Navy Command, Principle Design Engineer

Job summary

At Navy Command, we lead, support, and sustain the Royal Navy across every theatre of operations. We coordinate the people, platforms, and missions that keep the Fleet ready for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities. Together, we uphold centuries of naval tradition while driving innovation that ensures the Royal Navy’s readiness to protect our nation and secure our future.

As the authority for the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarine capability, the Submarine Directorate oversees one of the most complex and critical elements of UK defence. Covering everything from in‑service management to long‑term fleet modernisation, the directorate ensures the Submarine Flotilla remains safe, reliable, and ready to meet national security requirements.

You'll be based at HMNB Clyde, home to the UK Submarine Service. It sustains the nation’s continuous at-sea deterrent and supports the Royal Navy’s fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. As a centre of excellence for submarine operations, Clyde plays a critical role in national security and global stability.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Looking for an engineering role where your judgement, leadership and technical knowledge will genuinely matter? Join the HMNB Clyde Design Authority team as a Principal Design Engineer and help shape the policies, standards, designs and engineering evidence that keep vital infrastructure safe and effective. You will tackle varied technical challenges, influence projects from early concept through to operation and life extension, and support the development of the next generation of engineering professionals. It is a role with real responsibility, plenty of variety and the opportunity to make a lasting professional impact.

What you will do:

• Act as the Design Authority’s Subject Matter Expert and Intelligent Customer, providing authoritative engineering direction within your Engineering discipline and demonstrated area of competence.
• Lead the specification, authorship, development, assessment, acceptance, approval, maintenance and management of engineering designs, substantiation, policies, standards, methodologies, guidance, processes and template.
• Translate legislation, regulatory expectations, Safety Management System requirements, recognised standards and relevant good practice into clear, proportionate and practical engineering requirements.
• Ensure infrastructure designs, modifications and supporting engineering evidence meet applicable nuclear, explosive and non-nuclear safety, performance, integrity and operational requirements.
• Ensure engineering substantiation provides robust evidence to support Safety Case claims and arguments and demonstrates that risks have been reducedas low as reasonably practicable.
• Maintain alignment between design intent, Safety Functional Requirements, Operational Functional Requirements and the substantiation of relevant structures, systems and components.
• Define appropriate evidence expectations and acceptance criteria, enabling delivery teams to demonstrate compliance with approved engineering policies, standards and safety requirements.
• Assess engineering designs, modifications, departures, concessions and alternative standards, making recommendations or providing approval where formally delegated and within your demonstrated competence.
• Ensure hazard analysis, source data, commissioning requirements, examination, inspection, maintenance and testing requirements, operating conditions and operational constraints are clearly identified and appropriately substantiated.
• Provide technical direction throughout the engineering lifecycle, including concept development, design, procurement, manufacture, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance, modification and life extension.
• Lead or support independent technical and peer reviews, ensuring that the scope, reviewers, evidence, findings and responses are suitable and proportionate.
• Develop, assess and maintain through-life examination, inspection, maintenance and testing schedules, procedures and associated engineering requirements.
• Review engineering and maintenance results to confirm that infrastructure continues to meet its design intent, safety requirements and operational constraints.
• Support Periodic Safety Review activity by defining engineering standards and evidence expectations, advising on technical findings and contributing to the effective management of shortfalls.
• Work with Safety Case, compliance, assurance and Authorisation Condition specialists to maintain alignment between engineering requirements, Safety Case expectations and organisational arrangements.
• Provide engineering expertise to compliance assessments, audits, inspections, interventions and corrective-action activities.
• Monitor recurring engineering shortfalls, departures, lessons and implementation concerns, identifying trends and recommending improvements to policies, standards and assurance arrangements.
• Present engineering designs, substantiation, policies and technical matters to relevant safety committees, authorisation groups, working groups, inspections and professional forums.
• Build effective relationships with MOD departments, Design Authorities, Authorisees, regulators, programme and project teams, private-sector organisations, consultants and contractors.
• Promote a strong nuclear safety, security and engineering culture, encouraging adherence to approved arrangements, constructive challenge, learning from experience and proportionate decision-making.
• Apply appropriate engineering governance and assurance arrangements to authorised, licensed, non-authorised and wider Estate infrastructure activities.

Person specification

• An accredited degree or equivalent qualification and experience in a relevant engineering discipline, such as mechanical, electrical, high-voltage electrical, civil, Structural, Electrical Control & Instrumentation, building services, naval architecture or another appropriate discipline.
• Engineering knowledge and experience gained within a nuclear, defence, high-hazard, safety-critical or similarly regulated environment.
• Experience of specifying, developing, assessing, accepting, approving, maintaining or implementing engineering requirements, designs, modifications, substantiation, policies, standards or technical management arrangements.
• Experience of acting as an Intelligent Customer, Design Authority representative, technical authority or engineering Subject Matter Expert.
• Knowledge and experience of engineering substantiation for safety-classified structures, systems and components, including the management of design intent and through-life requirements.
• A strong understanding of engineering governance, safety management arrangements, regulatory requirements, recognised standards and relevant good practice.
• The ability to apply safety principles and to define proportionate evidence and acceptance requirements.
• Experience of assessing technical evidence, identifying shortfalls and making sound, evidence-based engineering decisions within personal competence and delegated authority.
• The ability to consider engineering requirements throughout the lifecycle, including design, procurement, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance, modification and life extension.
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to provide technical direction, manage priorities and support the professional development of others.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, including the ability to explain complex engineering matters clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Behavio