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Forterra · 3 days ago

Staff Software Safety Engineer — Defense

Arlington, VA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$175K/yr - $210K/yr

5+ years exp

Forterra is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement, focused on building systems that protect soldiers and enable civilian workers. The Staff Software Safety Engineer will develop safety-critical software for defense and autonomous vehicle systems, ensuring compliance with rigorous safety standards.

Defense & Space

Growth Opportunities

No H1B

Security Clearance Required

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Lead the implementation of safety-critical software standards across defense and autonomous vehicle programs

Develop and refine safety concepts for ground vehicle systems, including architecture, redundancy mechanisms, fault management, and verification activities

Conduct safety analyses such as FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis), FHA (Functional Hazard Analysis), FTA (Fault Tree Analysis), and DFA (Dependent Failure Analysis)

Collaborate with cross-functional teams on validation and verification plans for unmanned and autonomous ground vehicles

Support and participate in software integration and qualification testing to demonstrate safety requirements are met

Mentor engineers on safety software principles, tools, and best practices drawn from both defense and autonomous vehicle domains

Stay informed about evolving standards in defense and autonomy to continuously improve practices

Qualification

Safety-critical softwareSafety analysis techniquesDefense standards complianceSafety-relevant programming languagesRequirements management toolsStructured development methodsAnalytical skillsLeadership skillsCommunication skillsInterpersonal skillsMentoring skills

Required

Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or related field (Master's preferred)

5+ years of experience in safety-critical software for defense or autonomous vehicle systems

Experience with standards such as DO-178C, MIL-STD-882E, IEC 61508, or ISO 26262 (for autonomy-related safety)

Familiarity with coding standards such as MISRA or SPARK Ada

Experience with safety analysis techniques (FMEA, FHA, FTA)

Hands-on use of requirements management tools (DOORS, Polarion, Jama) and issue tracking (JIRA)

Strong analytical skills in reliability, probability, and system safety modeling

Experience supporting software verification and validation for autonomous ground platforms, real-time operating systems, or secure embedded systems

Ability to guide testing and certification activities across defense and autonomy projects

Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills

Experience in developing safety-critical software in defense or autonomous ground vehicle systems

Fluency in safety-relevant programming languages (C, C++, Ada)

Familiarity with structured development methods such as Agile, V-Model, or MIL-STD/DoD software processes

Preferred

Certifications such as CSP, CRE, or Functional Safety Expert (FuSa/ISO 26262)

Knowledge of autonomous vehicle perception, prediction, and control safety challenges

Understanding of secure-by-design principles and cyber-safety in defense and ground vehicle systems

Direct experience in unmanned or autonomous ground vehicles for defense applications

Benefits

Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents.

Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.

Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December.

Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year.

A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption.

$9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.

Fully stocked beverage refrigerators with all the Celsius your little heart desires.

401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%.