Safety Consultant - Defence
Shape the Safety and Sustainability of the UK’s Most Critical Defence Projects
Join a consultancy at the forefront of defence safety and environmental assurance, where your expertise will directly influence the development and operation of nationally significant capabilities. Working across some of the UK's most technically challenging and high hazard projects, you'll provide trusted advice that enables safe, compliant and sustainable outcomes throughout the lifecycle of complex defence systems.
Purpose & Scope of the Role
As a Defence Consultant, you will provide independent technical assurance alongside specialist safety and environmental management expertise to clients across the UK defence sector. Your work will support the safe, sustainable and legally compliant delivery of defence capabilities, helping organisations identify, assess and manage risk from concept and design through to operation and disposal.
You will play a key role in developing, reviewing and assuring safety cases, hazard analysis, risk assessments and supporting evidence, using your technical insight to evaluate complex documentation and validate robust safety arguments. Acting as a trusted advisor, you will work closely with clients, project teams, regulators and wider stakeholders, delivering objective, evidence-based recommendations that support confident decision-making in high consequence environments.
The role offers exposure to a diverse portfolio of defence projects spanning land, maritime, air, nuclear and command and control domains. Working within multidisciplinary teams, you will contribute to assurance activities, audits and consultancy services while helping to build long-term client relationships and strengthen the organisation's technical capability.
Your Impact in this Position
From day one, you will contribute to projects that play a vital role in national defence and security. During your first year, you will develop a detailed understanding of defence projects, client organisations and regulatory frameworks while building expertise in safety case development, risk assessment and assurance delivery. Working as part of a collaborative team delivering client requirements, you will receive ongoing mentoring, guidance and technical support to accelerate your understanding of projects, strengthen your technical capabilities and support your personal and professional development.
As your experience grows, you will take on increasing responsibility, providing technical leadership and becoming a trusted source of advice for clients and project teams. High performers will have a clear pathway towards Senior Consultant level within 24 to 36 months, with opportunities to support complex, strategically significant defence projects that make a tangible impact across the sector.
Core capabilities
Safety & Environmental Risk Management
You will apply a structured and analytical approach to identifying hazards, assessing risks and developing practical risk reduction strategies within complex defence environments. Working across varying stages of the system lifecycle, you will evaluate safety and environmental risks, assess the effectiveness of controls and provide recommendations that demonstrate risks have been reduced to a level that is as low as reasonably practicable. Your expertise will help ensure safety considerations remain aligned with evolving designs, technologies and operational requirements.
Safety Case Development & Assurance
The individual will create and assure compelling, evidence-based safety arguments that stand up to scrutiny from clients, regulators and independent reviewers. Drawing on strong analytical and communication skills, you will develop and maintain key safety artefacts, assess the quality and traceability of evidence, identify weaknesses in safety arguments and enhance assurance outcomes through clear, logical and defensible recommendations.
Independent Technical Assurance & Audit
You will provide objective challenge and independent assurance across a variety of defence projects, helping organisations understand how effectively safety and environmental risks are being managed. Through audits, reviews and assessments, you will evaluate compliance with legislation, standards and governance requirements while delivering clear, proportionate and evidence-based recommendations that support continuous improvement and informed decision-making.
Defence Domain & Regulatory Expertise
You will develop and apply an in-depth understanding of the UK defence landscape, navigating complex regulatory frameworks and industry standards across multiple domains. By interpreting regulations pragmatically and applying them to real-world projects, you will support clients in balancing compliance, operational effectiveness and project delivery while maintaining the highest standards of safety assurance.
Client Engagement, Leadership & Consultancy Skills
Success in this role comes from combining technical excellence with strong consultancy skills. You will build trusted relationships with clients, understand their challenges and deliver advice that is both technically rigorous and commercially relevant. Working with stakeholders at all levels, from engineering teams to senior leadership, you will communicate complex risk and safety matters clearly and confidently. As your career progresses, you will have opportunities to mentor colleagues, contribute to business growth and help shape the future direction of defence consultancy services.
Skills, Qualifications & Experience
You will bring experience within the UK defence sector, with a strong understanding of safety management, hazard identification and risk assessment methodologies. Experience developing safety cases, maintaining hazard logs and supporting assurance or audit activities will be highly valued.
A degree in a STEM-related discipline is expected, alongside a commitment to professional development through chartership or a recognised professional institution. Experience gained within other highly regulated or high hazard industries may also be beneficial. The successful candidate must be eligible to obtain and maintain UK Government Security Clearance, including SC or DV clearance as required.
Working Environment
This role is based in the South of England, with Basingstoke serving as the designated home office location. The position offers a flexible hybrid working model, combining office-based and remote working to support both project delivery and work-life balance.
Current client activities are focused across Bristol and the South Coast, and occasional travel to client locations will be required for meetings, workshops and project engagement.
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Why join Tetra Tech?
Tetra Tech is a leading provider of consulting and engineering services working across the full project lifecycle worldwide. We have a wide range of expertise across our teams, providing a global support network with a personalised approach to client relationships to better understand where we can add value. We provide a collaborative environment that supports individual performance, innovation, and creativity.
We support public and private sector clients on local, national, and international projects to deliver sustainable and resilient solutions. Our operations in the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands include more than 6,000 employees who are Leading with Science® to solve our clients’ most complex problems.
In alignment with the Equality Act 2010, we will make reasonable adjustments to support candidates and employees requiring additional arrangements. This could include adaptations to work schedules, training approaches, or the physical workspace. Please inform us if you need any accommodations during the recruitment process or in your day-to-day role.
Recruitment Agencies
We have a Preferred Supplier List of trusted partners to assist us when required and do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions from agencies not on this list and any submitted will be taken as a gift. Please refer to the careers page on our website if you require any further information.
