Principal Commissioning Engineer - Mechanical

Job Title:                     Principal Mechanical Commissioning Engineer

Location:                     Plymouth, Devon

Compensation:           £57,300 + Benefits

Role Type:                   Full time / Permanent

Role ID:                        SF71776

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 Principal Mechanical Commissioning Engineer at our Devonport Royal Dockyard site.

The role

As a Principal Mechanical Commissioning Engineer, you’ll play a pivotal leadership role in delivering commissioning activities across complex mechanical systems within a highly regulated defence environment. This is your opportunity to lead from the front, ensuring critical infrastructure and assets are brought into service safely, efficiently, and to the highest quality standards.

Day-to-day, you’ll influence project outcomes, mentor engineering teams, and act as a technical authority, helping to deliver essential capabilities that support national defence and security. This role offers the chance to deepen your expertise, expand your leadership impact, and build a meaningful career within defence, aerospace and engineering.

• Leading mechanical commissioning activities across complex projects and systems


• Ensuring systems are commissioned safely, meeting all regulatory and quality requirements


• Providing technical leadership and guidance to engineering and commissioning teams


• Developing and reviewing commissioning documentation, procedures, and test plans


• Coordinating with stakeholders to ensure seamless project delivery

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

Essential experience of the Principal Mechanical Commissioning Engineer

• Demonstrating significant experience in mechanical commissioning within engineering or defence environments


• Applying strong technical knowledge of mechanical systems and commissioning processes


• Leading teams and influencing stakeholders in complex, safety-critical settings


• Working within highly regulated industries with a strong focus on safety and compliance


• Solving complex engineering challenges with a structured and analytical approach

Qualifications for the Principal Mechanical Commissioning Engineer

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent experience


• Chartered Engineer status or working towards - Preferred


• Relevant professional accreditation or membership - 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 United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

What we offer

• Generous holiday allowance


• 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 [email protected] 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.

Closing date: 25/06/2026

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