Plant Engineer in Plymouth

Location: Plymouth, Devon

Compensation: £45,692 + Benefits

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Role ID: SF71403

Shape the Future of the UK’s Submarine Support 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 Plant Engineer at our Devonport Royal Dockyard site.

Overview

The role

As a Plant Engineer, you’ll have an opportunity to work within a high‑hazard, highly regulated environment where your contribution will directly strengthen national defence and energy security. Day-to-day, you’ll be at the heart of some of the most important engineering and nuclear safety activity in the UK. This role is central to supporting the safe operation of submarine docks, nuclear fuel handling and radioactive waste facilities, all critical to enabling the refit of active submarines and the defuel of the UK’s retired submarine fleet.

Responsibilities

• Support the nuclear and radiological safety of operations across key dockyard facilities.
• Interface with production, design and technical teams to implement engineering controls and nuclear safety cases.
• Manage control‑of‑work processes, routine operations, plant maintenance and facility activities.
• Contribute to engineering projects, including designing and installing new infrastructure to enhance future nuclear capability.
• Conduct safety walkdowns, assess defects, and ensure controls are in place for nuclear safety‑significant activities, such as submarine docking.

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

Essential experience

• Experience working in high‑hazard regulated environments or the nuclear industry.
• Experience managing teams or a range of diverse stakeholders.
• Experience implementing risk assessments or safety cases.

Qualifications

• A relevant STEM degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Additional qualifications in nuclear engineering, safety management or facility operations - Desirable.

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be 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. 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 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.

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: 20/02/2026

Careers information may be subject to change.