Nuclear Operations Director

Babcock International; Helensburgh; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Matched pension with life assurance

Digital GP & annual health check

Employee shopping savings portal

Professional Fees paid

10 days special paid leave for ReservR

Holiday Trading window Feb–Mar

Be Kind Day paid leave

Job summary

Babcock International is seeking a Nuclear Operations Director at HMNB Clyde Faslane and RNAD Coulport. You will provide strategic direction for nuclear operations supporting the Royal Navy, reporting to the Clyde MD and serving on the Site Leadership Team.

You will lead across functional areas, ensuring safe, secure and compliant waterfront operations while shaping long-term site strategy and performance in a highly regulated environment.

Qualifications

• Extensive leadership in nuclear/defence or safety-critical settings.
• Ability to translate strategy into operational outcomes.
• Experience handling senior-level safety, regulatory and commercial challenges.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across all functions in the Nuclear Operations Directorate.
• Lead safe, secure and compliant waterfront nuclear operations for Royal Navy submarine programmes.
• Drive readiness, availability and long-term performance of critical facilities.
• Collaborate with defence, regulatory and industry stakeholders to deliver operational excellence and future capability needs.
• Shape site strategy as a key Clyde Site Leadership Team member.

Skills

Nuclear operations leadership

Regulated environments

Strategic execution

Senior leadership

Job description

Job Title: Nuclear Operations Director

Location: Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute

Compensation: Competitive + Benefits

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Role ID: SF76580

Lead the future of the United Kingdom's submarine enterprise

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 Nuclear Operations Director across our HMNB Clyde Faslane and RNAD Coulport sites.

The role

As aNuclear Operations Director, you'll take on one of the most influential leadership positions within Babcock's Clyde business. Reporting to the Managing Director Clyde and serving as a member of the Site Leadership Team, you will provide strategic direction for nuclear operations that support the Royal Navy's submarine fleet and the United Kingdom's national security objectives.

Day-to-day, you'll be required to:

• Provide strategic leadership and direction across all functions within the Nuclear Operations Directorate.
• Lead the safe, secure and compliant delivery of waterfront nuclear operations in support of Royal Navy submarine programmes.
• Drive operational readiness, availability and long-term performance of critical nuclear facilities
• Collaborate with senior defence, regulatory and industry stakeholders to deliver operational excellence and future capability requirements.
• Shape site strategy and organisational performance as a key member of the Clyde Site Leadership Team.

This role is full time, 35 hours per week and is based on site across HMNB Clyde Faslane and RNAD Coulport.

Essential experience of the Nuclear Operations Director

• Extensive experience leading complex operations within highly regulated nuclear, defence or safety-critical environments.
• Demonstrable ability to translate strategic objectives into operational outcomes and business performance.
• Experience managing operational, safety, regulatory, organisational and commercial challenges at a senior leadership level.
• Strong understanding of Defence Nuclear Enterprise structures, governance frameworks and operating models.
• Knowledge of Royal Navy submarine operations, waterfront support activities, naval nuclear propulsion systems and associated support requirements.

Qualifications for the Nuclear Operations Director

• We value difference and don't have a fixed idea when it comes to background or education, provided you can show the required level of experience and/or willingness to learn then we would like to hear from you.

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 29,000 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: 04/11/2026

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