Lead Digital Assurance Engineer

Nuclearinst; West Devon; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Pension with life assurance

Digital GP and health checks

Employee share scheme

Professional fees coverage

Special paid leave for Reservists

Job summary

Babcock is seeking a Lead Digital Assurance Engineer to establish a brand-new digital assurance capability within its AI and Data Centre of Excellence. The role supports defence, aerospace, marine and nuclear programmes, shaping software and AI assurance across complex systems.

You will lead assurance activities, embed testing in live delivery, and collaborate with senior stakeholders to drive best practice in a hybrid UK environment. Applicants must obtain SC security clearance.

Qualifications

• Senior or principal level in systems engineering in regulated sectors.
• Experience leading assurance activities for software, data or AI products.
• Experience delivering assurance in live product environments.
• Experience implementing test automation within CI/CD pipelines.
• Knowledge of AI assurance principles and model evaluation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of a new digital assurance capability within AI/DE Centre of Excellence.
• Provide independent assurance across software, data and AI products.
• Embed assurance into live product delivery with automated testing.
• Collaborate with engineering, data, software and stakeholders to ensure robust digital solutions.
• Drive standards, governance and requirements traceability across complex systems.

Skills

Systems engineering

Independent verification and validity

Software assurance

AI assurance

Test automation

CI/CD in practice

Education

Degree in Systems Engineering or related

Tools

IEC 61508

Def Stan 00-055

DO-178

IEC 62304

Job description

Job Title: Lead Digital Assurance Engineer

Location: Hybrid, UK

Compensation: Competitive + Benefits

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Role ID: SF74862

Lead the future of trusted Artificial Intelligence, Software and Data Assurance

At Babcock, we’re working to create a safe and secure world, together. If you join us, you can play your part as a Lead Digital Assurance Engineer at any of our main UK locations.

The role

As a Lead Digital Assurance Engineer, you'll have a unique opportunity to establish and lead a brand-new digital assurance capability within AIDEX, Babcock’s Artificial Intelligence and Data Centre of Excellence. Working at the forefront of digital engineering, you'll help shape how software, data and artificial intelligence solutions are assured across defence, aerospace, marine and nuclear programmes that help protect national security and critical infrastructure.

This is a rare chance to combine systems engineering excellence with modern digital practices, creating a trusted assurance function that supports innovation while maintaining the highest standards of safety, reliability and performance. You'll influence the future direction of digital assurance across the organisation, collaborate with senior stakeholders and drive engineering best practice in an environment where your expertise will make a lasting impact.

Day-to-day responsibilities

• Leading the development and implementation of a new digital assurance capability within Babcock’s Artificial Intelligence and Data Centre of Excellence.
• Providing independent assurance and validation activities across software, data and artificial intelligence products.
• Embedding assurance processes into live product delivery, including automated testing and continuous assurance approaches.
• Collaborating with engineering, data, software and stakeholder teams to ensure robust, reliable and secure digital solutions.
• Driving assurance standards, governance, requirements traceability and verification activities across complex digital systems.

This role is 37.5 hours per week and can be based at any of our main UK locations. Hybrid working patterns are available.

Essential experience of the Lead Digital Assurance Engineer

• Experience operating at a senior or principal level within systems engineering, including independent verification and validation of complex systems in regulated sectors such as defence, aerospace or nuclear.
• Experience leading assurance activities for software, digital or data-driven products.
• Experience delivering assurance within live product environments rather than purely documentation-focused roles.
• Experience implementing test automation and continuous assurance within continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines.
• Working knowledge of artificial intelligence assurance principles and a passion for developing assurance capability in this rapidly evolving field, with experience with AI or large language model evaluation, including red teaming or testing agent-based systems.

Qualifications for the Lead Digital Assurance Engineer

Essential:

• Degree or equivalent professional experience in Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, Digital Engineering, Computer Science or a related discipline.

Desirable:

• Experience working with safety-critical software standards such as IEC 61508, Def Stan 00-055, DO-178 or IEC 62304.

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. 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 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. There is an annual Window to request this benefit. ‘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.

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.

Disability confident employer 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 [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

24/07/2026