Rail Permanent Way Operative

Location:

Belfast, GB, BT3 9GB

Onsite or Hybrid: OnSite

Job Title: Rail Permanent Way Operative

Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Compensation: £27,550.00 + Roster Premium of 32.5% and Over time

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Role ID: SF77292

Help keep the railway 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 Rail Permanent Way Operative at Belfast, County Antrim

The role

As a Rail Permanent Way Operative, you'll play an important role in maintaining and renewing critical rail infrastructure that keeps passengers and freight moving safely and efficiently. Working as part of our skilled rail team, you'll contribute to the delivery of track maintenance and renewal projects across the rail network, helping to ensure safety, reliability and operational performance. This is an exciting opportunity to develop your career within a leading engineering organisation where your work will have a direct impact on essential transport infrastructure.

Day-to-day, you’ll be required to:

Carry out track renewal and permanent way activities in line with project requirements.
Assist with the safe delivery of railway infrastructure projects and maintenance works.
Operate small plant and track maintenance equipment in accordance with competency requirements.
Follow railway safety procedures, regulations and health and safety standards at all times.
Support wider site activities and contributing to successful project delivery across operational locations.

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

Essential experience of the Rail Permanent Way Operative

Experience carrying out track renewal and permanent way activities.
Knowledge of rail track components, including switches and crossings.
Experience working safely within a railway environment.
Experience operating small plant and rail infrastructure maintenance equipment.
Ability to work flexible hours and travel or work away from the home depot when required.

Qualifications for the Rail Permanent Way Operative

Northern Ireland Railways Personal Track Safety certification.
Competence in the operation of small plant and track maintenance equipment.
Knowledge of railway rules, regulations and health and safety requirements.
Ability to drive or willingness to learn.
Ability to maintain safety-critical competencies and work safely on operational railway infrastructure.

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