Job Title: Principal Configuration Engineer
Location: Stoke Gifford, Bristol or Plymouth, Devon + Hybrid Working Arrangements
Compensation: From £59,000 negotiable depending on experience + Benefits
Role Type: Full time / Permanent
Role ID: SF67009
Shape the future of defence engineering
At Babcock, we’re working to create a safe and secure world, together. If you join us, you can play your part as a Principal Configuration Engineer at Bristol Business Park, Stoke Gifford, near Bristol, or at Devonport Dockyard, near Plymouth, Devon.
The role
As a Principal Configuration Engineer, you’ll be working within our Engineering & Systems Integration (E&SI) business, where we convert and adapt complex platforms for defence customers. You will play a key role in ensuring integrated, compliant, and controlled delivery across high‑profile defence programmes.
This is a unique opportunity to provide senior technical leadership in configuration management, work closely with multi‑disciplinary teams, and drive continuous improvement. You’ll make a real impact on programme delivery while further developing your own technical authority and career.
Day-to-day you’ll be:
- Leading the establishment and maintenance of configuration baselines across E&SI programmes
- Managing engineering change control processes, including Change Requests, Change Notices, and Configuration Control Boards
- Collaborating with systems engineering, design, manufacturing, quality, trials, and supply chain teams to ensure consistent CM practices
- Maintaining accurate configuration records and ensuring traceability between customer requirements, design data, and delivered platforms
- Driving continuous improvement in configuration management processes, data quality, and supporting tools
The role can be based at Bristol Business Park, Stoke Gifford, or Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth. The set working time is 37.5 hours per week, with hybrid working patterns available.
Essential experience of the Principal Configuration Engineer:
- Significant experience in configuration management within defence, aerospace, automotive, or other highly regulated engineering environments
- Experience working within Engineering & Systems Integration or platform conversion programmes
- Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills
- Proficiency with CM / PLM tools such as Windchill, Teamcenter, or equivalent systems
- Proven ability to lead and influence cross‑functional teams and experience in lifecycle management and engineering change control
Qualifications for the Principal Configuration Engineer:
- Degree (or equivalent experience) in engineering, information systems, or a related technical discipline
- Strong understanding of configuration management principles and standards (e.g. ISO 10007, DEF STAN 05‑57)
Security Clearance
The successful candidate must be 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 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 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. This Window opens February through to March annually.
- ‘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.
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 careers@babcockinternational.com 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: 13/05/2026
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