Fusion Cost Integrator

About the job

Fusion Cost Integrator
Abingdon Rd, Culham, UK
Full-time
Department: STEP
Salary: £49,396 to £52,293 (inclusive of MPP) + excellent benefits
Confirmed Grade: Level 5
Site Location: UKAEA Culham, Oxfordshire

By 2050, the planet could be using twice as much electricity compared to today. Are you interested in contributing and helping 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 is growing its team of cost modelling experts. We have two permanent vacancies available for a Fusion Cost Integrator to make big contributions towards our mission, which is to deliver a prototype fusion energy plant and a pathway to viable commercial fusion by 2040.

This is a highly interactive role in a cross-cutting environment that is part of a high paced delivery programme trying to create a new low carbon energy source. The Fusion Cost Integrator role sits at the heart of the evaluation and optimisation of the cost of the STEP prototype plant design and its extrapolation to commercial power plants.

Due to the nature of the high paced working environment, you will need to operate at pace and with resilience. To be successful as the Fusion Cost Integrator, you will have to be agile, collaborative and supportive but also, you will have to be honest and realistic.

What will you be responsible for?

- Lead the development of cost models relevant to the associated product areas
- Form an integrated understanding of how the costs of an individual system impact on the overall power plant
- Influence the design of individual technical units to be cost optimised
- Launch and manage external procurement related to the creation of cost models
- Coach graduate cost engineer(s)

Essential skills, experience and competence required

- Either strong knowledge of fusion power plant integration and interest in costs or strong cost engineering background in low TRL engineering environments with good technical understanding and interest in integrated fusion power plant design
- Demonstrated ability to quickly build a working knowledge of a new, complex subject matter
- Self-motivated and capable of working independently within a multi-disciplinary team
- Ability to influence product design leads, senior management and other stakeholders
- Ability to plan and manage costing modelling and optimisation activities to support commercially viable product options
- Effective and flexible verbal and written communication skills
- Degree engineering/scientific discipline or significant experience of working in an engineering field

Desirable skills, experience and competence

- Familiarity with the fusion sector/ power sector as well as broad power plant technologies
- Understanding of integration challenges in fusion power plant
- Experience of working in a major programme environment
- Membership of ACostE or completion of a recognised cost engineering/estimating course

Additional Information
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 increased with length of service (including privilege days and 3 days between Christmas and New Year) plus bank holidays
- 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 9th June 2022. 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.

Note for applicants who are applying for employment with UKAEA either from outside the United Kingdom or who have spent time outside the United Kingdom in the last five years. Please visit the UK Government’s website. If the country you are resident in or have resided in is not listed on this website or that the UK Government is not aware of how to obtain a criminal records check from that state then we are unable to process your application.