Systems Safety Engineer

Job Description

LS Technologies, a Tetra Tech Company, is seeking an experienced Systems Safety Engineer to support technical development and regulatory safety assurance for the FAA’s System Wide Information Management (SWIM) initiatives. Operating across the entire systems engineering lifecycle, the engineer manages critical systems tasks while actively interfacing with the Safety and Training organization. A core focus of this role involves facilitating Safety Working Groups, bringing together multidisciplinary stakeholders to evaluate potential operational risks and establish robust, compliant safety frameworks for modern National Airspace System (NAS) data-sharing infrastructures.

In addition, this role carries significant technical documentation responsibilities. The engineer is tasked with developing formal, high-impact deliverables, most notably Program Safety Plans (PSPs) and Program Hazard Analyses (PHAs), which systematically identify, track, and mitigate hazards within the SWIM architecture. Success in this role requires a strong, hands-on background in systems engineering and familiarity with FAA Safety Risk Management (SRM) processes to ensure that all system enhancements remain safe, compliant, and operationally sound from design through deployment.

Salary Range: $80,000 - $95,000

Job Duties & Responsibilities - Essential Job Functions may include (but are not limited to) the following:
The following duties are considered essential to the role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions

1. Safety Working Group Leadership & Stakeholder Integration

• Facilitate Safety Working Groups (SWGs): Organize, lead, and document formal safety working sessions bringing together systems engineers, software developers, human factors specialists, and system owners.
• Organizational Liaison: Serve as the central point of contact between SWIM program engineering teams and the FAA's Safety and Training organization.
•  Consensus Building: Drive stakeholder agreement on hazard identification, severity classifications, and initial likelihood scoring.

2. Safety Risk Management (SRM) & Documentation

• Author Program Safety Plans (PSPs): Establish and maintain the program's overall safety governance, outlining safety objectives, evaluation milestones, toolsets, and compliance paths under the FAA Safety Management System (SMS).
• Develop Hazard Analyses:
• Draft Program Hazard Analyses (PHAs) to identify potential system hazards, hazardous conditions, and causal factors.
• Formulate Subsystem Hazard Analyses (SSHA) and functional risk assessments tailored to Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and data exchange protocols.
• Safety Panel Support: Prepare technical data packages, hazard tracking logs, and formal documentation to guide initiatives through FAA SRM panels.

3. Full-Lifecycle Systems Engineering Support

• Requirements Traceability: Ensure system safety requirements and risk mitigations are tracked and validated from concept definition through design, testing, and deployment.
• Continuous Risk Tracking: Maintain system safety logs, monitor technical changes for unexpected safety impacts, and verify that implemented controls sufficiently lower residual operational risk across the National Airspace System (NAS).

Required Qualifications - A successful candidate will have

• Domain Standards: Direct experience applying FAA Order 8040.4 (Safety Risk Management Policy) and the FAA Safety Management System (SMS) Manual. Familiarity with FAA Acquisition Management System (AMS) milestones.
• System Expertise: Understanding of FAA SWIM architecture, NAS models, data distribution services, and aviation data standards (e.g., FIXM, AIXM, WXXM).
• Methodologies: Hazard analysis techniques such as Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Failure Mode and Effects Criticality Analysis (FMECA), and preliminary hazard lists (PHL).
• Interpersonal & Technical: Hazard analysis techniques such as Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Failure Mode and Effects Criticality Analysis (FMECA), and preliminary hazard lists (PHL).

Education

· B.S. in Systems, Aerospace, or Electrical Engineering) or minimum years of experience (3-5+ years).

Work Requirements and Additional Information

• Work Location: Remote
• Work Hours: 40
• Travel: 10%
• Background check: Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a public trust clearance, which requires US Citizenship.

Physical Requirements:

• Extended Computer Use: Regular and prolonged periods of working at a computer terminal.
• Mobility: Ability to move around the office environment to access computer hardware, networking equipment, and server rooms.
• Dexterity: Manual dexterity and visual acuity to operate computer equipment, troubleshoot issues, and perform tasks requiring precision.
• Sitting/Standing: Both prolonged sitting and occasional standing may be required for troubleshooting and attending to system issues.

Work Environment/Environmental Factors
Primarily computer-based work; meetings or collaboration may be required.