Jobs search

Senior Power Systems Engineer

UK Atomic Energy Authority • Full-time • Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom • from £54.38k / year • 1w ago

Senior Power Systems Engineer

Abingdon Rd, Culham, UK

Full-time

Salary: £54,376 (inclusive of Specialist Allowance) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension

Division: Integrated Engineering

Site Location: UKAEA Culham, Oxfordshire

Confirmed Grade: Level 5

Department: Electrical Engineering

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.

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.

Job Description

The salary for this role is £54,376 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance). Onsite working is expected, 3 days each week, however, we actively 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 have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Power Systems Engineer to provide technical and project leadership on high-impact, large-scale projects involving bespoke and complex power conversion systems. These systems include control, protection, and related subsystems critical to fusion applications.

In this role, you will offer specialist expertise and direction in a technically advanced field, leading the definition, management, and delivery of major projects. You’ll also guide project teams on enhancement and decommissioning programmes, as well as on the application of emerging technologies.

In this role, you will advise on technical solutions, system designs, and critical plant operational challenges, contributing significantly to the success of complex engineering initiatives.

If you have strong communication and technical writing skills, excellent interpersonal abilities, and a solid understanding of business operations with experience engaging the supply chain, we’d love to hear from you.

Key Accountabilities

- Lead complex fusion system projects from concept through to detailed design, including enhancement programmes for UKAEA and future fusion devices. Manage scope, resources, budgets, timelines, and ensure high-quality delivery.

- Provide expert technical direction on critical plant operations and design solutions, influencing site-wide engineering projects. Drive improvements in technical processes and contribute to developing formal procedures and standards.

- Deliver high-impact, cross-functional projects with potential international scope. Use engineering insight and analysis tools to identify innovative solutions, including novel and cross-disciplinary approaches.

- Communicate technical knowledge effectively through reports, presentations, and publications. Represent UKAEA externally and adapt communication to suit varied technical and non-technical audiences.

- Support the development of engineering talent by mentoring colleagues and promoting knowledge transfer across teams, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Qualifications

Essential Requirements:

- Relevant electrical engineering degree or equivalent.

- Experience in design and implementation of power conversion systems from component through to system level.

- Ability to perform exploratory design calculations using first principles.

- Proven capability in engineering analysis and a good working knowledge of engineering materials and their properties.

- Experience with working to design standards and applying industry best practices.

- Knowledge and experience of working with Safe Systems of Work.

Desirable

- Chartered Engineer status with a suitable professional institution.

- Practical approach combined with a good understanding of basic electrical and electronics engineering theory, including the manufacturing and build of power electronic systems.

- Experience of working on high current and/or high voltage power conversion systems.

- Experience of working within a high hazard industrial environment.

- Knowledge and experience in Matlab/Simulink.

- Knowledge of project engineering and contract management, or exposure to commercial processes with competitive tendering.

Additional Information

For a full list of benefits and to apply, select the apply button to be taken through to the UKAEA careers pages.

We welcome talented people from all backgrounds who want to help us achieve our mission. We encourage applications from under-represented groups, particularly from women in STEM, people from BlackBritishCaribbean and African, Pakistani and Bangladeshi British, and other ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and neurotypical individuals. 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 organisation. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.

Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications.

For applicants applying from outside the United Kingdom or those who have spent time outside the UK in the last five years, please visit the UK Government website for information on criminal records checks. If your country of residence or previous residence is not listed on the website or if the UK Government does not have information on obtaining a criminal records check from that state, we regret to inform you that we cannot process your application.