Senior Engineer

Role Title: Senior Engineer – Verification & Validation Delivery

Locations: Hybrid working with one of the following locations as your primary site: Derby, Manchester or Warrington

We anticipate paying a salary between  £48,000-£63,000 DOE.

We are Rolls-Royce SMR and we're doing something that's never been done before. We're revolutionising an industry. That's a once-in-a-career opportunity for those excited by such a challenge. This is more than just a job; this is a legacy.

The Development Engineering organisation is accountable for proving that the SMR power station design meets its objectives and requirements. It is also accountable for providing data and evidence to support the development of the power station design and delivery through the execution of verification, tests, demonstration and research and technology programmes. This encompasses not just the domain of nuclear engineering, but the broader range of engineering and operations functions necessary to deliver a major infrastructure project.

About the role:

Senior Verification and Validation (V&V) Engineers fulfil a key role in Rolls-Royce SMR's Systems Engineering approach to design, by leading the process of verifying that our power station design meets all its requirements. This is a part of our strategy to offer a delivery-certain solution, by using modern engineering tools and techniques (analysis, rig test etc) to prove the design before starting construction.

As a Senior V&V Engineer, you will take ownership of complex, safety-critical, or business-critical areas of the power station, aligned with your expertise and experience. Your initial responsibility will be to develop a comprehensive verification strategy, outlining the activities to be performed and the evidence required to demonstrate compliance.

You will collaborate closely with design leads and technical specialists across the engineering team to execute this strategy. Throughout the verification lifecycle, you will lead the process of confirming design compliance for your assigned areas, based on the evidence generated. In addition to technical leadership, you will mentor other V&V Engineers, helping to build team capability, and provide rigorous technical reviews of outputs to ensure quality and consistency.

The key responsibilities will include: 

• Development of verification and validation strategies within area of responsibility.
• Acting as an intelligent customer in the V&V of the Plant and wider Rolls-Royce SMR business.
• Support the Verification and Validation the of the safety case.
• Production of reports for regulatory bodies and the presentation and discussion of the reports with regulators as appropriate.
• Defining the objectives/requirements for verification and validation activities within the strategy (e.g. Rig tests, analyses), and agreeing those with the parties responsible for executing them.
• Reviewing/auditing and collecting evidence of verification activities conducted both internally and externally in the supply chain.
• Collating evidence as it is produced and using it to assess compliance to requirements.
• Managing technical interfaces between their own department and other functions within the business to ensure that, by working together, we produce a coherent and efficient technical solution.

As we strive to find the best fit for this position, we are seeking individuals with a minimum level of experience, training, and qualification. But we'll let you in on a secret: there's no such thing as the 'perfect' candidate. If you feel you meet 75% of the requirements for this role, we would love to hear from you.

Key selection criteria for this role are:

• Experience in verification and validation of new products, ideally in a safety-critical and highly-regulated industry (experience within the nuclear industry in particular would be desirable, but is not essential – we will also consider experience with other forms of power generation, as well as process industry, oil & gas etc).
• Experience in leading challenging and complex engineering projects in a regulated industry, nuclear experience is preferred but not essential.
• Project Management: Managing the budget, schedule, and resources to effectively deliver projects to meet business needs, including comprehensive reporting. Defining and controlling project scope
• Risk Management: Identification and management of both technical and programme risk, including the associated reporting and escalation.
• Addressing and resolving issues to deliver of the business needs whilst ensuring quality and safety standards. 
• Building and maintaining effective supplier and customer relationships
• Good interpersonal & communication skills, able to bring people together and solve problems as a multi-disciplinary team (e.g. Design & Development). 
• Able to effectively manage uncertainty and change, communicate complex topics clearly and concisely and influence both internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrate a clear analytical approach and a methodical work process. 
• Have a systems-thinking mindset, including experience of collaborating within multi discipline teams to define and manage system requirements

Alongside managing the delivery and quality of their own work, Senior Engineers will have a responsibility to drive up the quality of the wider team's outputs, through coaching and reviewing.

Senior Engineers shall also be skilled in conducting technical reviewing/checking of work conducted by other team members, showing an eye for detail, a drive for quality, and the ability to provide feedback in a constructive fashion

Typically you will have a degree level qualification an engineering discipline & be recognised through an appropriate professional body, or be working towards achieving this. 

We welcome applications for a broad range of industries, with nuclear experience not being essential for this role.

Salary and Package:

• We anticipate paying a salary of between £48,000-£63,000 DOE
• Bonus - Performance related target opportunity 12.5%  
• Benefits Allowance – £2,200 per annum, enabling you to create a bespoke package   
• Pension - 12% employer and 6% employee contributions. 
• Holidays - 28 days holiday (+ public holidays) and the ability to buy or sell up to 4 days.   
• Private Medical Insurance - BUPA single cover health care   
• Life Assurance - 6x pensionable pay  
• £250 - One-off payment for new starters for home office purchases

Why Join Us?

You'll be joining a forward-thinking organisation that values transparency, fairness, and innovation. We offer:

•    A flexible, inclusive, and supportive working environment.

•    Opportunities for career growth in a rapidly scaling business.

•    A culture that values diversity, innovation, and continuous learning.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Inclusivity is important to us, and as a Disability Confident organisation, we are committed to fair, supportive, and continually improving recruitment practices that ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Confidence can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job. But we'll let you in on a secret: there's no such thing as a 'perfect' candidate. If you feel you meet 75% of the requirements for this role, we would love to hear from you.

Also, if you are considering a career move or a sector-jump, please get in touch – we welcome applications from people with transferable skills.

Our Application Process

Due to the safety regulations within the nuclear industry, applicants will be required to participate in additional screening. These are:

•    Obtaining Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance

•    Satisfactory completion of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

•    Satisfactory completion of a basic financial probity check