Job Title: Reactor Chemist
Location: Plymouth, Devon
Compensation: Competitive + Benefits
Role Type: Full time / Permanent
Role ID: SF73523
Where science protects people, the environment and national security
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 Reactor Chemist at our Devonport Royal Dockyard site.
As a Reactor Chemist, you’ll provide specialist scientific expertise that is fundamental to the safe and compliant operation of submarine nuclear reactor systems. Working on a licensed nuclear site, your role is central to chemistry control, radiochemical analysis and environmental compliance across all stages of submarine maintenance, refit, testing and defuel activities.
Day-to-day, you’ll interpret complex data, influence decision‑making, and work collaboratively across engineering, operations and safety teams. In return, you’ll gain deep technical experience, exposure to nationally critical programmes, and long‑term career development within one of the UK’s most trusted engineering organisations.
- Performing chemical and radiochemical analysis of samples from submarines and nuclear infrastructure systems
- Monitoring reactor and water chemistry during refit, repair, testing and defuel activities
- Analysing effluents and swabs to ensure compliance with environmental permits and cleanliness standards
- Supporting radioactive waste characterisation, enabling safe transport and disposal
- Providing expert scientific advice, working closely with multidisciplinary teams across the dockyard
This role is full time, 35 hours per week and is based on site at Devonport Royal Dockyard.
Essential experience of the Reactor Chemist
- Experience in radiochemistry, water chemistry or analytical chemistry within a regulated environment
- Practical laboratory experience, including sampling, analysis and interpretation of complex data
- Understanding of chemical control principles related to corrosion, contamination and safety
- Experience working to defined procedures, standards and quality systems
- Ability to communicate scientific findings clearly to technical and non‑technical stakeholders
Qualifications for the Reactor Chemist
- Degree, or equivalent, in Chemistry or a closely related scientific discipline
- Experience working within a UKAS‑accredited laboratory environment - Advantageous
- Additional nuclear, radiological or analytical qualifications are desirable
Security Clearance
The successful candidate must be a sole UK National who is 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 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.
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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