Plasma Control Engineer

Plasma Control Engineer Location: Abingdon OX14 3DB, UK (UKAEA Culham, Oxfordshire) Employment type: Full-time Salary: £42,858 (inclusive of Specialist Allowance) plus excellent benefits. Division: Plasma Science and Fusion Operations, Department: Sensors and Control. About The Job The salary for this role is £42,858 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance) plus excellent benefits, including outstanding pension. Onsite working is expected for 3 days a week, however, we actively consider requests for flexible working. This role is based at the following site: Culham, Oxfordshire. This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks. Company Description 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 leads the way in realising fusion energy, partnering with industry and research for ground‑breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid, supported by tomorrow’s power stations. In pursuit of our mission, UKAEA embraces core values: Innovative, Committed, Trusted, and Collaborative. The Role Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference? Join our team and contribute to the future of fusion energy. As a Plasma Control Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in the development and operation of Plasma Control Systems (PCS) to ensure that experiments can be conducted on fusion devices. Primarily focused on MAST‑U and STEP, the role will also support other tokamaks around the world. This role covers the full lifecycle of control systems development—from defining requirements and system specification to modelling, implementation, commissioning, operation, and eventual decommissioning. You will provide software support to maintain and develop tools and models to support plasma operations for national and international fusion programmes. You are also expected to contribute towards publications in technical journals and international conferences. Dependent on your knowledge, experience and interest, the successful candidate will be encouraged to train for a role within the MAST‑U control room. Additional Responsibilities Contribute to the development, operation, and maintenance of software, tools and models for MAST‑U Plasma Control System and for the STEP programme. Collaborate with, and provide advice to, external organisations within the European Fusion community. Undertake software and control system development for other projects for internal and external customers. Manage your own tasks over days or weeks with attention to quality, timescales and communication. Prepare and deliver technical presentations for internal and external forums. Qualifications Essential Requirements Degree in a scientific, engineering, or technical subject (e.g. Plasma Physics, Control Engineering, Robotics, Software Engineering). Demonstrable experience of developing working, understandable software in at least one language used in scientific or engineering applications (particularly Python, C/C++, Fortran). Knowledge and experience of real‑time control systems. Appetite and ability to learn and apply new technologies. Ability to communicate effectively and collaborate well on projects. Desirable PhD or equivalent research experience. Knowledge of plasma physics or fusion fundamentals. Experience in Plasma Physics or experimental experience at a fusion research institution. Knowledge and experience of developing FPGA solutions for real‑time applications. Benefits Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme. Corporate bonus scheme up to 7% and a relocation allowance (if eligible). Flexible working options including family‑friendly policies. Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders. Generous annual leave allowance (25 days, plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, plus UK bank holidays). Wide range of career development opportunities. A vibrant culture committed to equality and inclusivity. Recruitment Process For a step‑by‑step overview of how we hire from application to offer, please see our Recruitment Process page. Additional Information UKAEA's mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds who want to help us achieve our mission. We are under‑represented from some groups and so want to encourage applications in particular from women in STEM, people from Black British Caribbean and African backgrounds and from Pakistani and Bangladeshi British backgrounds. Our Executive team, supported by our Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Wellbeing, actively promote Inclusion and takes steps to increase diversity within our organisation. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success. UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email us if you have any questions or require help or adjustments to compete on a fair basis, for example, changes to the way we interview or share information. Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications. #J-18808-Ljbffr