Lead Rail Permanent Way Operative

Location:

Belfast, GB, BT3 9GB

Onsite or Hybrid: OnSite

Job Title: Lead Rail Permanent Way Operative

Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Compensation: £29,054.00 + Roster Premium of 32.5% and Over time

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Role ID: SF77279

Help Keep Rail Networks Moving Safely and Reliably

At Babcock, we’re working to create a safe and secure world, together. If you join us, you can play your part as a Lead Rail Permanent Way Operative at Belfast, County Antrim.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a skilled rail infrastructure team delivering essential track renewal and maintenance works across major rail projects. Working in a safety-critical environment, you'll play a key role in maintaining and improving railway infrastructure, helping to ensure passengers and freight reach their destinations safely and efficiently. With opportunities to work on varied projects, utilise specialist equipment, and develop your expertise within a leading engineering organisation, this role offers excellent career growth within the rail industry.

The role

As a Lead Rail Permanent Way Operative, you'll support the safe and efficient delivery of track renewal and maintenance activities, including switches and crossings, across operational railway environments. You'll work alongside experienced rail professionals, contribute to the successful delivery of infrastructure projects, and help maintain the high standards of safety and quality that underpin everything we do.

Day-to-day, you’ll be required to:

Carry out track renewal and permanent way maintenance activities across rail infrastructure projects.
Support Team Leaders and Supervisors with the safe and efficient delivery of planned works.
Operate small plant and rail maintenance equipment in line with training and competency requirements.
Ensure all activities comply with railway standards, safety regulations and statutory requirements.
Undertake additional site duties to support successful project delivery across project locations.

This role is full time, 35 hours per week and is based on site in Belfast. You will be paid roster premium for working two weekends in four and two weeks of nights in four.

Essential experience of the Lead Rail Permanent Way Operative

Experience undertaking track renewal and permanent way activities, including switches and crossings.
Experience working safely within a railway environment and applying railway rules, procedures and health and safety legislation.
Experience operating small plant and rail infrastructure maintenance equipment.
Experience supporting the delivery of track maintenance or renewal projects as part of a site team.
Ability to work flexibly, including nights, weekends and working away from the home depot when required.

Qualifications for the Lead Rail Permanent Way Operative

Northern Ireland Railways Personal Track Safety, Track Safety Competence, Possession Operator and Engineering Operator certifications.
Successful completion of Trackman training and IOSH Working Safely qualification.
Competence in the use of small plant and track maintenance equipment.
Full UK driving licence or willingness to learn and obtain the required driving competency.
Ability to maintain safety-critical competencies and comply with railway safety requirements.

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
Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows the majority of employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement
‘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
Flexible working – we give people more options to better integrate their work and personal life, whilst ensuring that business needs are met
A dynamic working environment

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: 25/11/2026