System Safety and Environmental Engineer

Location: Belfast, United Kingdom

Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. With over 7,500 people in the UK, operating across defence, space, aerospace, and digital security, we help build a future we can all trust. Thales supports the security and stability of our nation by providing extraordinary technology to our customers, as well as delivering social value to the UK with our products and services.

System Safety & Environmental Engineer (IAS)
Location: based in Belfast, 4.5 days/ week onsite, with travel
Other: permanent, full-time, for eligible candidates, relocation support can be provided

Join Thales and play a pivotal role in shaping the safety, compliance and certification of cutting-edge products that protect and enable our customers around the world!

What the role has to offer

• Make an impact where it matters most – At a time of increasing global security challenges, you'll help deliver the next generation of defence technologies, ensuring critical systems are safe, certifiable and ready for deployment in demanding operational environments
• Be part of rapid growth and innovation – Join a business experiencing significant growth and accelerating product development, where you'll thrive in a fast-paced environment, tackle complex challenges and see your work translated into real-world capability
• Influence the full product lifecycle – Enjoy a uniquely broad role with visibility from concept and design through to certification, operation and disposal. You'll play a key part in shaping safety across the entire system lifecycle, offering exceptional scope, variety and career development opportunities

Our Opportunity

As a System Safety & Environmental Engineer, you'll ensure Thales products are safe, compliant and certifiable, influencing engineering decisions from concept through to deployment. You'll lead hazard analysis, drive risk reduction, define safety requirements and develop robust safety cases that support certification and customer confidence.

This is a technical systems engineering role, not a traditional NEBOSH-style health and safety position. We're looking for engineers with experience of complex product development who can apply safety principles to influence design, integration and delivery across the full lifecycle.

The ideal candidate will combine strong engineering expertise with experience in hazard analysis, risk assessment and safety assurance, alongside the ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and drive a safety-first approach across complex programmes.

Building a Future, we can all trust.

Integrated Airspace Protection Systems (IAS) - our main purpose is to protect and defend. We provide rapid integrated solutions for detection, coordination, fire control, engagement and support. We cover three sectors: Surface Attack & Air Defence (UK), Air Defence (International) and Air Operations & Services as well as Space.

What we offer you

We offer a competitive salary and benefits package designed to support our employees’ wellbeing and professional growth, which includes:

 

• Half day every Friday, usually finishing around 13:00
• 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) with opportunity to buy up to 40 hours/year (pro rata)
• 24 hours volunteering paid for
• Pension scheme
• Life cover
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app
• Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers
• Gym membership discounts

Main Responsibilities 

• Deliver all Safety & Environmental Management (S&EM) activities across integrated project teams, ensuring compliance with the IAS Safety Management System and successful programme outcomes
• Drive hazard analysis, risk assessment and mitigation activities, defining and managing safety and environmental requirements throughout design, integration, verification and testing
• Provide expert leadership and influence across multidisciplinary teams, embedding safety into engineering decisions and developing robust, evidence-based safety arguments throughout the product lifecycle
• Champion compliance with safety and environmental legislation, standards, policies and governance requirements, acting as the subject matter expert across IAS programmes
• Plan and manage S&EM work packages, including estimating effort, producing high-quality safety assessments and safety cases, and supporting certification and customer assurance activities

About You

At Thales, we are committed to equal opportunities and welcome all talented individuals to consider joining our team. So even if you don't match every statement below but feel you have some of the experience, knowledge or skills needed for this role, we encourage you to apply. It will take all of us working together to deliver solutions to the world’s most critical challenges.

Ideal Experience & Skills

Essential

• Proven academic and professional credentials in Engineering or Science, ideally supported by Chartered status and postgraduate qualifications in Safety or Environmental Engineering
• Demonstrated experience leading safety engineering activities within complex engineering programmes, driving compliance, risk reduction and successful project delivery
• Proven ability to conduct detailed hazard analysis, risk assessments and safety case development, applying industry best practice to deliver robust safety assurance
• Acquired strong knowledge of product safety standards, legislation and environmental management principles, with the ability to interpret and apply requirements effectively
• Demonstrated capability to define and implement sound engineering methodologies, taking a whole-life systems engineering approach to solving complex technical challenges

Desirable:

• Acquired experience within an airworthiness or highly regulated environment, with a strong understanding of certification and assurance requirements

If you're passionate about safety engineering and want to make a tangible impact on products that matter, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today and help us deliver safe, trusted and certifiable solutions for our customers worldwide.

Security Clearance Requirement:

 

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions.  This role requires Security Clearance (SC). It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment. 

 

To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years.  In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.

 

Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels.

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At Thales, we ensure equal opportunities, pay and working conditions for all. The benefits we offer include private medical insurance, buying or selling annual leave, cycle to work schemes, employee discounts, paid volunteering day, stocks and shares, annual bonus and much more depending on the role. Read more about our benefits here.
 

We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued for who they are and the unique strengths they bring. Discover more about our programmes, employee networks, wellbeing policies, and inclusive features here.

 

If this role isn’t quite right for you, we encourage you to join our talent community where your details will be shared with our recruitment teams for other potential opportunities. Join the Talent Community here.

Join Thales in the UK – Innovate with us and shape the future!