Navy Command - Principal Safety Case Engineers

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.

Ready to take your nuclear safety expertise to the next level and help protect one of the UK’s most critical defence programmes?

We’re looking for experienced Principal Safety Case Engineers to join us in HMNB Clyde, supporting both the Naval Nuclear Propulsion and the Nuclear Weapon Programmes. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of the UK’s submarine operations, leading the development and assurance of safety cases that underpin safe, compliant, and effective delivery of the nation’s continuous at-sea deterrent.

You’ll operate within the Approving Authority, influencing key decisions, advising senior stakeholders, and ensuring robust nuclear safety standards across complex, high-hazard environments.

What you’ll be doing:

• Act as an Approving Authority Subject Matter Expert, providing independent review, challenge, and approval of nuclear safety cases for reactor plant, nuclear weapons, and conventional ordnance munitions and explosives.
• Provide assurance of Site Safety Cases, including oversight of development, maintenance, and periodic review of supporting safety documentation.
• Ensure compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements, maintaining alignment with nuclear safety standards and current good practice.
• Provide expert technical advice to senior stakeholders, authorisation panels, and project teams on safety justification, commissioning activities, operational constraints, and regulatory compliance.
• Assess risks associated with design changes, defects, and deviations, ensuring risks are reduced As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) and that safety arguments remain robust.
• Contribute to safety governance and assurance processes, including participation in technical review groups and safety forums.
• Promote a strong safety culture, supporting continuous improvement in safety case quality, methodology, and organisational capability.

Open to UK nationals only.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of Defence Reform, Navy Command continues to review and evolve its Target Operating Model to support more agile ways of working. In this context, the role and responsibilities of this role may develop over time to reflect changing business priorities and opportunities.

At Sift, you’ll be assessed against the following;

• Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history and qualification details.
• Candidates will be required to provide a personal statement. This should be a maximum of 500 words that sets out your motivation for applying and shows how your skills and experience meet the essential requirements for the role.

At Interview, you’ll be assessed against the following;

Behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical:

• Nuclear Competence Framework 1.2 – Nuclear Safety Management Systems – Level 2
• Nuclear Competence Framework 1.3 – Nuclear Safety Cases – Level 2

Further information:

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.