Senior Permit Controller

Location: Devonport, Plymouth, GB, PL1 4SG

Onsite or Hybrid: OnSite

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Lead safe operations at the heart of the UK’s naval capability. 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 Senior Permit Controller at our Devonport Royal Dockyard site.

The role:

• As a Senior Permit Controller, you’ll take a leadership role within the Permit to Work function, managing a team of Permit Controllers and acting as the focal point for confined space activities across the dockyard.
• You’ll ensure that high‑risk work is properly planned, authorised and monitored, enabling safe delivery of operations onboard Royal Navy warships and across site infrastructure.
• Day-to-day, you’ll balance operational demands with robust safety governance, manage Authorised Person (Confined Space) competence and influence stakeholders across multiple disciplines.
• Alongside day‑to‑day leadership, you’ll continue to operate as an Appointed Person for confined space work, keeping your technical credibility strong while shaping safety standards across the site.

Key responsibilities:

• Leading and managing a team of Permit Controllers, ensuring consistent application of permit processes.
• Acting as the focal point for confined space activities, maintaining compliance with policies and procedures.
• Authorising and deconflicting high‑risk work, ensuring safe systems of work are in place.
• Managing Authorised Person training and competency records, including confined space appointments.
• Engaging with stakeholders, providing advice, assurance and operational updates.

This role is full time, 35 hours per week and is based on site at Devonport Royal Dockyard.

Essential experience:

• Proven experience controlling or authorising high‑risk activities in a safety‑critical environment.
• Strong understanding of confined space operations and associated hazards.
• Experience managing or supervising teams in an operational setting.
• Experience reviewing RAMS, COSHH assessments and safe systems of work.
• Confident communicator, able to influence stakeholders at all levels.

Qualifications:

• GCSE Grade C or above (or equivalent) in Maths and English.
• Security Clearance: The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Standard (BPSS) security clearance for this role.

What we offer:

• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance.
• Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+.
• Employee shopping savings portal.
• Payment of Professional Fees.
• Reservists in the armed forces receive 10‑days special paid leave.
• Holiday Trading 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.

EEO Statement: 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.