Senior Safety Engineer

Our Mission

At Vertical Aerospace, we are pioneering the way for electric aviation. The VX4, 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 of having the VX4 in service by 2030.

What to Expect

We are seeking a Senior Safety Engineer to join our growing Vehicle Safety team. This team operates at aircraft level, with responsibility not only for ensuring the delivery of core safety assessments, but also for driving a coherent safety process across all engineering domains. This role is ideal for an experienced safety engineer ready to step into a more autonomous, decision-making position, while still remaining deeply embedded in technical delivery.

You will be responsible for delivering key functional safety analyses across the aircraft lifecycle. You will work closely with systems and design engineers to ensure that safety is embedded in the architecture and design and that risks are clearly identified, assessed, and mitigated. In this role, you’ll also contribute to the development of the safety case, support certification planning and help improve our internal safety processes. As a senior member of the team, you will be expected to make sound technical judgements, work independently and provide guidance to other engineers as needed.

This is a critical role for someone who thrives in a high-ownership, hands-on environment and wants to shape safety on a novel air vehicle platform.

What You'll Do

• Plan and execute safety assessments including FHAs, PSSAs, SSAs, CMAs, PRAs and ZSAs at the system and cross-system level.

• Lead development and substantiation of selected safety case elements, supporting alignment with operational assumptions and certification requirements.

• Drive derivation of safety requirements from analysis and system understanding; ensure these are communicated and managed with design and integration teams.

• Act as safety representative in system design reviews, supporting technical decision-making and ensuring safety considerations are properly integrated.

• Engage with other engineering functions, test teams, and compliance personnel to drive cross-functional understanding of safety risks and mitigations.

• Support and mentor junior engineers in safety methodologies, tools, and good practices.

• Help evolve and improve the Vehicle Safety Team’s processes, documentation, and tools.

• Support the Vehicle Safety Lead in developing strategic plans and delivery tracking of key program safety milestones.

What You'll Bring

• Degree (or higher) in Aerospace, Mechanical, or relevant Engineering discipline.

• Strong experience in safety-critical systems and safety assessments, preferably across several aircraft systems.

• Sound understanding and hands-on application of SAE ARP4754A/B and ARP4761/A.

• Experience conducting safety analyses and authoring safety artefacts for certification programs.

• Demonstrated ability to make sound technical decisions and articulate rationale to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Familiarity with certification expectations (SC VTOL.2510, 23.1309, etc.).

• Effective communicator and collaborator with multidisciplinary teams.

• Exposure to novel aircraft platforms (eVTOL, UAM, rotorcraft).

• Experience with common safety analysis techniques and tools (e.g., Fault Tree, STPA, Reliability).

• Awareness of MBSE, Cyber-Safety interdependencies, and safety management systems.

• Familiarity with RTCA DO-178C and DO-254.

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.