Senior Magnet Development 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: careers.ukaea.uk/join-us/recruitment-process

Job Description

The salary for this role is £57,117 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance). Onsite working is expected for 3 days a week, however, we actively support requests for flexible working. 

This role can be based at any of the following sites; Culham, Oxfordshire with occasional domestic travel.

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

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference? Join our team and contribute to the future of fusion energy. As a Senior Development Engineer in Technology Development, you will play a pivotal role in leading innovative technology projects, providing technical direction, and delivering solutions that advance fusion energy programmes. You will lead project teams, shape technology decisions, apply specialist engineering expertise, and drive the development of best practice approaches using Robust Engineering and Systems Engineering methodologies to deliver effective, reliable outcomes for our stakeholders.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Lead complex technology development projects and multidisciplinary teams, delivering innovative engineering solutions for fusion challenges through robust prototyping, testing, verification, and the application of Robust Engineering and Systems Engineering methodologies.
• Act as a subject matter expert, providing technical leadership, specialist advice, and decision-making support across projects, programmes, and technical reviews.
• Lead the development of novel test rigs and facilities, from defining requirements and securing stakeholder input to design, delivery, commissioning, and verification in representative extreme environments.
• Manage project delivery activities, including risk, schedule, resources, budgets, supplier relationships, technical documentation, and compliance with quality standards.
• Build strategic relationships across UKAEA, academia, and industry to enable collaboration, secure funding, enhance capability, and deliver technology development aligned with organisational strategy.
• Develop engineering capability through coaching and mentoring colleagues, improving best practice, promoting safety and inclusion, and ensuring effective governance and responsible management of project spend.

Qualifications

Essential Requirements:

• PhD in a STEM-related discipline or equivalent experience gained within a structured research and development environment.
• Extensive experience leading and delivering R&D projects, work packages, or major programmes, including technical leadership of complex engineering challenges.
• Strong understanding of technology performance in extreme environments, with experience developing and executing complex experiments, testing programmes, and equipment.
• Proven ability to apply specialist knowledge, problem-solving skills, and engineering methodologies (e.g. Robust Engineering, Systems Engineering) to deliver innovative solutions.
• Experience leading collaborative, cross-functional teams and influencing stakeholders across all levels of an organisation.
• Experience applying project, contract, governance, health and safety, compliance, procurement, and risk management processes.
• Strong technical communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise reports, scientific papers, and presentations for varied audiences.
• Ability to use initiative, creativity, and sound judgement to resolve complex problems while maintaining attention to detail.

Desirable Requirements:

• Chartered status with a relevant professional body.
• Proven experience working in a fusion-related field.
• Expert knowledge of relevant engineering methodologies.
• Knowledge of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) technologies, including conductor qualification, insulation systems, quench protection, and cryogenic operation.
• Extensive experience in one or more specialist areas, including diagnostics, thermography, test operations, experimental design, magnetism and superconductors, or probabilistic design tools.

Additional Information

A full list of our benefits can be found here https://careers.ukaea.uk/life-at-ukaea/employee-benefits/

UKAEA’s mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal. We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, while ensuring all appointments are made on merit.

UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email talent@ukaea.uk 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.