Senior Structural Engineer

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 realizing 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.

As an employee of UKAEA you will benefit from:

• Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme, details of which can be found at the end of this advert.
• Corporate bonus scheme up to 7% and a Relocation allowance (if eligible).
• Flexible working options including family friendly policies and the right to request flexible working from the start of your employment.
• Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders,
• Generous annual leave allowance starting with 25 days, plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays
• Wide range of career development opportunities
• A vibrant culture committed to equality and being fully inclusive

What to expect in our recruitment process:

For a step-by-step overview of how we hire from application to offer please see our Recruitment Process page:

Job Description

The salary for this role is £56,596 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance). Onsite working is expected for 3 days each week, however, we support 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 for criminal convictions and possibly a search of open source data.

The Role

We are seeking a Senior Structural Engineer with a degree in a relevant discipline, capable of taking on high-value work with autonomy and independence. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who can review, supervise, and mentor junior engineers, while serving as a technical authority in structural engineering.

This role you will support UKAEA projects and programmes by defining and delivering Structural Integrity Management frameworks from initial design through to implementation and operation. In today's complex operational environment, these frameworks are essential for the safe and cost-effective delivery of operations involving heavy plant and demanding maintenance regimes. You will act as the lead engineer and technical reference for all matters related to structural integrity.

If you are a senior engineer who thrives on responsibility, enjoys guiding others, and has the expertise to shape the structural integrity of high-profile projects, we would love to hear from you.

Below is an overview of the main accountabilities for the role. Full details are available in the Job Description:

• Site Inspections & Stakeholder Engagement: Do site inspections, review layouts, and engage with clients, suppliers, and staff to define requirements, manage expectations, and ensure feasibility of structural solutions.
• Structural Design & Analysis: Develop and manage design concepts for standard and complex structures, undertake calculations, and use computational tools for structural analysis in line with codes and best practice.
• Design Management & Implementation: Lead technical management of design activities across projects, ensure implementation aligns with designs, standards, and contractual requirements, and compile comprehensive handover documentation.
• Technical Expertise & Supervision: Act as a recognized structural engineering expert, supervise staff, manage checking processes, and mentor colleagues through training and knowledge transfer.
• Processes, Documentation & Continuous Improvement: Ensure accurate documentation of designs and assessments, implement technical improvements, and maintain compliance with management systems, policies, and procedures.

Qualifications

Essential:

• Recognised degree in Civil / Structural Engineering.
• Chartered Engineer with a recognised institution for civil / structural engineering – May take up the role without this, but should have sufficient experience to achieve it within a reasonable amount of time.
• Extensive experience in applying numerical analysis methods in structural engineering from first principles, in accordance with relevant design codes and regulations (e.g., Eurocodes).

Desirable:

• Experience in design and analysis of nuclear shielded facilities.
• Experience in design and analysis of facilities incorporating remote handling or similar systems.
• Experience of technical leadership in close collaboration with certified project managers.

Additional Information

A full list of our benefits can be found here

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 and our EDI Networks actively promote Inclusion and takes steps to increase diversity within our organization. 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 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.