What You’ll Do

• Assess and evaluate hardware and software functionality and interfaces (including human-in-the-loop) to identify safety critical computer system functions and safety critical software.

• Based on software and software systems categorization, work with SW Quality Assurance, SW Reliability, SW Security, SW Engineering, and System Safety Engineering to review, develop, allocate, and verify software safety requirements for assigned programs.

• Perform qualitative and quantitative software safety analyses including the preparation of hazard reports to document identified hazards, software causes, hazard controls, and hazard control verifications.

• Provide necessary inputs to System Safety Engineering analysis documentation such as Missile System Prelaunch Safety Packages and Safety Analysis Reports.

• Review Systems Integration and Test Activities and Launch Site Operations to evaluate software as a potential hazard cause.

• Interface with the program office and the customer to present analyses and findings.

• Participate in and lead software safety process improvement efforts.

• Develop, present, and evaluate training packages for software, safety, reliability, and quality engineers.

• Proactively address software process, reliability, safety, and quality assurance issues.

• Conduct trade studies of how to best meet safety and reliability requirements within the constraints of operational effectiveness, cost and schedule.

• Participate in software product (peer) reviews.

• Provide guidance in software safety problem tracking, reporting, and resolution.

• Audit, monitor, evaluate, and report on subcontractors relative to software safety.

• Track software safety related action items and change requests.

• Produce and present software safety related metrics.

• Produce software safety and reliability cost and schedule estimates for proposals & update estimates for active projects.

• Interface with Systems Engineering, Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Test Engineering, Mission Assurance & Safety, Software Quality Assurance, and Software Configuration Management.

• Document and present software safety issues, status, and plans to internal & external customers.

• Review and assess software products to ensure adherence to good engineering practices and program safety and reliability requirements, risk mitigation, and completeness.

• Perform software test monitoring.

• Perform periodic assessments of the software life-cycle safety related activities.

• Maintain a regular and predictable work schedule.

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships within the department, the Strategic Business Units, Strategic Support Units and the Company. Interact appropriately with others in order to maintain a positive and productive work environment.

• Perform other duties as necessary.

What You’ll Need

• BS degree or higher in Engineering or a related technical field is required plus 8 or more years related experience.

• Each higher-level degree, i.e., Master’s Degree or Ph.D., may substitute for two years of experience. Related technical experience may be considered in lieu of education. Degree must be from a university, college, or school which is accredited by an agency recognized by the US Secretary of Education, US Department of Education.

• Experience in software development, software systems engineering, or software safety engineering preferred.

• Dedication to making Software Safety and Reliability a long-term career.

• In-depth knowledge of industry accepted software development standards, methodologies, and tools (i.e., NASA, Air Force, DOD, etc.).

• Design, coding, review, and test experience with the 'C' and 'C++' programming languages, firmware development and other languages.

• Peer review experience with requirements, design, and code peer reviews.

• Ability to work on interdisciplinary teams.

• Technical risk analysis and tracking experience.

• An understanding of typical software development life cycles.

• Experience with embedded software.

• Willingness to proactively take initiative, be able to complete tasks in a timely manner, be a self-starter, possess good interpersonal and project management skills, the ability to multi-task, plan, and be able to represent software safety and reliability in cross-functional meetings and to customers.

• Be able and willing to lead and participate in the development of Software Safety and Software Reliability programs at both the project and organizational levels.

• Possess strong organizational skills with a capacity for attending to details.

• Strong written and spoken communication skills.

• Demonstrated leadership.

• Familiarity with software safety issues.

• Working knowledge of industry safety standards (including MIL-STD-882, AFSPCMAN 91-710, NASA-STD-8719.24, and NASA-STD-8719.13), methodologies, and tools as they relate to human rated and non-human rated space flight.

• Experience with software safety and reliability metrics analysis.

• Experience with fault tree and failure modes effect and criticality analysis or other system safety related methods of hazard analysis.

• Experience in all phases of the software development lifecycle.

• Familiarity with FPGA and other firmware programmable device software development.

• Experience with SEI, CMMI and ISO.

• Experience with software reliability and IV&V.

• Willingness to obtain a SSBI security clearance.

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in an office, laboratory, production floor, or clean room, outdoors or remote research environment.

• May occasionally work in production work centers where use of protective equipment and gear is required.

• May access other facilities in various weather conditions.

• Travel and local commute between Ball campuses and other possible non-Ball locations may be required.