By 2050, the planet could be using twice as much electricity compared to today. Are you interested in strategically contributing to shape the future of the world’s energy? If so, read on.

Fusion, the process that powers the Sun and Stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs. UKAEA are at the forefront of realising energy from fusion, working with industry and research partners to deliver the ground-breaking developments that will underpin tomorrow's fusion power stations with the aim of bringing fusion electricity to the grid.

As we work towards our mission and goals, UKAEA has devised values that capture the spirit of how we work. These values include being: Innovative, Committed, Trusted and Collaborative.

Who are we looking for?

The UKAEA have a permanent new opening for a Design Authority Principal Engineer looking to take responsibility and enjoy an exciting position where you will be able to provide engineering rigor across a number of facilities at the forefront of cutting edge technologies for a future fusion based economy. You will be an important part of the team enabling science to make fusion a reality, safely.

This Principal Engineer role would be based within the ‘Office of the Chief Engineer’ Department. This department provides technical governance for the full lifecycle of all UKAEA’s engineering activities, providing the ‘Engineering Authority’ and ‘Fusion Safety Authority’ that are important to realising effective, safe technical outcomes.

You would be well suited for this role if you can communicate clearly and effectively at all levels to help portray your understanding of both detail-oriented & ‘bigger’ picture scenarios. You will be driven to grow yourself and also have the ability to help mentor and encourage others looking to grow and develop, whilst maintaining a high professional standard in respect to delivering engineering quality and compliance.

What will you be responsible for?

• Being the Facility Chief Engineer/Principal Engineer for UKAEA facilities in active materials and/or tritium handling
• Design approval of new systems and equipment in active material and tritium handling areas
• Engineering evaluation of issues and presentation of associated solutions and risks
• Mentoring and guiding engineering projects on compliance and processes

Additional notes

On occasion you may be expected to work in radioactive facilities, you may also be involved with the handling of Berylium.

Essential Education, Skills, Experience and Competence required

• Relevant engineering or science based degree
• Member (or working towards membership) of a recognised Institution
• Delivering and utilising complex industrial or research plant (e.g. process, oil/gas, nuclear)
• Delivery across Plant Lifecycle (Need, Design, Build & Test, Commission, Operate, Monitor, Maintain & Modify, Decommission)
• Relevant industrial regulations, codes, standards and norms together with tailoring their application within a diverse business
• Experience working within and leading multi-disciplinary teams, to include several specialties from the following: Engineering Delivery; Operations; Safety Case; Machine / Plant / Asset Protection; Asset Management & Maintenance; Quality Assurance; Waste Management; Environment; Safety

Desirable skills, experience and competence

• Disciplines: Process Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Physics
• Technologies: Magnets, Vacuum, Cryogenics, Heat Exchange, Nuclear Infrastructure (Shielding, Ventilation)
• Technical Risk Assessment & Management for competing requirements (Reliability, Safety, Performance, Lifetime, ...)
• Delivery and exploitation of innovative engineering for research and development purposes, ideally leveraging personal skills or teams that have included: Project Management, Systems Engineering, Quality & Continuous Improvement

What we offer

• A competitive salary  
• A culture committed to being fully inclusive, supported by a Being Inclusive Strategy and Inclusion Ambassadors 
• An Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders, with a full calendar of health and wellbeing initiatives 
• Flexible working options including family friendly policies  
• Emergency leave (paid) 
• 30.5 days annual leave (including privilege days and 3 days between Christmas and New Year) increased with length of service 
• Wide range of career development opportunities (e.g professional registration, internal promotions, coaching and mentoring programme)  
• Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme  
• Annual corporate bonus scheme  
• Relocation allowance (if eligible) 

We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly from individuals from black and other ethnic minority backgrounds, including nationality and citizenship, people with disabilities, (visible and hidden) and women. The Executive team with support from our EDI ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’ (EDI) partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, is actively promoting EDI and taking steps to increase the diversity of our people through reinforcing best practice in recruitment and selection, and revaluating approaches where it is clear we can remove barriers to success. We are easily accessible by car and are a 10-minute walk from Culham Railway Station in Oxfordshire.

Please be advised that this vacancy is due to close on 15th October 2021 . We may close earlier than this date if large or sufficient numbers of applications are received.

Please note all employees working at the UK Atomic Energy Authority will be required to complete an online Disclosure Certificate application as part of their clearance – The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks will show the details of all current criminal convictions (convictions considered unspent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974) or will confirm that there are no such convictions.