Design Authority Branch Manager

Sizewell C. The power of good for Britain.

Design Authority Branch Manager

Location: Gloucester, Bristol or London (3 days per week).

Employment basis: Permanent full-time or part-time.

Working pattern: We operate on an office-based contract model, but support hybrid working where possible. This means you'll need to be based within reasonable travel distance of the office and able to attend in person when business needs require, typically 3 days per week, though this may vary by team or project. Flexibility to be on site when needed is essential.

Salary: From £75,000 to £95,000 dependent on experience. There is also a bonus up to 10%, car allowance, a market leading p (up to 15% employee contributions) also other flexible benefits including enhanced parental leave, electric vehicle leasing, health care screening, product discounts, critical illness insurance, gym membership, season ticket loans and more.

Closing date: Sunday 9th November 2025

As this role is within a government-funded project, we are required to comply with strict UK right-to-work legislation. Unfortunately, this means we are not able to provide visa sponsorship or support with immigration applications. To be considered, applicants must already hold the legal right to live and work in the UK. We are committed to equality of opportunity and warmly welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates who meet this requirement.

The Opportunity

Are you looking for a career which is rewarding, at the cutting edge of project development and where you can really make a difference? Come and join our expanding Sizewell C (SZC) team and work on one of the most exciting and largest megaprojects in the UK, whilst being at the forefront of the UK's climate change agenda and energy policy. 

Following on from the success of the new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C (HPC), the Sizewell C Project (SZC) in Suffolk is the UK's next nuclear power new build project. The project has obtained planning approval and has started construction works. It has recently achieved Financial Investment Decision (FID) meaning that all the funding for the full lifespan of the project is now secured and in place guaranteeing the full delivery of this new nuclear power station. When completed, it will provide dependable electricity to 6 million homes for 60 years, which along with renewables, will support Britain to achieve Net Zero by 2050.

Design Authority is:

• Responsible for ensuring Sizewell C maintains the design integrity and the overall basis of safety, for all stages of the lifecycle.
• The Sizewell C project function that understands, owns and controls the safety case during the design and construction phase, and acts as intelligent customer for safety case activities.
• Responsible for providing detailed technical capabilities in the hazards discipline generally, with a dedicated team responsible for the flooding hazards.

The Maintain Design Integrity (MDI) area focuses on the supporting analytical and configuration control requirements of the Sizewell C safety case. This requires a thorough understanding of the analyses and assessments required for the safety case and appropriate licence conditions; as well as the design change and implementation processes linked to the discharge of the responsibility for the related design Licence Conditions. It will also require understanding of and close-working with the Safety Case Branch that forms the other half of the Sizewell C DA.

 

The Person

We are seeking a strong and technically agile leader to take on the role of Design Authority Branch Manager. This position is central to ensuring the integrity of design across key safety and environmental domains, and leading multidisciplinary teams. The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker with proven leadership experience, capable of navigating complex and fast-moving issues.

The Design Authority Branch Manager will oversee three core groups: the MDI team, the Hazards team and the Flooding DA team. While not expected to be a hazards specialist, the successful candidate must have the technical breadth and agility to understand and guide the work across all groups, overseeing a Branch of staff and embedded contractors.

This role serves as a key interface with regulators and government bodies, representing Sizewell C in high-level meetings and discussions. The Design Authority Branch Manager will also engage with senior stakeholders up to Director level, providing clear, authoritative input on design integrity matters. So, you'll need to be confident in managing stakeholder relationships, technically versatile, and able to maintain oversight of emerging risks while driving effective solutions.

The Skills

• Degree qualified in Engineering, Physics or a related scientific discipline. 
• Knowledge of Safety Cases, including UK-specific requirements.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills
• Demonstratable ability to work flexibly and collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams.
• Ability to quickly understand a wide range of technical issues and make robust decisions.
• Ability to deliver and make project or strategy recommendations to executives. 
• Skilled in stakeholder engagement, negotiation, and conflict resolution.
• An awareness of international standards, OPEX and best practice.
• The ability to ensure ALARP principles are followed.

Desirable

•    Knowledge of UK-specific legislative requirements including Nuclear Site Licence Conditions.

Full job description available upon request.

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a national mega project that will shape the UK's energy future. You will work in a collaborative, fast-paced environment where your leadership and expertise will make a tangible impact.

Ready to take the next step in your career?

Apply now and be part of something extraordinary.

Sizewell C Limited (Sizewell C) is a nuclear site licensed company whose business is to design, finance, construct, commission, operate, maintain, and eventually decommission the nuclear power plant and related infrastructure at Sizewell C in Suffolk. Sizewell C was formerly under the majority ownership of the EDF Group but is currently majority owned by HM Government and operates as an independent company. EDF remains a key shareholder in Sizewell C and the business therefore maintains close links to EDF as a part of its 'nuclear family'.

As a Sizewell C employee, you may wonder why you are contacted by colleagues with an EDF email or see the EDF logo on portals that you access and/or documentation you receive; this is because we have partnered with EDF for the provision of a number of support services whilst we complete a successful transition out of the EDF group.

Join the team at Sizewell C. The power of good for Britain.

It's not every day you get the opportunity to shape the working culture of what will be one of Europe's largest construction projects, while also helping Britain to reach its target of Net Zero emissions by 2050. That's one of the reasons Sizewell C will be unlike anything you've ever experienced before, and you'll need to be an exceptional professional to reach the high standards this critical infrastructure project demands. 

The UK is experiencing a nuclear renaissance and Sizewell C – along with its sister project at Hinkley Point C in Somerset – is powering the change. We're ramping up at pace as we look ahead to the Financial Investment Decision in early 2025, and the start of construction soon after. With government fully on board and public opinion shifting significantly in favour of nuclear, there's never been a better time to join our project.

By submitting an application to this role, you acknowledge that you have read and understood Sizewell C's employee privacy policy and EDF's employee privacy policy. Just to let you know, EDF will be processing and sharing information about your application on behalf of Sizewell C.