Staff / Senior Systems Safety Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

About Electra

At Electra, we're building the EL9 — a nine-passenger, hybrid-electric aircraft that takes off and lands in 150 feet. Our Ultra Short technology unlocks thousands of new operating locations and enables what we call Direct Aviation: quiet, point-to-point regional travel that gets people from where they are to where they want to go, without the congestion of major airports or the noise of conventional aviation.

A global company, headquartered in Manassas, VA, Electra is backed by Lockheed Martin, Honeywell, and Safran, has filed for FAA Part 23 type certification, and carries 2,000+ intent to purchase from operators worldwide. We're a team of ~100 people moving fast toward first EL9 test flights in 2027 and certification by late 2029 or 2030. Every hire matters at this stage — and this role is no exception.

The Role

As a Staff or Senior Systems Safety Engineer, you will support the system safety and reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) engineering efforts for Electra's flagship hybrid-electric eSTOL aircraft. You will drive functional hazard assessment, safety analysis, and RAM substantiation across the aircraft's electrical, mechanical, hybrid-propulsion, and avionics systems, ensuring compliance with FAA Part 23 certification requirements and industry safety standards.

You will work closely with systems engineering, avionics, propulsion, structures, software, and certification teams to identify hazards, allocate safety requirements, and demonstrate that the aircraft design meets its safety and reliability targets throughout development and into production.

What You'll Do

• Lead functional hazard assessment (FHA), preliminary system safety assessment (PSSA), and system safety assessment (SSA) activities across aircraft systems
• Develop and maintain fault tree analyses (FTA), failure modes and effects analyses (FMEA/FMECA), and common cause analyses (CCA/ZSA/PRA)
• Own reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) analysis, including reliability prediction, block diagrams, spares/maintainability modeling, and MTBF/MTTF substantiation
• Allocate safety and reliability requirements to systems, subsystems, and components, and verify closure through analysis and test
• Develop safety and RAM analysis plans supporting FAA Part 23 type certification, per ARP4754B, ARP4761A, and related guidance
• Support development assurance level (DAL) determination for hardware and software items in coordination with systems and software engineering
• Partner with reliability, maintenance, and supportability stakeholders to define maintenance intervals and inspection/replacement strategies
• Prepare safety substantiation reports, certification safety assessments, and RAM reports for internal reviews and submission to the FAA
• Present safety and reliability analyses and recommendations during internal and external design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TCB)
• Support test planning and review for safety- and reliability-related verification activities (e.g., failure injection, environmental, endurance testing)
• Track open safety issues, hazard logs, and risk mitigations through closure
• Contribute to the establishment of system safety and RAM processes, tools, and design standards across the organization
• Support supplier technical reviews, evaluating supplier safety and reliability data and analyses

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Systems, Electrical, Mechanical Engineering, or related engineering discipline
• Experience in system safety engineering supporting aircraft or complex system development programs
• Strong knowledge of safety analysis methods: FHA, PSSA, SSA, FTA, FMEA/FMECA, CCA
• Working knowledge of reliability engineering methods: reliability prediction, RAM modeling, MTBF/MTTF, maintainability analysis
• Experience supporting FAA Part 23 and/or Part 25 certification programs
• Familiarity with ARP4754B, ARP4761A, and related safety/certification guidance
• Strong understanding of system architectures, redundancy concepts, and failure propagation across electrical, mechanical, and software systems
• Experience developing safety substantiation and RAM reports for certification submittal
• Strong technical writing and communication skills
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary engineering teams
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Aerospace, Systems, or related engineering discipline
• Experience supporting aircraft programs from conceptual design through certification and production
• Experience with hybrid-electric, eSTOL, eVTOL, or advanced air mobility aircraft programs
• Experience with reliability/safety analysis tools (e.g., Windchill Quality Solutions/Relex, RAM Commander, isograph)
• Experience working directly with regulatory authorities (FAA) during certification efforts
• Experience mentoring engineers and reviewing safety/reliability analyses
• U.S. Person (U.S. Citizen or Green Card holder) preferred

Location & Travel

Location: Manassas, VA Headquarters. This position requires regular onsite presence to support collaboration with engineering, manufacturing, and test teams.

Travel: Minimal

Leveling Expectations

Level (Staff or Senior) will be determined based on the candidate's experience, technical expertise, demonstrated leadership, and ability to influence aircraft development decisions.

Both levels require expertise in system safety analysis, RAM engineering, and aircraft development. Differentiation is based on technical leadership, scope of responsibility, independence, and organizational influence.

Staff Systems Safety Engineer (8+ Years)

• Demonstrates expertise in system safety analysis and RAM engineering
• Independently performs FHA, PSSA, SSA, FTA, and FMEA/FMECA analyses
• Supports safety and RAM substantiation packages for FAA certification activities
• Collaborates effectively across systems, avionics, propulsion, software, and certification organizations
• Supports safety-related testing, correlation activities, and certification efforts
• Drives resolution of complex safety and reliability challenges with support

Senior Systems Safety Engineer (8+ Years)

• Demonstrates strong expertise in system safety analysis and RAM engineering
• Independently performs FHA, PSSA, SSA, FTA, and FMEA/FMECA analyses
• Develops safety and RAM substantiation packages for FAA certification activities
• Collaborates effectively across systems, avionics, propulsion, software, and certification organizations
• Supports safety-related testing, correlation activities, and certification efforts
• Mentors engineers across the organization and elevates overall technical capability
• Provides technical guidance within assigned programs and workstreams
• Drives resolution of complex safety and reliability challenges with minimal supervision

This range reflects the anticipated hiring range across all eligible locations; actual compensation is determined based on your relevant experience, skills, and geographic location. Total compensation includes performance bonus and comprehensive benefits.

Compensation Range

$110,000—$160,000 USD

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and equity
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance; STD, LTD, and life insurance
• Generous PTO, sick leave, and company holidays
• Paid winter break
• 401(k) with immediate vesting
• Free catered lunches, coffee, snacks, and drinks at our Manassas headquarters
• Free on-site parking

Electra is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This position may be subject to ITAR requirements.