Safety Engineer

Salary: 62000 up to 71957 dependent upon experience

Contract Type: Permanent Full-time

Security Level: SC

Location: Aviation House Gatwick min 2 days in the office per week or 8 days across a month.

Visa Restrictions: This position does not offer visa sponsorship

Closing Date: 19th October 2026

Interview Date: w/c 2nd November 2026

We are the UKs aviation and aerospace regulator and recognised as a world leader in its field enabling a safe and sustainable commercial space sector in the UK.

The Role

This role is for a Safety Engineer within the Engineering Safety and Environment team. The team provides engineering safety and environmental expertise to support the UKs space regulatory functions working closely with regulatory and policy specialists.

You will join a team of technical and safety experts supporting both launch and orbital activities. This roles focus is on the review and evaluation of operator safety demonstrations to understand the risks of proposed space activities and to determine that operators are managing risks effectively.

What youll be doing

As a Safety Engineer you will:

• Assess licence applications including safety cases and supporting evidence for launch spaceport range and orbital activities.
• Support monitoring licensees throughout the lifecycle of their activities including carrying out on-site inspections reviewing and analysing documents and other evidence.
• Prepare technical assessment safety recommendations and advice to identify potential licence conditions.
• Assist in the development of assessment frameworks for safety to ensure consistency in the review of the technical evidence provided by applicants and licensees.
• Help coordinate safety assessment reviews to support licence application processes or ongoing licensee monitoring activities.
• Support the development of safety guidance material for the space industry including engagement with the sector on safety matters.
• Undertake research and development activities on topics related to space activity hazard and risk management.
• Work closely with policy and regulatory specialists translating complex engineering and safety concepts into clear and actionable advice.
• Develop and maintain knowledge of international space regulations standards and industry good practice.
• Participate in and contribute to technical meetings with academic collaborators cross-government international industry and regulatory stakeholders both internally and externally.

About You

Essential

• Degree-level knowledge in an engineering scientific or mathematical discipline or equivalent science-based/engineering experience.
• Experience in a safety-related discipline within a high-hazard engineering sector such as aerospace nuclear oil and gas chemicals defence maritime or offshore industries.
• Strong technical background with experience in the design development review manufacture or testing of complex and/or safety-critical systems subsystems or components.
• Proven experience in developing managing and trading off complex engineering requirements with expertise in design verification and validation.
• Experience across multiple phases of complex project lifecycles with a clear understanding of project milestones and deliverables.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to explain complex engineering or scientific concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences across industry academia government and international partners.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively independently and effectively as part of a team.

Desirable

The team is made of individuals with complementary skills and there is no expectation to have expertise across all the areas listed below. Experience in one or more of the following would be advantageous:

• Developing or reviewing safety cases/reports or complex risk assessments including evaluating the suitability and effectiveness of risk controls and mitigations.
• Applying risk assessment techniques including Bow-Tie Analysis Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) Event Tree Analysis (ETA) Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) and/or consequence modelling.
• Using or developing space hardware qualification and acceptance processes including model philosophy testing and Assembly Integration and Verification (AIV) activities for launch vehicles satellites and associated subsystems.
• Supporting launch campaigns from either the launch vehicle or payload perspective with knowledge of mission analysis mission design trajectory optimisation high-speed aerodynamics stage impact and dispersion analysis and launch vehicle performance.
• Supporting large-scale space hardware test campaigns including acceptance and environmental testing of components subsystems launch vehicles or integrated satellites.

Additional Information

For many appointments within the CAA these roles require access to operationally sensitive infrastructure and/or Nationally Protected information. For these roles the post holders must undergo National Security Vetting and achieve the appropriate level of clearance.

To be vetted we will usually expect a reasonable period of residency in the UK so that meaningful checks can be this role this will need to be 5 years.

If you do not meet these requirements we may not be able to accept your application.

For more information on CTC and SC clearance please visit - Vetting explained - ()

For more information on BPSS clearance please visit - BPSS clearance

The CAA values high ethical standards and personal integrity among employees. If invited for interview you will be asked to complete a declaration of interest.

Relocation & Property

The CAA will be relocating from Aviation House (Our Gatwick Office) to new premises in a few years time. Our move is driven by strategic operational and environmental considerations.

We will be moving to a new local home up to a 15-mile radius of Aviation House to minimise disruption for our valued colleagues and customers.

We are now working with colleagues and visitors to understand what we need in our new office before we start our property search. We will sell Aviation House and land vacate the site and move to new premises but we do not expect to move before 2028

Inclusive Recruitment

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome applications from all backgrounds. As a Disability Confident employer candidates who meet the minimum requirements will be guaranteed an interview. Find out more about the Disability Confident Scheme. If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process please let us know.

Use of Artificial Intelligenceby candidates in the CAA recruitment process

We recognise that many of our candidates find Artificial Intelligence to be a useful tool to support your application however all examples and statements provided must be truthful factuallyaccurateand taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has beenidentified(presenting the ideas and experiences of others or generated by artificial intelligence as your own) applications may be rejected on that basis.

Working With Us

Explore What We Offer section on our careers website to find out about our benefits and how we support work-life balance.

Our Values

Do The Right Thing Never Stop Learning Build Collaborative Relationships Respect Everyone For more information please Click Here

Closing Date: 19th October 2026

Interview Date: w/c 2nd November 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore if you are interested please submit your application as early as possible.

No recruitment agencies please.