Deputy Design and Safety Manager

Babcock International; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday allowance

Pension & life cover

Digital GP & health check

Shopping portal

Professional fees paid

Reservists leave

Holiday trading

Be Kind Day

Job summary

Deputy Design and Safety Manager at Devonport Dockyard, within the Devonport Engineering organisation, will lead the 10 Dock Design Authority team to influence the safe delivery of submarine maintenance programmes for the Royal Navy. The role combines technical leadership, governance, and stakeholder engagement to ensure the integrity, safety, and performance of critical facilities.

Based on site at Devonport Royal Dockyard, the role requires Chartered Engineer status, strong leadership, and

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering or Scientific discipline.
• Registered Chartered Engineer status.
• Significant engineering leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering activities supporting submarine maintenance infrastructure.
• Provide technical leadership and assurance across design, safety, and engineering programmes.
• Support Design Authority in delivering high-integrity engineering solutions and safety outcomes.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to enable successful programme delivery.
• Drive continuous improvement while maintaining regulatory, safety, and quality requirements.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Technical assurance

Safety management

Leadership communication

Education

Engineering degree

Chartered Engineer

Job description

As a Deputy Design and Safety Manager, you'll take on a pivotal leadership role within the Devonport Engineering organisation, supporting the 10 Dock Design Authority team. This is an exciting opportunity to influence the safe delivery of nationally significant submarine maintenance programmes while working at the forefront of defence, engineering, and nuclear infrastructure. Day-to-day, you'll combine technical expertise, engineering leadership, and stakeholder engagement to help ensure the integrity, safety, and performance of critical facilities that support the Royal Navy's submarine fleet. This role offers the chance to make a lasting impact while further developing your leadership capabilities within one of the UK's leading engineering organisations.

• Leading engineering activities that support the safe and effective operation of critical submarine maintenance infrastructure.
• Providing technical leadership and assurance across complex design, safety, and engineering programmes.
• Supporting the Design Authority team in delivering high-integrity engineering solutions and safety outcomes.
• Collaborating with engineering, operational, and project stakeholders to enable successful programme delivery.
• Driving continuous improvement while maintaining compliance with regulatory, safety, and quality requirements.

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

Essential experience of the Deputy Design and Safety Manager

• Demonstrable experience leading engineering teams and engaging effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Extensive knowledge of nuclear engineering principles and the delivery of high-integrity engineering outputs.
• Strong understanding of submarine infrastructure, facilities, plant, and operational processes.
• Proven capability in engineering governance, technical assurance, and safety management.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and relationship-building skills.

Qualifications for the Deputy Design and Safety Manager

• Degree qualified in an Engineering or Scientific discipline.
• Registered Chartered Engineer status.
• Significant relevant engineering and leadership experience.

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role.

About us

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.

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. This Window opens February through to March annually.
• '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