Principal Safety Engineer - Hybrid Dockyard/Defence

weServed; Plymouth; Hybrid; GBP 61,000 - 69,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Matched pension with life assurance

Digital GP and health checks

Employee share scheme

Employee shopping portal

Professional fees paid

10 days paid leave for Reservists

Holiday Trading and Be Kind Day

Job summary

Babcock in Plymouth, Devon, is looking for a Principal Safety Engineer to lead safety engineering across major infrastructure projects in the Royal Navy sustainment programmes. This full-time role combines site work at Devonport with hybrid office attendance to ensure compliance with regulatory and safety standards.

You will review safety cases, guide design packages, and support design teams to deliver safe, verifiable solutions.

Qualifications

• Strong background in safety engineering within complex projects and high-hazard industries.
• Experience reviewing or managing safety cases and assessing design intent.
• Dockyard, defence, or nuclear industry experience (oil and gas, rail, aerospace also considered).
• Experience as a Design Authority or supporting DA processes – Desirable
• Ability to evaluate technical issues and guide engineering teams toward compliant solutions.

Responsibilities

• Review safety engineering designs to assess compliance against relevant engineering and HSE standards.
• Provide subject matter expertise to support technical problem-solving across design and construction teams.
• Guide and review safety design packages, ensuring integration with other engineering disciplines.
• Ensure safety case claims can be substantiated through compliant, complete and accurate design documentation.
• Provide onsite advice for design changes or defect rectification, ensuring quality assurance and adherence to engineering.

Skills

Safety engineering

Design Authority

Regulatory compliance

Problem solving

Team guidance

Education

Degree in Engineering or STEM

Job description

Babcock in Plymouth, Devon, is looking for a Principal Safety Engineer to lead safety engineering across major infrastructure projects in the Royal Navy sustainment programmes. This full-time role combines site work at Devonport with hybrid office attendance to ensure compliance with regulatory and safety standards.

You will review safety cases, guide design packages, and support design teams to deliver safe, verifiable solutions.