Principal Naval Architect

BAE Systems; Freshwater; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defense contractor is seeking a Principal Naval Architect based at Portsmouth Naval Base. You will lead Naval Architecture tasks for naval projects, requiring a degree in Naval Architecture and experience in structural design. The role offers hybrid working options and competitive salary, along with a range of benefits including pension and wellness schemes.

Benefits

Competitive pension scheme

Employee share plans

Flexible wellness benefits

Qualifications

• Chartered Engineer or roadmap to achieve this.
• Experience with British and Defence Standards.

Responsibilities

• Apply Naval Architectural knowledge to engineering tasks.
• Lead and manage Naval Architecture input on projects.
• Conduct stability and hydromechanic analysis.

Skills

Degree in Naval Architecture / Marine Technology / Ship Science

Engineering material selection according to standards

Familiarity with Naval architecture software

Experience in warship structural design

Education

MEng in Naval Architecture / Marine Technology / Ship Science

Tools

PARAMARINE

AutoCAD

Inventor

Job description

Job Title: Principal Naval Architect

Location: Portsmouth Naval Base. We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements – please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role.

Salary: Up to £58,000 depending on skills and experience.

What you’ll be doing:

Position Specific

The PNA is expected to apply specialist Naval Architectural knowledge in order to undertake engineering activities delegated by the Project Lead Engineer or Naval Architect in line with all relevant processes and quality requirements. Depending on the specific project that is being supported, the individual will be expected to lead, manage, assure or carry out the Naval Architecture input to the assigned project such as:

• Assure drydockings of ships
• Conduct ship stability / hydromechanic analysis
• Conduct structural design and analysis for various materials including metals and composites
• Conduct design or material state surveys
• Conduct or manage complex engineering change
• Create or assure structural repair plans for metals or composites and support the periodical survey, repair and certification requirements of the Class including repair assurance activities and the collation/creation of evidence and submissions for Naval Authority or Classification Society Certification
• Ensure maintenance of Naval Architecture (including structures and outfit) design intent by understanding and promoting or enacting design compliance in their sphere of operations
• Take action and collate evidence to ensure Naval Authority Key Hazard Certification is not compromised. Including identifying, and challenging design change that may cause invalidation of any of the Naval Authority Key Hazard Certificates in the Naval Architecture domain (covering Structural Strength, Stability and WTI, EER, Structural Fire Protection, Material Fire Safety)
• Provide tasking and technical oversight to naval architects and engineers supporting the project including the coordination and prioritisation of tasking
• Lead the management of stability and watertight integrity compliance and associated margin management

Your skills and experiences:

• Qualified to degree level, MEng in Naval Architecture / Marine Technology / Ship Science is essential
• Chartered Engineer or can demonstrate a clear route to achieving this in a defined period
• Engineering material selection and use, particularly according to British Standards / Euronorms / Classification Society standards and Defence Standards
• Familiarity of Engineering / Naval architecture software, preferably PARAMARINE. Experience of CAD software such as AutoCAD, Inventor is desirable
• Warship structural design, including an understanding of periodical survey regimes (MoD/NAG and/or Classifications Societies)

Benefits:

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts – you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The Naval Architects Team:

Would you like to join us and help to define the future of warship support? We currently have a vacancy for Principal Naval Architect at Portsmouth Naval Base.

As a Principal Naval Architect, you will be working in a key role within the Naval Architecture Hub team responsible for providing naval architecture capability across a broad spectrum of projects. You will be providing solutions in support of the Royal Navy surface fleet worldwide.

This role will provide you with the opportunity of working in an important and challenging role critical to our naval capability. You will have direct involvement with the surface fleet and real‑life exposure to waterfront ship engineering.

As the world has evolved, so has the way we work. Our working approach, will enable you to have flexibility with your working hours, depending on your role and location. This could include accruing hours as well as flexibility around start and finish times, ensuring you can balance life at work, on site and life at home.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date:

1st December 2025.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.