Senior Metallurgy and Materials Engineer

Babcock Mission Critical Services España SA.; Plymouth; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 49,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Matched pension

Digital GP

Employee share scheme

Staff discounts

Professional fee payments

Generous leave options

Job summary

We’re seeking a Senior Metallurgy and Materials Engineer at Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard. You’ll provide expert materials engineering support across the lifecycle, leading testing and analysis to ensure safety and performance of critical components within naval assets.

You’ll also mentor staff, contribute to correlative investigations, and advise on materials selection, welding, heat treatment, and standards compliance in a defence context.

Qualifications

• Experience in a UKAS-accredited lab performing mechanical testing and metallography.
• Knowledge of corrosion inspection, survey, and rectification in nuclear contexts.
• Experience authoring and reviewing test methods and engineering reports.

Responsibilities

• Lead testing, metallurgical analysis, and evaluations to assess integrity and performance.
• Lead failure investigations and root-cause analysis on safety-critical components.
• Advise on material selection, fabrication, heat treatment and best practices.
• Manage testing programmes and mentor staff within a UKAS-lab environment.
• Support supplier audits, standards compliance, and process development.

Skills

UKAS lab experience

Materials science

Corrosion inspection

Test methods documentation

Safety compliance

Defence sector experience

Education

Materials science degree

Nuclear standards course beneficial

Engineering council registration desirable

Job description

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Senior Metallurgy and Materials Engineer

Location: Devonport, Plymouth, GB, PL1 4SG

Onsite or Hybrid: OnSite

Your Role

Applies Engineering concepts and theories to deliver the development designs, calculations and technical solutions across a range of applications for Babcock products and services across the Engineering Product Lifecycle. An experienced Engineer, directly accountable for designs, calculations and technical solutions. Able to work under own initiative to produce high quality outputs. Capable of managing others and or delivery of engineering and technical activities, through the application of process, domain knowledge and experience. Can apply a wider range of knowledge to complex situations. Provides mentoring to others

Job Title: Senior Metallurgy and Materials Engineer

Compensation: From £44,600 Depending on Experience + Benefits

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Role ID: SF75265

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 Senior Materials Engineer at our Devonport Royal Dockyard site.

The role

As a Senior Metallurgy and Materials Engineer, you’ll join our specialist Metallurgy & Materials team, where you will provide critical technical expertise to support the safety, performance, and availability of the Royal Navy's fleet and supporting assets. This is an exciting opportunity to apply advanced materials engineering knowledge in both laboratory and operational environments, investigate complex engineering challenges, and deliver solutions that directly impact national defence.

On a day-to-day basis, you’ll lead specialist testing, analysis, and failure investigations to ensure the integrity and reliability of safety-critical components and systems. In return, you'll be exposed to unique defence programmes, innovative technologies, and ongoing opportunities for professional development within one of the UK's leading engineering organisations.

• Conduct materials testing, metallurgical analysis, and engineering evaluations to assess component integrity, performance, and compliance.
• Lead material failure investigations, root cause analysis, and on-site inspections, implementing corrective actions for corrosion and degradation issues.
• Provide specialist advice on material selection, fabrication, heat treatment, and engineering best practice to optimise safety and performance.
• Manage routine and specialist testing programmes, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams on safety-critical projects and customer requirements.
• Support quality assurance through supplier audits, process approvals, standards compliance, method development, and mentoring staff within a UKAS-accredited laboratory.

This role is full-time, 35 hours per week, and based on-site at Devonport Royal Dockyard.

Essential experience of the Senior Metallurgy and Materials Engineer

• Experience in a UKAS-accredited laboratory performing mechanical testing, metallography, weld evaluation, and certification review to international standards.
• Proven expertise in materials science/metallurgical engineering, including corrosion inspection, survey, and rectification, ideally within nuclear reactor systems.
• Experience authoring and reviewing test methods, technical documentation, and engineering reports.
• Strong understanding of safety legislation, digital engineering tools, data analysis, and image processing techniques.
• Defence sector experience, with excellent communication, collaborative working, and a commitment to continuous improvement and problem-solving.

Qualifications for the Senior Metallurgy and Materials Engineer

• Degree in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Metallurgy, or a related engineering discipline.
• Nuclear Standards Inspection and Component Staining Categorisation course would be highly beneficial.
• Nuclear Plant Foundation (Module 1) course would be highly beneficial.
• Membership of a relevant professional institution is desirable.
• Eligibility for professional registration with the UK Engineering Council at Incorporated Engineer or Chartered Engineer level is preferred.

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be a sole UK National who is able to achieve and maintain Naval Nuclear Propulsion Information (NNPPI) 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

• 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.

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.