Deputy Design and Safety Manager

Babcock International; West Devon; On-site; GBP 57,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday allowance

Pension and life cover

Digital GP and health check

Shopping portal

Professional fees covered

Reservist leave

Holiday trading

Be Kind Day

Job summary

Babcock International is recruiting for a Deputy Design and Safety Manager to lead and shape safety and engineering outputs at the Devonport Dockyard site in Plymouth. The role sits within the Devonport Engineering organisation, supporting the Design Authority team and safeguarding the integrity and safety of critical submarine maintenance facilities.

The successful candidate will combine technical leadership with stakeholder engagement to deliver high-integrity engineering solutions, maintain

Qualifications

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

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering activities for safe operation of submarine maintenance infrastructure.
• Provide technical leadership and assurance across design, safety, and engineering programmes.
• Support the Design Authority team in delivering high-integrity engineering solutions and safety outcomes.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, and project stakeholders to enable delivery.
• Drive continuous improvement while ensuring regulatory, safety, and quality compliance.

Skills

Leadership experience

Nuclear engineering knowledge

Submarine infrastructure

Engineering governance

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Degree in Engineering or Science

Chartered Engineer status

Significant engineering and leadership experience

Job description

Job Title: Deputy Design and Safety Manager

Location: Plymouth, Devon

Compensation: £57,300 £71,600 Depending on Experience + Benefits

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Role ID: SF70559

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 Deputy Design and SafetyManager at our Devonport Royal Dockyard site.

The role

As a Deputy Design and SafetyManager, 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.

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. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) .

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

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 [e-mail] 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: 25/11/2026