Lead Safety Engineer in Edinburgh

Salary: £60,000 - £80,000. Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Role Overview

Leonardo UK’s Radar and Advanced Targeting Systems (RATS) line of business delivers world‑class multi‑role surveillance radars and countermeasure systems that help protect people and nations. We are seeking a Lead Safety Engineer to join our Design Integrity function and support the Test Engineering department. In this key role you will ensure robust safety governance is applied across all activities, meeting both internal standards and external legal and regulatory requirements. As a Lead Safety Engineer you will lead on test safety and product test equipment safety from early concept through to certification, embedding safety, environmental and regulatory considerations throughout the entire lifecycle to ensure our solutions are safe, compliant and delivered to the highest standards.

The role is hybrid (a minimum of three days per week onsite) from either our Edinburgh or Newcastle sites. Regular travel between both sites will be required.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Systems Engineering and Sector Engineering Safety Managers to ensure project safety requirements are achieved.
• Define Product Safety and Environmental requirements (product, contractual, legal and regulatory).
• Participate in the planning and execution of test programmes to address design safety considerations.
• Ensure test equipment safety certification (jigs, fixtures, electrical, electronic, optical and RF test equipment and facilities) and readiness for test, supporting Declaration of Design and Performance compliance.
• Support lifecycle readiness reviews including Design Certification Reviews.
• Provide independent assessment through Product Design Reviews.
• Provide specialist Product Safety and Environmental guidance within Test Engineering.
• Participate in Product Safety Panels and manage safety and environmental incident data within corrective action systems.

Qualifications

• Ideally Chartered Engineer status, and a 2:1 or higher in a relevant engineering or science‑based honours degree.
• Experience applying safety tools and techniques within Electronics or Avionics disciplines, including Hazard Log Management, Hazard Identification, Functional Failure Analysis, Fault Tree Analysis, Risk Assessment and ALARP justifications.
• Knowledge of electronic testing standards and compliance requirements.
• Experience in Integration, Test, Evaluation and Acceptance processes for complex systems.
• Experience of verification and testing aligned to ARP4754 or equivalent standards.
• Experience supporting certification to RTCA/DO‑178C Level C and/or RTCA/DO‑254 Level C, or equivalent in adjacent regulated sectors.
• Experience achieving Product Safety certification in regulated environments.

While not exhaustive, we are keen to hear from candidates who may not have experience in all the above; the most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre‑employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). Additional Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply.

Benefits

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi‑days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award‑winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice and employee‑led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a Friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible Working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options; for part‑time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

Why Join Us

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide, including 8,500 across nine sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety. We are committed to building an inclusive, accessible and welcoming workplace, believing that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation and leads to better outcomes for our people and customers.

If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Key Information

• Primary Location: Edinburgh, GB
• Additional Location: Newcastle, GB
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Hybrid Working: Hybrid