Senior Safety Consultant

Why Adelard? Adelard is a place for people who like thinking carefully about difficult systems. We work on problems where the answer is not always “follow the process”. Standards matter, but so do evidence, context, engineering judgement and clarity of thought. Our clients come to us because they need independent advice they can understand and trust. You will work with experienced specialists, contribute to meaningful projects, and develop your ability to assess, explain and defend technical positions in critical domains. As part of NCC Group, Adelard offers the opportunity to work within a specialist technical consultancy while benefiting from the reach and support of a larger organisation. Work On Systems Where Getting It Right Matters Adelard helps organisations understand, justify and improve the safety, security and trustworthiness of critical computer-based systems. We undertake research into engineering assurance methods, exploring how safety standards can be applied effectively in new contexts and where existing guidance requires careful interpretation. This research helps shape the application of standards in certain industries, contributing to the wider development of safety engineering as a practice. Our work sits at the point where engineering evidence, risk, assurance and judgement meet. We work with clients in sectors such as nuclear, defence, medical, rail, air traffic control, finance and critical infrastructure. The systems we assess are often complex, software-intensive and important enough that vague assurance is not good enough. We are looking for a Senior Safety Consultant who enjoys difficult technical questions. Questions such as: Does this evidence really support the safety claim being made? Has the system behaviour been understood well enough? Are the assumptions valid? Is the argument convincing, or merely compliant-looking? What would a proportionate, defensible engineering position look like? How can we explain the issue clearly enough that the client can act on it? This role would suit someone who likes moving between detail and judgement: reading technical evidence, understanding system behaviour, challenging weak arguments, applying standards intelligently, and helping clients make better decisions about critical systems. Key Responsibilities You will work on varied consultancy projects involving safety-critical and security-relevant systems. Your work may include: Reviewing software, system designs, test evidence, analysis results, assurance cases and safety arguments. Assessing whether critical systems have been adequately engineered, analysed and justified. Supporting hazard analysis, risk assessment, independent review and compliance assessment. Applying standards and regulations in a thoughtful, proportionate way. Developing clear technical positions on complex or ambiguous evidence. Research into the application of safety standards to low complexity and low criticality product developments. Writing reports that are rigorous, readable and useful. Explaining findings to clients, project teams and senior stakeholders. Using analysis techniques such as static analysis, dynamic analysis, model checking, formal methods, testing or modelling where appropriate. Developing scripts, tools, models or analysis approaches to support the work. Working with colleagues across safety, security, software, systems engineering, formal methods and assurance. Supporting the development of less experienced consultants. The work is varied. One project might involve reviewing a safety case. Another might involve examining software analysis results. Another might require helping a client interpret a standard, understand a technical risk, or decide what evidence is needed to justify a claim. We do not expect you to arrive knowing everything. We do expect you to be technically curious, careful in your reasoning, and willing to learn. Skills, Knowledge & Expertise The best people in this role are not just technically competent. They are thoughtful, clear and constructively sceptical. They can read a document and notice the claim that does not quite follow. They can look at a test result and ask what it proves, what it does not prove, and what assumption is hiding underneath it. They can disagree without grandstanding. They can give advice that is technically defensible and practically useful. You should be able to: Understand how computer-based systems are designed, implemented, tested and assured. Interpret complex technical material. Identify weak evidence, unsupported claims and unclear reasoning. Form independent, evidence-based opinions. Explain your thinking clearly in writing and in discussion. Work pragmatically without losing technical integrity. Move between system-level concerns and low-level technical detail. Handle several projects or workstreams at once. Build trust with clients and colleagues. Contribute to a team of specialists with different areas of expertise. You may have a background in software engineering, systems engineering, safety engineering, assurance, formal methods, electronics, mathematics, physics or another technical discipline. Experience in any of the following would be useful: Safety-critical, mission-critical or high-integrity systems. Embedded software, software assurance or systems engineering. Safety assessment, hazard analysis, independent review or assurance cases. Static analysis, formal methods, model checking, verification or validation. Standards such as IEC 61508, ISO 26262, DO-178C, EN 50128, IEC 62304 or related frameworks. Regulated sectors such as nuclear, defence, rail, aerospace, medical devices, automotive, finance, air traffic control or critical infrastructure. Safety and security co-engineering. Tool development, scripting, modelling or automation. You do not need experience in all these areas. A strong technical foundation, good judgement and the ability to learn are more important than a perfect keyword match. Clearance and Travel It is useful if you already hold, or are eligible to obtain, UK security clearance. A safety, security or critical systems background would be beneficial, but we will provide suitable training for candidates with the right technical aptitude. The role may involve occasional travel within the UK and, in some cases, to Europe or the US.