External Job Description
ADVANCED CONCEPTS is an entity within EDGE dedicated to the design and deployment of advanced, innovative technologies. ADVANCED CONCEPTS is fast-tracking the development of high-technology autonomous systems, including three Medium Endurance, High Altitude, fixed-wing unmanned aerial systems, a family of precision loitering munitions, a cost- effective family of cruise missiles, and a range of guided artillery munitions.
Core Accountabilities:
- Own and maintain the Explosive Safety Management System specific to formulation & synthesis processes.
- Approve, review and sign off on laboratory and production safety cases, site plans, and process hazard analyses for energetic formulations and synthesis routes.
- Authorize and enforce safe handling, storage, segregation, transport, and staging of precursors, intermediates and finished energetic materials.
- Lead hazard identification, process hazard analyses (PHA), HAZOPs, dust/explosive atmosphere assessments and energetic specific risk assessments for scale up activities.
- Establish and validate safe operating limits, change control for formulations or processes, and safe batch size or scale rules from lab to pilot to production.
- Develop and deliver targeted training and competence programs for chemists, process engineers, technicians and contractors.
- Lead incident investigation and root cause analysis for any safety events; implement corrective actions and lessons learned across R&D and production.
- Maintain licensing, permits and technical documentation required by national or regional regulators and internal governance.
- Provide real time safety support for experiments, pilot trials and production activities; participate in design reviews for equipment and facility layout.
- Implement emergency response and evacuation plans specific to energetic material scenarios and coordinate drills.
- Advise procurement on safety specifications for mixers, reactors, solvent handling, ventilation, instrumentation, and storage vessels.
- Support security and access control measures for sensitive materials and areas.
- Interface with QA or QC to ensure safety considerations are integrated into sampling, testing and characterization procedures.
- Collaborate with Environmental & Occupational Health to control emissions, effluents and occupational exposures.
- Support regulatory inspections and third party audits; coordinate corrective action plans.
- Maintain an up to date repository of standards, best practices and lessons learned applicable to energetic materials
Qualification / Experience
- Minimum 8 years of experience in energetic materials safety, or munitions safety; experience across both R&D and production environments strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience supporting formulation and synthesis teams.
- Prior work in defense, aerospace, chemical manufacturing, or regulated energetic materials labs is highly desirable.
- Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Safety Engineering, Explosives Engineering, or related discipline.
- Master's degree or advanced safety qualifications preferred.
- Strong grounding in safety engineering principles (process, occupational, or system safety)
- Deep knowledge of standards like OSHA, ISO (e.g., ISO 45001)
- Experience with hazard analysis methods
- Understanding of risk assessment frameworks and mitigation strategies
- Familiarity with safety systems, controls, and fail-safe design
