Job Title: Cranes Operator
Location: Plymouth, Devon
Compensation: £28,000 - £32,200 Depending on Experience + Benefits
Role Type: Full time / Permanent
Role ID: SF76450
Help keep the Royal Navy mission-ready through safe and critical lifting operations
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 Cranes Operator at our Devonport Royal Dockyard site.
The role
As a Cranes Operator, you’ll join a team at the forefront of supporting the Royal Navy fleet. This is an opportunity to be part of complex maintenance, refit and engineering programmes that help ensure the continued serviceability of warships and submarines.
Day-to-day, you’ll safely move, support and reposition materials and equipment that enable critical structural alterations and repairs. Every lift you complete plays a direct role in supporting national defence whilst giving you the chance to develop specialist skills in a unique maritime engineering environment. You'll also have opportunities to share your expertise and support the development of trainee operators.
- Operating fixed, mobile and dockside cranes in accordance with lifting plans, procedures and safety requirements.
- Conducting pre-use inspections and safety checks to ensure lifting equipment remains safe and fit for purpose.
- Positioning and configuring cranes safely while identifying hazards, ground loading restrictions and environmental risks.
- Communicating effectively with crane supervisors, slinger signallers and operational teams throughout lifting activities.
- Supporting complex lifting operations, monitoring weather conditions and contributing to the development of trainee operators.
This role is full time, 35 hours per week and is based on site at Devonport Royal Dockyard.
Essential experience of the Cranes Operator
- Experience carrying out safe and efficient lifting operations within industrial, engineering, maritime, construction or similar environments.
- Working knowledge of lifting plans, risk assessments and permit-to-work requirements.
- Experience following statutory regulations and safe systems of work.
- Ability to communicate effectively during lifting and operational activities.
- Strong commitment to safety, teamwork and operational excellence.
Qualifications for the Cranes Operator
It would be advantageous if you hold any of the following:
- HGV Category C Driving Licence.
- NPORS 101 Mobile Crane Operator qualification (or equivalent).
- NPORS 102 Tower Crane Operator qualification (or equivalent).
- NPORS 402 Slinger Signaller qualification (or equivalent).
- NPORS 405 Crane Supervisor qualification (or equivalent).
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
Babcock
We’re Babcock — a global FTSE 100 organisation with over 29,000 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: 30/10/2026
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