, support project teams, and mentor engineers to embed best practice across all stages of delivery. Working closely with cross‑functional teams and clients, you’ll translate requirements into safe, effective designs while assuring the integrity of safety systems within regulated environments. With deep expertise in functional safety, software and hardware systems, and international standards, you’ll also play a key role in client engagement, capability development, and promoting our functional safety offering. Alongside this, you’ll contribute to project planning, risk management, reporting, and budget considerations to support successful project outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Act as Technical Authority (TA) for Functional Safety on major programmes and projects.
• Own and enforce the organisation’s functional safety strategy, framework, and safety lifecycle processes.
• Set, maintain, and uphold functional safety engineering standards and best practice aligned to recognised standards.
• Provide authoritative technical direction on complex safety‑related issues, including risk interpretation, safety concept definition, and SIL/PL determination.
• Review and approve safety‑related architectures, designs, and technical justifications.
• Support the development and delivery of the technology roadmap specifically in relation to functional safety capability and compliance.
• Lead the development and implementation of strategic functional safety objectives.
• Provide expert input to design authority forums, safety review boards, and governance panels.
• Support organisational governance by ensuring decisions are evidence‑based and aligned with functional safety principles.
• Act as the functional safety approver during the bid and tender phase, including acceptance of safety scope, assumptions, and effort estimates.
• Analyse and translate client requirements into safety requirements (functional and non‑functional), including SIL / PL allocation.
• Ensure hazards are systematically identified using appropriate techniques (e.g. HAZOP).
• Define functional safety concepts, safety architectures, and safety requirements specifications.
• Ensure safety requirements are correctly flowed down, implemented, and traced through design, build, and verification.
• Be accountable for functional safety verification and validation activities, ensuring compliance with applicable standards and project safety plans.
• Review, approve, and assure safety evidence and safety arguments supporting system acceptance.
• Manage compatibility, performance, and compliance of integrated systems with respect to safety functions.
• Lead and approve comprehensive functional safety documentation (e.g FSMP).
• Ensure all documentation meets internal QMS requirements and external regulatory or client standards.
• Act as functional safety expert during internal and external audits.
• Lead the technical relationship with certifiers, assessors, and software/hardware safety partners.
• Act as primary escalation point for functional safety issues with partners and clients.
• Lead functional safety discussions in client meetings and design reviews.
• Support and maintain the client interface on all safety‑related matters.
• Demonstrate strong working knowledge of client‑specific, industry, and international functional safety standards.
• Work closely with software, hardware, systems, workshop, and project management teams to ensure functional safety requirements are met.
• Support commissioning at client sites.
• Coordinate testing and troubleshooting activities.
• Support successful close‑out of projects.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and functional safety guidance to engineers and project teams.
• Chair and lead safety working groups to align priorities, manage safety risks, and drive decisions.
• Identify functional safety training needs, including mandatory certification and refresher requirements.
• Support onboarding and induction with a strong focus on safety culture and competence.
• Identify skill gaps, contribute to resource planning, and support recruitment activities for safety‑critical roles.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement in safety processes, tools, and capability.
• Capture and disseminate lessons learned to strengthen organisational safety maturity.
• Identify unacceptable or unsafe behaviours and escalates in line with company procedures.
• Follow and promote all health and safety regulations, procedures, and protocols.
• Develop, maintain, and mature the organisation’s functional safety capability, supporting its positioning, promotion, and successful sale to clients.
• Assist with any other duties reasonably requested and in line with the requirements of the post and deputise for the Principal Engineer/Project Manager.
• Successfully identify and complete all relevant training both in-house and external, as required.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 7 years’ experience in systems engineering.
• Performing at a minimum Core level for the relevant/required skills for the role, as outlined in the Career Dimensions tool.
• Technical expertise of software packages relevant to the role of a Senior Systems Engineer i.e. SCADA, PLC, and HMI packages.
• Specific industry experience will be required in certain specialisms, such as highly regulated industries.
• Experience in the application of systems engineering principles and methodologies.
• Familiarity and experience in the application of system integration processes, tools and technologies.
• A good understanding of industry and company quality management systems, processes and procedures.
• Experience of software development/hardware integration.
• Experience working on client sites.

Skills and Abilities

• Good verbal, written and presentation skills for effective collaboration and client interaction.
• An ability to provide technical solutions in the bidding process, including estimating of time.
• The ability to demonstrate good principles of leadership and management.

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave, 8 Bank Holidays, plus the ability to buy and sell up to 5 days per year.
• Flexible start and finish times, including flexi‑Fridays.
• Competitive Employee Referral Award Scheme.
• Private Medical Insurance.
• Life Assurance.
• Pension.
• Payment of professional membership fees.
• Healthy Extras – Employee Assistance Programme, access to a practising GP, Confidential Advice.
• Enhanced family friendly policies.

Values

• Deliver what we promise.
• Demand the highest levels of safety and security.
• Apply technical mastery.
• Commit to continual learning.
• Work collaboratively.
• Challenge the norm to make a difference through innovation.

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