Job Title: First Line Manager Pipe Fitter
Location: Plymouth, Devon
Compensation: £41, + 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 First Line Manager Pipe Fitter at our Devonport Royal Dockyard site.
The role
As a First Line Manager Pipe Fitter, you’ll lead and develop a highly skilled team delivering complex pipe fitting work on some of the UK’s most advanced submarine platforms. This is a hands‑on leadership role where your technical expertise and people skills will combine to deliver high‑quality, safe and timely engineering outputs that directly support national defence.
Day-to-day, you’ll manage a small team of experienced pipe fitters, coordinating repairs, maintenance and upgrades across a variety of submarine projects. Whether your background is maritime, nuclear, oil and gas, heavy industry or large‑scale manufacturing, this role offers a unique opportunity to step into leadership while continuing to work at the cutting edge of engineering.
1. Leading and supervising a team of pipe fitters delivering repair, maintenance and installation activities.
2. Planning and allocating work to meet programme, quality and safety requirements.
3. Ensuring all activities comply with health, safety and environmental standards.
4. Supporting team development through coaching, performance management and skills growth.
5. Working closely with engineering, production and project teams to deliver complex submarine work scopes.
This role is full time, 35 hours per week and is based on site at Devonport Royal Dockyard.
Essential experience of the First Line Manager Pipe Fitter
6. Proven experience as a pipe fitter within manufacturing, repair or heavy engineering environments.
7. Strong understanding of health and safety practices within production or engineering settings.
8. Experience supervising teams or the motivation and capability to step into a leadership role.
9. Background in repair, replacement, overhaul or maintenance activities.
10. Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to lead, motivate and engage a skilled workforce.
Qualifications for the First Line Manager Pipe Fitter
11. ONC or NVQ Level 3 in a relevant mechanical or engineering discipline.
12. ILM Level 3 and IOSH qualifications (training can be provided through Babcock) - Desirable
Security Clearance
The successful candidate must be a sole UK National who is 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 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.