System Safety Engineer

Shape the Future of Defence Technology

Imagine engineering technology where every design decision matters. Our client is a New Zealand leader in the design, manufacture and supply of Remote Initiation and Fire Control Systems for the international defence market. From research and development through to testing, manufacturing, product support, they are at the forefront of engineering innovation.

This is your opportunity to work on advanced defence technologies that make a real impact, alongside a highly capable team tackling complex engineering challenges every day. You'll play a key role in developing innovative, safety-critical systems while building a long-term career with a respected New Zealand defence technology company that continues to invest in research, innovation and engineering excellence.

About the Role
As the System Safety Engineer, you'll take the lead in ensuring the safety and integrity of advanced defence systems throughout the entire product life-cycle. From concept development and system architecture through to verification, validation and deployment, you'll be the technical authority for functional safety, working at the forefront of innovative, safety-critical engineering.

Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams across systems, hardware and embedded software, you'll identify and manage risk, define safety strategies, and ensure products achieve the required Safety Integrity Level (SIL) while meeting IEC 61508 standards. This is a hands-on technical leadership role where you'll drive best practice, influence product design, and play a pivotal role in delivering reliable, high-performance technology for demanding defence applications.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the Functional Safety Plan in accordance with IEC 61508
• Define and manage the functional safety life-cycle from concept through to decommissioning
• Conduct hazard identification and risk assessments, including HAZID/HARA, FMEA/FMEDA, Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and Common Cause Analysis
• Develop and manage Safety Requirements Specifications (SRS) and ensure traceability throughout the design process
• Partner with Systems, Hardware and Embedded Software Engineers to develop safe, robust system architectures
• Plan, coordinate and review safety verification and validation activities
• Prepare Safety Cases and support internal and external functional safety assessments and audits
• Champion functional safety best practice, continuous improvement and a strong safety culture across the engineering team.

About You:
You'll be a passionate engineer who enjoys applying systems thinking to complex, real-world engineering challenges.

You'll ideally bring:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Systems Engineering, Safety Engineering, Mechatronics or similar
• Strong knowledge of IEC 61508 Functional Safety
• Experience determining and verifying Safety Integrity Levels (SIL)
• Proven experience with hazard and risk analysis methodologies
• Experience producing high-quality technical documentation including Safety Plans, Safety Cases and Verification & Validation Plans
• Knowledge of hardware diagnostics, redundancy and safety-related embedded systems
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• The ability to obtain and maintain security clearance.

Ready for Your Next Challenge?
If you're an experienced System Safety Engineer looking to work on technically challenging, meaningful projects within a world-class defence technology environment, we'd love to hear from you. Apply Now or contact Debbie Cathro on [+64 21 314 683](tel:+64 21 314 683) for a confidential discussion or email your CV to [email protected]

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