Submarine Disposal & Defuel Engineer (2 Year Secondment) - Submarines

Job Description

Submarine Disposal & Defuel Engineer (2 Year Secondment) - Submarines

Full-time, Hybrid

Plymouth - Devonport

The Rolls-Royce Submarines Services team located at HM Naval Base Devonport has an exciting 2-year secondment opportunity for a Mechanical Engineer to work directly with the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA).

Seconded into the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA), you will provide invaluable technical support to the Disposal Design Authority (DDA) in the decommissioning, defuel and disposal of the nation’s naval nuclear assets following Fleet Non-Operation Date (FNOD). You’ll work collaboratively with enterprise partners including a range of teams across the SDA to solve complex and novel engineering problems.

This role offers opportunity to lead on all activities and approvals required to ensure compliance with the Disposal Policy, Disposal Platform Safety Case, Facility Safety Cases and Naval reactor Plant (NRP) Shutdown safety assessment.

This role provides the opportunity to work with multi-disciplinary teams, engage with a variety of industrial partners, and develop best-practice approaches to optimise and innovate in a developing area of engineering. It’s a chance to make a tangible impact on the direction of the disposal programme while expanding your experience through working embedded within the SDA on an active nuclear licenced site.

Why join Rolls-Royce?

At Rolls-Royce we are proud to be a business that has truly helped to shape the modern world and are committed to always being a force for progress; powering, protecting and connecting people everywhere.

By joining Rolls-Royce, you'll have the opportunity to work on world-class solutions, supported by a culture that believes individuality is our greatest strength, and all perspectives, experiences and backgrounds help us innovate and enable our high-performance culture.

What you will be doing:  

In this role, you will support the Disposal Design Authority Chief Engineer in providing platform material state acceptance during long-term berthing preparations and through to final disposal. You will act as the principal point of contact for the Platform Defuel Project Management Team while exploring opportunities to optimise the wider Submarine Disposal Programme.

You will:

• Define maintenance requirements for all Laid-Up Submarines (LUSMs), responding to technical enquiries as a representative of the Structural Design Authority.
• Manage platform concessions to ensure alignment with Facility Safety Cases and provide platform structural assurance.
• Lead improvement campaigns to enhance the resilience of the disposal programme and improve existing best practices.
• Work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams to reduce risk and deliver decommissioning, defuel, and disposal-related tasks.
• Identify and lead novel studies and work packages utilising LUSMs to improve the Submarine Disposal Programme (SDP) and increase in-service availability.
• Act as a representative for the Disposal Design Authority during trials and experiments on disposal submarines, ensuring compliance with material state and configuration requirements.
• Support lessons learned and continuous improvement initiatives to embed best practices across the disposal programme.
• Provide technical oversight and assurance for maintenance schedules, survey observations, and recommendations, ensuring compliance with SDDI policy and vessel configuration parameters.

Position Qualifications:

Essential:

• A degree, or equivalent, in an engineering or related technical discipline.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to liaise effectively at all levels.
• Experience authoring technical reports and providing technical assurance.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively.

Desirable:

• Experience in structural engineering and Non-Destructive Examination (NDE) techniques.
• Familiarity with managing and influencing safety case development and technical reviews.
• Strong technical knowledge of nuclear reactor plants (NRP), radiological waste management, and submarine systems.
• Ability to assess and manage risks, concessions, and safety case compliance.
• Experience in planning and managing maintenance schedules and work packages for complex systems.

For more than 60 years Rolls-Royce Submarines has designed, supplied and supported the nuclear propulsion plant, providing power for all UK Royal Navy nuclear submarines. 

To work for Rolls-Royce Submarines an individual must hold a Security Check clearance. We will support the application for Security Clearance if you don’t already have it. Due to the nature of work we conduct, we can only progress applications from individuals who are a UK national or, in MoD approved cases, a dual national.

Please be aware that the priority will be given to employees identified as being at high risk. 

The professional level and the salary of the position will be dependent on the skills and experience of the successful candidate. 

It is advised that you inform your current manager of your application for this role.

Grade: 7-10

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