Systems Engineer (RAMS)

Orbex is looking for an experienced Systems Engineer to support RAMS activities and flight safety systems for Orbex Prime. This role will involve a mixture of traditional Systems engineering activities for our flight safety system, including testing support, as well as working with RAMS team lead on RAMS activities. 

Orbex  

Orbex is a leading micro-launch company with our Prime vehicle being prepared to launch from our home spaceport, Space Hub Sutherland. We are well placed to be one of the first operational micro-launch companies in Europe with over €122m/£103m of project financing secured, a number of customers signed up, launch licence application submitted, and backing from organisations including UKSA and ESA.  

We are a rapidly growing company with staff located between our production and test facilities in Forres, Scotland and Copenhagen, Denmark. Working on cutting edge advances in rocket fuel technology, Prime’s carbon footprint is up to 96% lower than comparable vehicles, leading to innovations in propulsion and tank structures. A state-of-the-art re-flight system means we can recover and reuse our technology, and innovations in separation mechanisms mean we leave no debris on orbit.  

Having developed in-house production capability, we can 3D print complex engines, produce full-scale carbon composite fuel tanks, and have avionics and software testing labs in both Scotland and Denmark.   

Based in Forres, you will be right in the heart of this fast-paced cutting-edge company, gaining a unique insight into what it takes to build a new launch vehicle for a buoyant commercial market.  

The Position  

We are looking for candidates to develop our RAMS capability within our systems engineering team. The role will cover a broad range of activities including ownership of complete work streams to deliver inputs to the system level analysis and licensing activity as well as supporting internal test programs. 

The objective of RAMS is to assure that the system meets the performance and safety requirements driven by customers’ specification and regulations and internal policies. In contrast to more prescriptive regulatory frameworks common elsewhere in the aerospace industry, the UK regulatory framework operates a permissioning regime. Consequently operators are required to demonstrate they have reduced the level of risk As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) through the development and implementation of their own safety case. The successful candidate will be comfortable suggesting innovative solutions and processes to demonstrate compliance with the mission assurance requirements that utilize the increased flexibility of the regulatory framework, without compromising safety. 

The exact role will be tailored to the successful applicant but the types of responsibilities to be addressed include: 

• Work in close collaboration with design teams to ensure products meet mission assurance requirements, in particular departments contributing to flight safety systems such as GNC and Avionics.  

• Develop/maintain and implement processes and procedures based on government/industry standards, and best practices to ensure compliance with mission/customer and regulatory requirements. 

• Support departments as necessary on mission assurance processes and procedures, reliability analyses, and risk assessments. 

• Performing all required programme Safety activities required to support the safety argument such as maintaining the safety case for the vehicle operations, safety assessment and analysis, production of safety submission documents. 

• Perform required RAM analyses as system maturity progresses such as FMEA/FMECA (Failure modes and effects analysis / Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analysis), detailed reliability, Weibull and availability analysis of the launch vehicle and its subsystems to support mission assurance and licence applications. 

• Support post-flight system analysis to validate system performance and identify potential corrective actions. 

Essential Experience 

• Significant experience in a relevant (i.e. safety-critical) engineering environment, ideally for systems qualified for flight. 

• Detailed understanding and application of the systems lifecycle. 

• Application of industry standards (e.g. NASA, SMC, RCC, ECSS) to meet project requirements. 

Desirable Experience: 

• Experience within the space industry across all phases of the systems lifecycle. 

• Demonstration of system safety in a safety case regime. 

• Experience of FMECA 

• Judicious tailoring of industry standards to meet project needs. 

• Experience with Releyence (or similar RAMS software tool) 

• Experience supporting flight test campaigns or similar 

• Understanding of key launch flight safety subsystems, e.g. Avionics, GNC, flight software, flight termination systems.  

Personality 

• Analytical problem solver with demonstrable ability to apply systems thinking and exceptional attention to detail. 

• Capable of determining the appropriate level of analysis for a given situation 

• Assumes responsibility of the tasks and sees them through. 

• Very good communication skills in both oral and written form, as well as interpersonal communication. 

• Is a team player that sees the collaboration with co-employees as a very important part of creating good result both short and long term. 

Location – Forres  

Our roles need to be on-site in Scotland due to the nature of the position, export controls and security. This role is based in Forres at Orbex’s headquarters.  

Orbex Forres is located at the foot of the Scottish Highlands, near Inverness. It's close to the spectacular coastline, wild beaches, and amazing wildlife of the Moray Firth, as well as being a short distance from the world-famous Loch Ness, and Aviemore ski resort.  

If you enjoy adventurous outdoor pursuits in extraordinary natural environments, the coast and highlands around Forres offer an ideal location.  

Mountaineering, rock climbing, abseiling, hiking, mountain biking, cycling, camping, sailing, surfing, motorbiking, and skiing are all within easy reach of our main UK factory, and many members of our team participate in adventure sports in the vast, beautiful settings of Sutherland.  

If you enjoy drone flying, wildlife or landscape photography, some of the most spectacular vistas in the world are directly at your doorstep.  

Security  

You must be a UK or European citizen or from a country that is a signatory to the MTCR convention. You may be required to undergo a UK BPSS check which includes a criminal record check.   

Benefits – UK   

• Salary of £48-60k depending on experience   

• Share Options in the company so you will really benefit from your hard work as the company grows and is successful  

• 34 days paid holiday including bank and public holidays  

• NEST workplace pension  

• Cycle to Work scheme  

• Employee Assistance Programme, including: mortgage advice, health and wellbeing apps.  

• Group Life Insurance, x4 annual salary. 

• Independent supporting services including: mortgage advice and health and wellbeing app 

• Orbex are able to sponsor visas for you and your family and provide comprehensive relocation assistance, this includes 1 month of accommodation in the local area paid for by the company, a relocation allowance and full support through the visa application process.