Job Title: Head of Naval Architecture and Marine Operations
Location: Plymouth, Devon + Hybrid Working Arrangements
Compensation: Competitive + Benefits
Role Type: Full time / Permanent
Role ID: SF
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 Head of Naval Architecture and Marine Operations at our Devonport Royal Dockyard site.
The role
As a Head of Naval Architecture and Marine Operations, you’ll accelerate your leadership impact, deepen your engineering expertise, and contribute to projects that directly support national security and the Royal Navy fleet. It’s a role where your decisions genuinely matter, for your team, the organisation, and the country.
Day-to-day, you’ll take on a pivotal and high‑impact leadership role shaping the future of Babcock’s marine operations. You will guide the technical direction, integrity, and performance of our naval architecture and marine engineering capabilities, ensuring our marine assets remain safe, effective, and ready to support the UK’s defence mission.
1. Lead, develop and inspire a multidisciplinary team of engineers and technicians. Whilst providing technical oversight of marine operations at Devonport.
2. Oversee technical support to existing marine operational assets, ensuring performance, availability, and asset integrity.
3. Provide technical requirements and guidance for the design of new marine assets across major projects.
4. Allocate resources strategically across operational and project portfolios to meet business priorities.
5. Maintain and enhance engineering governance, standards, regulatory compliance and safety processes.
This role is full time, 35 hours per week and provides hybrid working arrangements with a minimum of 3 days in the office/onsite.
Essential experience of the Head of Naval Architecture and Marine Operations
6. Experience of maintaining marine assets.
7. Demonstrable experience of leading technical outputs.
8. Proven ability to manage resources and develop long‑term engineering capability.
9. Experience of working in a highly regulated industry and producing effective engineering processes. Along with an understanding of PUWER, Lloyd’s Register Rules, and BS Maritime Works.
10. Experience in defence, maritime operations or complex engineering environments - Desirable
Qualifications for the Head of Naval Architecture and Marine Operation
11. Degree in Naval Architecture or Marine/Mechanical Engineering (or a closely related engineering field).
12. Chartered Engineer status - Desirable
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 Babcock
We’re Babcock — a global FTSE organisation with over 26, 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.