Lead Naval Operability & Crewing Engineer (CONOPS)

Navantia Uk; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Career development

Company pension

31 days holiday

Life assurance

Job summary

Navantia UK is seeking a Principal Operability and Crewing Engineer to shape how operability, automation and digital capability are engineered into complex naval and government vessels from day one. You’ll turn operational concepts (CONOPS) into practical, testable requirements that reduce workload, optimise roles, and credibly enable reduced-crewing and uncrewed concepts.

You’ll lead operability strategy across ship design programmes, develop CONOPS and run workshops to stress-test concepts and

Qualifications

• Significant experience in naval operations and/or naval ship design, with focus on systems, operability and crewing.
• Experience developing crewing models and workload assessments, with knowledge of automation and digital technologies.
• Ability to influence across disciplines and translate operational needs into clear engineering requirements.
• Degree in Engineering (e.g., Systems, Mechanical, Marine, Human Factors) or equivalent operational experience.
• Eligibility for BPSS; SC clearance may be required depending on programme.

Responsibilities

• Lead operability and crewing/operator strategy across multiple ship design programmes.
• Develop CONOPS and run operational vignette workshops to stress-test concepts and technology choices.
• Define user-centred, mission-focused requirements that shape layout, accessibility, maintainability, workflow, human factors, and automation/digital systems.
• Develop and champion crew reduction/elimination concepts through human–machine integration and emerging digital technologies.
• Work closely with designers, suppliers, operators and stakeholders to embed operator solutions early and gain buy-in.
• Contribute to trade studies and cost/capability analyses so operator impact is visible in key decisions.
• Support safety and regulatory compliance, contributing to hazard identification and risk-based approaches for novel technologies.
• Represent Navantia UK with customers and cross-functional working groups, and mentor developing engineers.

Job description

Navantia UK is seeking a Principal Operability and Crewing Engineer to shape how operability, automation and digital capability are engineered into complex naval and government vessels from day one. You’ll turn operational concepts (CONOPS) into practical, testable requirements that reduce workload, optimise roles, and credibly enable reduced-crewing and uncrewed concepts.

You’ll lead operability strategy across ship design programmes, develop CONOPS and run workshops to stress-test concepts and