Energetics Safety & Assurance Officer

Role Overview

Energetics Safety & Assurance Officer at Destinus, based at the company's location. This highly technical role ensures safety-critical aerospace and defense systems move from design through production, integration, testing, and operation with appropriate assurance and compliance.

Company Overview

Destinus is revolutionizing the defense industry with cutting-edge Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The company's innovative technologies are designed to meet the unique demands of modern defense operations, delivering unparalleled speed, precision, and cost effectiveness. Destinus partners with government agencies and defense organizations worldwide to provide advanced solutions for mission-critical operations.

Role Purpose

You will take ownership of the safety, quality, and regulatory assurance framework across missile and unmanned aerial system platforms. Your expertise will directly influence how munitions, propulsion systems, warheads, guidance electronics, and other safety-critical systems are designed, handled, tested, and certified. You will identify risks early, challenge designs where needed, and ensure safety remains embedded throughout the entire product lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

Safety Program Development & Maintenance

• Develop, implement, and maintain the System Safety Program Plan (SSPP) in line with MIL-STD-882E and relevant regional or customer-specific standards.
• Establish configuration control, documentation, and end-to-end traceability for safety-critical components and systems.
• Maintain the hazard tracking process, driving identified risks through assessment, mitigation, verification, and closure.

Hazard Analysis & Assessment

• Conduct and lead hazard analyses including Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA), Subsystem Hazard and Safety Analysis (SSHA), and Operating and Support Hazard Analysis (O&SHA).
• Perform Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and fault tree analysis across weapon and aerospace subsystems.
• Advise engineering teams on safety-critical design margins, fail-safe and fail-operational architectures, arming and fuzing logic, and risk mitigation strategies.

Compliance & Certification

• Oversee compliance with applicable explosives safety requirements covering siting, storage, handling, transportation, insensitive munitions, and quantity-distance criteria.
• Ensure energetic materials, warheads, propulsion systems, and other safety-critical components meet necessary certification requirements before integration and testing.
• Coordinate export control and end-use compliance documentation with legal and compliance teams in accordance with applicable arms export and dual-use regulations.
• Interface with certifying authorities, government representatives, and customer quality teams throughout qualification and acceptance activities.

Incident & Risk Management

• Lead investigations into safety incidents, near misses, test anomalies, and other safety-critical events.
• Define and follow through on corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).

Testing & Field Operations

• Work directly with range safety officers and internal teams to support live-fire and flight test campaigns.
• Train and support production, integration, and test personnel in the safe handling of live and inert ordnance.

Governance & Leadership

• Act as the safety authority within Integrated Product Teams (IPTs).
• Provide safety input during key design and readiness reviews including Preliminary Design Review (PDR), Critical Design Review (CDR), and Test Readiness Review (TRR).
• Provide senior leadership and relevant government safety boards with clear visibility of safety status, outstanding hazards, mitigations, and overall risk posture.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or another relevant technical discipline.
• At least 8 years of professional experience in defense systems safety, explosives safety engineering, system safety engineering, or a closely related field within a defense manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on experience conducting hazard analyses, FMEA, fault tree analysis, and developing safety case documentation.
• Experience working with safety-critical hardware and complex multidisciplinary engineering systems.
• Practical knowledge of insensitive munitions requirements such as STANAG 4439-type frameworks and relevant range safety practices.
• Familiarity with export control regimes applicable to munitions, defense products, and dual-use technologies.
• Master's degree in a relevant engineering discipline is a plus.
• Certified Safety Professional (CSP) or equivalent system safety qualification is a plus.
• Direct experience with missile propulsion, energetic materials, warhead integration, arming and fuzing systems, or UAS flight test safety is highly valued.
• Previous experience working with military airworthiness, range safety, ordnance certification, or other relevant government authorities is a strong advantage.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong working knowledge of MIL-STD-882E or equivalent system safety frameworks.
• Strong technical documentation skills with the ability to turn complex safety assessments into clear actions and decisions.
• Professional working proficiency in English.
• Rigorous attention to detail combined with ability to keep complex programs moving.
• Comfort challenging assumptions and asking difficult technical questions.
• Ability to work naturally across engineering, manufacturing, testing, quality, and compliance teams.
• Capacity to bring structure to complex problems and turn risk into clear, actionable decisions.
• Ownership mindset with confidence in communication.
• Ability to thrive in an environment where technology moves fast and standards remain exceptionally high.