At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead engineering teams to deliver innovative mechanical handling solutions for defence projects.
- Company: Join Babcock, a leader in engineering with a commitment to safety and security.
- Benefits: Generous holiday, pension scheme, health support, and professional development opportunities.
- Other info: Flexible working options and a culture that values inclusivity and personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on national defence while advancing your engineering career.
- Qualifications: Degree in Mechanical Engineering and experience in regulated environments required.
Overview: Applies Engineering concepts and theories to provide technical direction and leadership for the delivery of designs, calculations and technical solutions across a range of applications for Babcock products and services across the Engineering Product Lifecycle. Uses their experience to make decisions in complex situations. Able to work under own initiative to produce high quality outputs. Capable of managing others and or delivery of engineering and technical activities, through the application of process, domain knowledge and experience. Can apply a broad and or deep range of knowledge to complex situations whilst extending their business knowledge base in the subject area. Provides coaching, direction, assistance and mentoring to others.
Responsibilities: As a Principal Mechanical Handling Engineer, you’ll play a key role in delivering complex engineering solutions that support submarine and warship refit programmes. Leading a team of engineers, you’ll provide technical leadership across the design, assurance and delivery of bespoke mechanical handling and lifting equipment in a highly regulated environment. Day‑to‑day, you’ll have an exciting opportunity to apply your expertise to nationally important defence programmes while developing your career within one of the UK's leading engineering organisations. You’ll work on technically challenging projects, influence critical engineering decisions and help shape innovative solutions that contribute to the safety and effectiveness of the Royal Navy.
- Leading a team of engineers and providing technical oversight for the design and delivery of mechanical handling and lifting equipment.
- Overseeing technical reviews and approving engineering designs, calculations and technical documentation.
- Providing expert guidance and solutions to complex engineering challenges within regulated environments.
- Acting as an Intelligent Customer, assessing, challenging and verifying contractor and supplier engineering solutions.
- Supporting the successful delivery of submarine and warship refit programmes through technical leadership and engineering excellence.
Work schedule: This role is full time, 35 hours per week and provides hybrid working arrangements with a minimum of 2 days in the office/onsite.
Essential experience:
- Experience designing high-integrity lifting equipment and accessories, ideally within a nuclear regulated environment.
- Strong understanding of relevant engineering regulations, legislation and standards applicable to mechanical handling design.
- Demonstrable experience managing complex engineering design development throughout the full design lifecycle.
- Experience acting in an Intelligent Customer capacity, with the ability to review and verify engineering solutions from external suppliers and contractors.
- Experience working within nuclear, defence or other highly regulated, high-hazard industries.
Qualifications:
- Degree in Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent relevant experience.
- Chartered Engineer status with a relevant professional institution, such as IMechE, IMarEST or IET, or actively working towards Chartered status.
Security Clearance: The successful candidate must be a sole UK National who is able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role. Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions.
Benefits:
- 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.
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.
RSE Principal Engineer employer: Nuclearinst
At Babcock, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer, offering a dynamic work environment in Hawthorn, Corsham, where innovation meets collaboration. Our commitment to employee growth is reflected in our generous benefits package, including a matched contribution pension scheme, professional development opportunities, and initiatives like Be Kind Day for volunteering. Join us to be part of a supportive culture that values diversity and encourages flexible working arrangements, ensuring you can thrive both personally and professionally.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land RSE Principal Engineer
✨Get Your Hands Dirty at Engineering Events
Join local engineering meetups or industry conferences related to mechanical engineering. Whether it's a workshop or a career fair, these events are goldmines for networking and getting a foot in the door. Plus, you can showcase your passion and enthusiasm directly to potential employers like Nuclearinst.
✨Connect with Professors & Peers
Tap into your university’s resources—professors often have connections in the industry. Don’t be shy to ask about potential openings or recommendations. Your classmates might also know of companies hiring. Often, it’s who you know that gets you in front of the right people!
✨Highlight Your Projects and Practical Experience
When you land those interviews, make sure to talk about your hands-on projects or internships. Whether it's a design project or hands-on experience with CAD software, specific examples will make you stand out. Companies like Nuclearinst love to hear about practical applications of your skills.
✨Apply Directly on Company Websites
Check out the careers page of Nuclearinst and apply directly through there. It shows initiative and interest in their specific values. Plus, you'll often find openings that aren't advertised on job boards, giving you a better chance to land that full-time gig!
We think you need these skills to ace RSE Principal Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Technical Expertise:In mechanical engineering, it’s vital to highlight your technical skills and projects. Make sure to include relevant software proficiency (like CAD tools) in your CV. If you've worked on specific engineering projects, detail your key contributions — we want to see how you’ve applied your skills in a practical setting!
Focus on Problem-Solving Examples:Employers in mechanical engineering love to see how you handle challenges. Use your cover letter to share specific instances where you’ve solved a complex problem or improved a design. This will show us you're not just knowledgeable but also capable of applying that knowledge effectively.
Highlight Relevant Certifications:Include any relevant certifications or training that can set you apart from the competition. Whether it's coursework from your degree, a recognised certification, or extra training in new technologies, we love to see candidates who continuously improve their skill set. This tells us you're serious about your career in engineering!
Tailor Your CV for the Role:Don’t forget to customise your CV for Nuclearinst and the RSE Principal Engineer role specifically. Pull examples from your experience that align with the job description — it shows us you've done your research and are genuinely interested in becoming part of the team. We recommend applying through our website to ensure your application gets to the right people!
How to prepare for a job interview at Nuclearinst
✨Brush Up on Your CAD Skills
Since mechanical engineering often involves design processes, be ready to showcase your proficiency in CAD software like SolidWorks or AutoCAD. Bring along a digital portfolio or even some sketches that demonstrate your design capabilities — it’s a great way to show what you can bring to the table at Nuclearinst.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect technical questions that test your understanding of engineering principles and problem-solving skills. You might get hypothetical scenarios where you need to design a component or troubleshoot a mechanical system. Practising these types of questions will give you the confidence to tackle whatever comes your way!
✨Show Your Team Spirit
As a full-time mechanical engineer, collaboration is key! Be ready to share examples of past team projects or any experiences where you contributed to solving a complex problem with others. Demonstrating your ability to work in a team will resonate well with the interviewers at Nuclearinst.
✨Discuss Your Future Goals
Since this is a full-time position, your long-term vision is important. Be open about your career aspirations, whether it’s mastering a specific tool or leading projects. This shows that you're committed not just to learning but also to growing with Nuclearinst, making you a more appealing candidate.
