Submarine pressure hull under construction in a naval defence build hall at night
UK defence & nuclear

Search UK defence jobs by security clearance

Filter DV, SC, CTC and BPSS roles in one place — public and private defence vacancies, from submarines at Barrow and warship refits at Devonport to combat air, weapons systems and the nuclear enterprise.

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UK-wide
roles from Barrow and Devonport to Derby, Filton and Aldermaston
5
programme hubs covering naval, nuclear, air, land and supply chain
Decades
of funded submarine, warship, air systems and decommissioning work
481
live vacancies right now

Career pathways

Every vacancy sits in one of the five UK defence programmes driving hiring — from submarine build and dockyard refits to air, land and weapons systems.

Browse all opportunities

Major projects timeline

Which defence programmes ramp up when, and the disciplines each phase hires — so you can plan a career around the pipeline, not just chase a vacancy.

  1. Now – 2030

    Dreadnought build peak, Barrow

    The four Dreadnought-class boats are in build at BAE Systems Barrow, with a multi-billion-pound infrastructure programme reshaping the yard alongside them.

    Roles needed: Welders, pipefitters, outfitters, electrical fitters, design and systems engineers

  2. Now – 2035

    Sellafield legacy pond and silo retrievals

    Retrieving waste from the highest-hazard legacy facilities remains the site's priority mission, delivered with Tier 1 and Tier 2 partners.

    Roles needed: Radiation protection, waste operatives, safety case, mechanical handling, project controls

  3. 2027 – 2040

    SSN-AUKUS ramp-up

    The next-generation attack submarine programme grows the Barrow workforce and pulls in a UK-wide supply chain of fabricators and system suppliers.

    Roles needed: Trades apprentices, manufacturing engineers, supply chain, quality and NDT

  4. 2028 – 2045

    Small modular reactors and new build

    SMR deployment and North West energy infrastructure open a second wave of construction, commissioning and operations roles.

    Roles needed: Civil and structural, commissioning engineers, C&I, operations technicians

  5. 2030s – 2120s

    Long-term decommissioning and waste management

    Sellafield's full clean-up spans generations, with geological disposal and waste packaging work sustaining employment well beyond the current programmes.

    Roles needed: Nuclear safety, waste characterisation, engineering maintenance, environmental

How your trade transfers into defence work

Browse by discipline

Submarine and warship build, dockyard refit, combat air, weapons systems, licensed nuclear sites and the trades behind them.

Defence & Submarine Programmes

Barrow submarine build, naval architecture and defence supply chain.

445 open roles

Project & Programme Management

Project engineers, package managers and programme delivery leads.

200 open roles

Digital, Data & Cyber Security

Software, data engineering, OT/IT cyber and digital twin delivery.

62 open roles

Electrical, Control & Instrumentation

EC&I design, PLC/SCADA, HV/LV distribution and instrument technicians.

46 open roles

Design Engineering & CAD

Design authority, draughting, 3D modelling and configuration control.

43 open roles

Mechanical Engineering

Rotating plant, pressure systems, pipework, HVAC and maintenance engineering.

40 open roles

Project Controls, Planning & Cost

Planners, cost engineers, estimators, schedulers and risk analysts.

40 open roles

Quality, Inspection & NDT

QA/QC, NDT (UT, RT, MPI, DPI), metrology and supplier quality.

28 open roles

Welding, Fabrication & Machining

Coded welding, plate work, CNC machining and heavy fabrication.

16 open roles

Commissioning & Plant Operations

Commissioning engineers, operators, shift teams and outage support.

15 open roles

Civil & Structural Engineering

Structural analysis, reinforced concrete, seismic qualification and site civils.

13 open roles

Apprenticeships & Graduate Schemes

Level 2 to degree apprenticeships, graduate and trainee routes.

12 open roles

Supply Chain & Procurement

Procurement, contracts, expediting, logistics and stores.

10 open roles

HSE, Environment & Assurance

Health & safety, environmental, CDM and independent assurance roles.

6 open roles

Site Services & Support Trades

Scaffolding, rigging, insulation, painting, HGV and site logistics.

5 open roles

Process & Chemical Engineering

Process design, chemistry, fuel cycle and effluent treatment.

3 open roles

Decommissioning & Waste Management

Retrievals, characterisation, ILW/LLW packaging and legacy ponds.

1 open role

Radiation Protection & Health Physics

RPA, RPS, health physics monitoring, dosimetry and contamination control.

No live roles right now

Nuclear Safety & Safety Case

Safety cases, fault studies, HAZOP, ALARP and regulatory compliance.

No live roles right now

Featured vacancies

View all jobs

Heads up: every vacancy here is based in the UK and the North West of England, and employers require the existing right to work in the UK plus UK security clearance eligibility for most nuclear and defence roles.

TCC Global · Hayes, London

£53,756 – £53,756

Product Designer - Home & Lifestyle with TCC Global in Hayes, London. Listed under Defence programmes & platforms. Advertised salary £53,756 – £53,756. Apply via the employer's own advert.

View and apply

Conrad Consulting Ltd. · UK

£60,000 – £65,000

Associate Structural Engineer with Conrad Consulting Ltd. in UK. Listed under Defence programmes & platforms. Advertised salary £60,000 – £65,000. Apply via the employer's own advert.

View and apply

Conrad Consulting Ltd. · UK

£40,000 – £45,000

Civil Engineer - Aviation Infrastructure with Conrad Consulting Ltd. in UK. Listed under Defence programmes & platforms. Advertised salary £40,000 – £45,000. Apply via the employer's own advert.

View and apply

CBW Staffing Solutions · Essex, Eastern England

£64,000 – £64,000

Engineering Manager with CBW Staffing Solutions in Essex, Eastern England. Listed under Defence programmes & platforms. Advertised salary £64,000 – £64,000. Apply via the employer's own advert.

View and apply

Rise Technical Recruitment · Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

£50,000

Network Infrastructure Project Manager with Rise Technical Recruitment in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. Listed under Defence programmes & platforms. Apply via the employer's own advert.

View and apply

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