Railway Safety Lead

Mission

The Railway Safety Lead Engineer is responsible for managing and assuring safety throughout the lifecycle of a design and build railway project. This role ensures that safety is embedded in engineering design, construction, testing, and commissioning, and that all activities comply with statutory regulations, contractual requirements, and international standards. The position provides technical leadership in system safety, hazard management, and safety assurance to deliver a safe and compliant railway system.

The Safety Lead will join the Safety Assurance Team and collaborate with the Safety Assurance Manager in the frame of the assigned railway system design and build project.

Key Accountabilities

Safety by Design & Engineering Assurance

• Lead the integration of safety requirements into railway system design (track, civil works, signaling, telecoms, power, rolling stock, depots).
• Ensure compliance with international railway safety standards (EN 50126/8/9, IEC 61508, CSM-RA, ISO 45001).
• Review and approve design deliverables, method statements, and engineering solutions from a safety perspective.
• Champion “Safety by Design” principles to eliminate or reduce hazards during construction and operation.

System Safety Management

• Develop, maintain, and manage the project’s Safety Management Plan and Safety Case.
• Perform hazard identification, hazard analysis, and risk assessments (HAZID, HAZOP, FMEA, FTA).
• Maintain hazard logs and risk registers, ensuring risks are mitigated to acceptable levels (ALARP).
• Lead system safety integration across disciplines to ensure seamless, safe operation.

Construction, Testing & Commissioning Safety

• Ensure safety assurance during construction activities, including temporary works and staging of railway possessions.
• Support safe integration of assets during testing, commissioning, and handover to operations.
• Conduct safety audits, inspections, and readiness reviews before critical project milestones.

Regulatory & Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as the primary interface with safety regulators, independent safety assessors (ISA), and railway authorities.
• Ensure all approvals and safety certifications are obtained for system commissioning.
• Provide technical reports and evidence to demonstrate compliance with statutory and contractual safety obligations.

Incident Prevention & Continuous Improvement

• Lead root cause analyses for safety-related design or construction incidents.
• Develop lessons learned and embed best practices into project delivery.
• Drive continuous improvement in safety performance across project teams and contractors.

Leadership & Training

• Provide technical leadership to engineering teams on system safety and assurance.
• Mentor junior engineers and promote a proactive safety culture.
• Deliver safety awareness briefings and training for design and site teams.

Education

Qualifications

•    At least 8 years’ experience in railway system design, construction, or assurance, with strong safety engineering background.
•    Demonstrated expertise in system safety standards (EN 50126/8/9, IEC 61508, CSM-RA).
•    Proven track record in developing Safety Cases, hazard logs, and assurance documentation on major rail projects.
•    Experience in design & build contracts, ideally in complex, multi-disciplinary rail infrastructure projects.
•    Strong technical knowledge of railway systems and interfaces.
•    Excellent understanding of system safety, RAMS, and assurance methodologies.
•    Skilled in risk assessment, hazard analysis, and problem-solving.
•    Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills.
•    Effective communicator with the ability to influence across engineering, contractors, and regulatory bodies

Competencies