Systems Engineer

SAIF Autonomy is building the Trust Layer for Physical AI and Autonomous Systems. The next generation of safety‑tech that will unlock the true benefits of AI, for humanity.

Location:

SAIF HQ, Tower Bridge, London, UK

Compensation: (DoE)

Employment Type:

Permanent – Full Time

Department:
Engineering

Reporting To:
Head of Engineering

SAIF is a fast‑growing start‑up with ambitious goals and our culture reflects that. We’re building something meaningful and we’re looking for people who are genuinely energised by that journey. You’ll thrive here if you enjoy taking ownership, wearing multiple hats, learning quickly and are comfortable working beyond core hours when the work demands it – not because it’s expected day‑to‑day, but because seeing progress matters.

Our team is driven by the satisfaction of building, solving hard problems and moving fast together, embracing collaboration and change as part of start‑up life. We’re looking for people who want to be part of something being built from the ground up, who enjoy the momentum and responsibility that comes with it and who bring commitment, curiosity and teamwork to everything they do.

SAIF Autonomy is seeking an experienced Systems Engineer to join our team building cutting‑edge assurance systems for AI and robotics applications, with an initial focus on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). You will play a critical role in developing SAIF’s solutions, guiding overall system architecture, software design, and managing the engineering lifecycle.

SAIF Autonomy offers a competitive compensation package, excellent benefits, and the opportunity to work on cutting‑edge technologies that shape the future of AI and robotics safety.

• Lead the design and development of system architectures for SAIF’s solutions, with a particular emphasis on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) applications.
• Collaborate closely with cross‑functional teams, including embedded software engineers, safety engineers and ML engineers, to ensure integration of various software components into a cohesive system.
• Conduct thorough system‑level analysis, trade‑off studies and risk assessments to ensure the system architecture meets safety, performance, and regulatory requirements.
• Define and maintain system‑level requirements, interfaces and specifications, ensuring adherence to industry standards and best practices.
• Oversee the implementation, integration and verification of system components, ensuring compliance with the overall system architecture and design principles.
• Manage the systems engineering lifecycle from planning, through reviews, implementation, V&V and customer acceptance.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of the team’s systems engineering processes, tooling, and methodologies.

• Bachelor’s, Master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field, with a focus on systems engineering and architecture.
• Extensive experience in systems architecture and design, with a proven track record in delivering complex, safety‑critical systems, preferably in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) domain.
• Extensive knowledge of systems engineering methodologies, tools, and best practices, such as Model‑Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), SysML and DoDAF.
• Strong understanding of software and hardware architecture principles, real‑time systems and embedded systems design.
• Experience with safety‑critical system development standards and certification processes (e.g., DO‑178C, DO‑254, ARP
  4754A, ARP
  4761).
• Familiarity with UAS regulations, standards and operational requirements (e.g., FAA, EASA, ICAO).
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving and decision‑making skills.
• Excellent communication and collaboration abilities, with the ability to work effectively in cross‑functional teams.

Our software enables assured, trustworthy deployment of both traditional deterministic autonomy and AI or novel control methods, in any application, for the first time. We do this with no need for data or communications links and we begin the journey by applying our tech to autonomous systems in the aerospace…