Plant Engineer

At Babcock we’re working to create a safe and secure world, together, and if you join us, you can play your part as a Plant Engineer at our Plymouth, Devon site.

The role

As a Plant Engineer, you’ll have a role that’s out of the ordinary. You'll be part of a specialist team responsible for managing Babcock's Basin and supporting facilities on a licensed nuclear site. This is a unique opportunity to work at the heart of major engineering and infrastructure programmes that support both active submarine refit operations and the defueling of the UK's retired submarine fleet. This role combines engineering, nuclear safety, facility management and operational delivery, offering exceptional exposure to complex, high-hazard environments. You'll work closely with production, design and technical teams, helping to deliver innovative solutions while supporting safe and efficient operations. It's a position where your work has a direct impact on national security, operational excellence and the future of the UK's nuclear capability.

Day-to-day, you’ll be required to:

• Manage control of work activities, site operations, plant maintenance and routine facility requirements.
• Support engineering and infrastructure projects that enhance future nuclear facility capabilities.
• Interface with operational, technical and production teams to ensure safe and effective delivery of work.
• Conduct health and safety walkdowns and manage facility or equipment defects.
• Implement nuclear safety case requirements and ensure robust controls are in place for safety-significant activities and operations.

This is a full-time, permanent role working 35 hours per week and based at Devonport Dockyard. Hybrid working patterns are available, you will be required to be on site a minimum of 3 – 4 days per week.

Essential experience of the Plant Engineer:

• Relevant engineering, scientific, technical or STEM-based experience.
• Experience applying engineering principles within a complex operational environment.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Ability to identify, assess and manage operational or engineering risks.
• Commitment to maintaining high standards of safety, quality and compliance.

Qualifications for the Plant Engineer:

• Essential: Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline or equivalent relevant experience.
• Desirable: Experience working within the nuclear sector or another highly regulated industry. Experience supporting risk assessments, safety cases or compliance activities. Experience working with multiple stakeholders across operational and technical teams.

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be a sole UK National who is able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) / Naval Nuclear Propulsion Information (NNPPI) security clearance for this role. Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held.

What we offer:

• Generous holiday allowance.
• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance.
• Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+.
• Employee share scheme.
• Employee shopping savings portal.
• Payment of Professional Fees.
• Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave.
• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows UK Babcock employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement.
• ‘Be Kind Day’ enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity.
• Excellent development opportunities and benefits package including an employee assistance programme supporting physical, mental and financial wellbeing.

Babcock We’re Babcock — a global FTSE 100 organisation with over 26,000 people working together to make a difference. Here, you’ll be part of something bigger. From initial design to final decommissioning, your work will contribute to products and services that are essential to national security and public infrastructure. Together, we’re building a future that lasts — not just through the impact we make, but through meaningful careers that respect your work-life balance. We call that lifetime engineering. Join us and see how far we can go, together.

We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email careers@babcockinternational.com with the subject header ‘Reasonable adjustments requirement’. We’re committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone’s free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working – please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.

Closing date: 21/08/2026