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Senior Hydrogen Safety Engineer (Aerospace)

Winchester, Virginia

Title:  Senior Hydrogen Safety Engineer (Aerospace)
Company: Heven AeroTech
Location: Winchester, Virginia  
FLSA: Exempt

About Our Company:
At Heven AeroTech (Heven), we don’t just believe in the power of people—we build our success on it. As a recognized leader in hydrogen powered drones, we’ve earned recognition for creating a workplace where innovation thrives, collaboration is second nature, and every employee feels valued. Our culture is anchored in trust, and a shared commitment to excellence. We know that great organizations are built by extraordinary teams. That’s why we invest in your professional growth, offering robust training programs, leadership development opportunities, and a clear pathway for advancement. At Heven, your voice matters, your ideas are heard, and your contributions make a tangible impact.

Role Summary:
The Senior Hydrogen Safety Engineer leads the charge in defining safety standards for the next generation of hydrogen-powered unmanned air vehicles. As hydrogen is an ideal fuel for small (Group 2) unmanned air systems (UASs) providing both stealth and long endurance, this role ensures that hydrogen-powered systems are safe and meet relevant standards during laboratory and field testing. Additionally, the position is responsible for developing and maintaining a safety strategy for small-scale in-field hydrogen production and flight operations. 

Essential Responsibilities:

  • Lead Formal Safety Assessments (FSA), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) studies specifically for hydrogen generation, hydrogen storage, field operations, and propulsion modules for small UASs.
  • Collaborate with hardware teams to design hydrogen procedures covering testing to field operations, primarily with compressed gases and secondarily with cryogenics.
  • Ensure all designs meet U.S. and international industry standards for hydrogen such as NFPA 2, NFPA 55, ISO/TR 15916, SAE J2601, and emerging FAA/EASA hydrogen certification requirements.
  • Develop emergency response protocols and conduct safety training for technicians and operators producing and operating systems with high-pressure gaseous hydrogen.
  • Act as the core of the "Safety Team" of the organization, balancing technical performance with marketing and customer needs without compromising safety integrity.
  • Demonstrates respect for multidisciplinary expertise while prioritizing mission safety over individual ownership or competing objectives.
  • Proactively drives safety innovation, anticipates risks, and builds scalable safety systems supporting emerging hydrogen aviation technologies.
  • Applies strong interpersonal awareness and engineering judgment to communicate complex safety risks effectively across technical and non-technical stakeholders. 

Qualifications & Experience: 

Required: 

  • Bachelor's or master's degree in mechanical, Chemical, or Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent.
  • 5+ years in high-pressure gas systems and/or cryogenic fluids. Specific experience with hydrogen is highly preferred.
  • Understanding hydrogen properties, including embrittlement in metallic materials.
  • Ability to work collaboratively with technical and business stakeholders.
  • Ability to travel between sites in Virginia and Washington State. 
  • U.S. Person (U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident, Asylee, or Refugee) 

Preferred: 

  • Experience with aerospace or ground vehicle certification pathways.
  • Experience modeling hydrogen dispersion, ignition probabilities, and overpressure scenarios.
  • Experience with Automotive OEM (original equipment manufacturer) hydrogen vehicles or Tier 1 hydrogen system vendor Aerospace engineering or UAV/drone experience 

Physical Requirements: 

  • Ability to navigate and move efficiently through laboratory environments, hangar spaces, and active flight ranges to oversee safety protocols.
  • Capacity to conduct thorough, stationary, and mobile inspections of hydrogen production and storage systems and unmanned air systems at both internal facilities and external field sites.
  • Capability to bend, stoop, or reach as necessary to inspect hydrogen fuel cells, high-pressure fittings, and UAS internal components during safety audits.
  • Ability to visually inspect equipment for integrity and listen to high-pressure gas leaks or system irregularities during live testing.

Benefits Overview: 
Heven AeroTech offers a competitive benefits package designed to support the health, financial security, and overall well-being of our employees and their families. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, retirement plans, paid time off/sick, and additional protections such as critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident coverage, and short- and long-term disability.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: 
Heven AeroTech is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

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