Company Description

Fusion energy offers the potential for significant quantities of low-carbon, inherently safe, abundantly fuelled, baseload energy, supporting sustainable climate action and energy independence.  While the technical challenge remains high, confidence is increasing, and the rewards of realising fusion are almost incalculable.  Anticipated to come online for commercial purposes in the middle of this century, fusion offers a viable means to sustainable net zero in the UK and globally, as well as to increased energy security.  The UK is currently a world leader in fusion research and development and in the drive to realise commercially viable energy from fusion, a sector with an estimated value of £tns per year.

STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) is the UK’s flagship national programme to deliver a prototype fusion energy plant, targeting 2040, and a path to commercial viability of fusion.  STEP is deliberately bold and ambitious and seeks people who want to be part of a world-changing endeavour and who have credible and relevant experiencing in delivery.

STEP is currently led by the UK Atomic Energy Authority, which has breadth and depth of expertise in fusion science, engineering and operations built over decades.  Over the next year, leadership will transition to a new Company, UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd. (UKIFS) to focus on the delivery of the prototype and, in so doing, the development of a fusion supply chain.  From the next government investment gate, UKIFS will lead a collaborative team of industrial Whole Plant Partners who bring expertise in engineering and construction, plus UKAEA who will remain as strategic Partner providing fusion expertise.

As an employee of UKAEA (initially) 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 15% and a Relocation allowance (if eligible).
• Flexible working options including family friendly policies.
• Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders, 
• Emergency paid leave, Generous annual leave allowance (30.5 days) increased with length of service,
• Wide range of career development opportunities
• A vibrant culture committed to being fully inclusive

This role requires employees to be eligible for SC Clearance (must have resided in the UK for the last 5 years), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions.

Job Description

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference? Join our team and contribute to the future of fusion energy. As Finance Director, you will play a pivotal role in financial strategy and strategic decision making. You will be responsible for budgeting and forecasting, financial reporting, compliance, and stakeholder management. 

Additional Responsibilities:

• Team leadership and development which involves working with the CFO to build a best-in-class finance function for UKIFS, being a member of the UKIFS Leadership team, contributing to for the direction and delivery of the STEP Programme, continually updating your skills, including and not limited to skills in relation to financial management and reporting requirements, etc. 
• Embody a leadership mindset by setting of leadership behaviours, embracing and embodying our organization's culture, values, and mission in all aspects of your work and fostering a positive and inclusive team environment that aligns with our cultural values, etc. 

Travel to West Burton or Culham would be needed, including possible meetings in London, in the beginning, not regularly but as the organisation grows, this might increase.  The employee will join UKAEA initially, and sign a new contract with UKIFS wants the organisation is set up.

Qualifications

Essential Requirements:

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA)  
• Proven experience as a Financial Director or in a similar financial leadership role. 
• Strong knowledge of financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and analysis as applied to major programmes. 
• Demonstrated expertise in financial modelling, valuation techniques, and investment analysi as well as In-depth understanding of financial statements, reporting standards, and compliance requirements.
• Strong risk management experience which involved identifying and assessing financial risks, implementing risk mitigation strategies, and ensuring appropriate controls are in place to safeguard public funds. 

Additional Information

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

We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly individuals from black and other ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and women. Our Executive team, supported by our 'Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) Partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, actively promotes EDI 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.

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

All applications will be reviewed and responded to as soon as possible however, due to the upcoming holidays, this could be delayed until the first week of January.

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 following link for information on criminal records checks: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants 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.