Reliability and Safety Engineer

Help Build Europe's Hypersonic Capability   At Hypersonica, we’re redefining what’s possible in European defence technology. We exist to deliver speed, resilience, and technological independence at a pace that sets a new standard. We are a small, elite team working on problems that matter, and solving them fast.   As our Reliability and Safety Engineer you’re not stepping into a predefined role. You’re joining a talent dense environment where every individual shapes the direction of the company. Our philosophy is to hire a small number of exceptional people with broad, deep technical capability, strong judgement, and the ability to operate autonomously.   We hire for talent, not rigid boxes. This role represents a business need, but the way it evolves will be shaped by the individual. If you’ve achieved what others said was impossible, or you bring a unique combination of skills that doesn’t fit a traditional mould, we want to hear from you. The work you do here directly contributes to Europe’s technological independence.

What you'll do

Lead reliability and safety analysis across avionics, guidance, navigation, and control (AGNC) systems at system, subsystem, and component level.

Perform structured safety analyses, including Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA).

Assess and quantify reliability metrics, including MTBF, to inform design tradeoffs and system architecture decisions.

Identify single point failures, common cause risks, and degradation paths in flight critical systems.

Work closely with AGNC design, systems, and test engineers to influence architectures and mitigate risk early in development.

Support verification, test, and flight readiness activities by providing clear safety and reliability evidence.

Use test results and flight data to validate assumptions, refine analyses, and improve models over time.

Who you are

A reliability or safety engineer with 4+ years’ experience in aerospace, defence, or other high-consequence engineering domains.

Deeply experienced in structured safety and reliability methods, with the judgement to know where they add value and where they don’t.

Comfortable reasoning across system, subsystem, and component boundaries, not just analysing parts in isolation.

Someone who naturally looks for single-point failures, common-cause risks, and degradation paths before they show up in test.

Fluent in quantitative reliability thinking, including interpreting and challenging MTBF-style metrics.

Confident influencing design decisions early, before architecture hardens and options disappear.

Able to balance analytical rigour with programme pace, supporting rapid iteration without false confidence.

Motivated by working on flight-critical systems where safety and reliability are mission-enabling, not box-ticking.

What we offer

A mission driven environment with the opportunity to work on one of Europe’s most consequential defence challenges, with direct impact on sovereign capability and security.

Daily collaboration with top experts across engineering, operations, and defence, with real opportunity to learn from the best, contribute, and grow.

High ownership and autonomy; no time tracking, no micromanagement, just clear objectives and accountability for outcomes.

A fast paced environment where good ideas are implemented quickly, and feedback from test and flight drives real decisions.

A culture that values clarity, integrity, and excellence, and supports people who take initiative and push boundaries responsibly.

Competitive compensation and real share options aligned to responsibility and impact, not tenure or hierarchy.

At Hypersonica, every hire raises the bar. We are deliberately small, intensely capable, and deeply mission-driven. If this role feels like a strong fit, or if you believe you bring something exceptional that goes beyond the description, we encourage you to apply.   Hypersonica is an equal-opportunity employer and assesses candidates solely on merit, capability, and potential.   You can apply directly to this role or reach out to Nathan Sweeney, Head of Talent. We review every application and aim to respond to all candidates within two weeks, whether the answer is yes or no.