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.

Job Description

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.
• 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.

Salary: £82,815.

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions.

The Role

The Fusion Technology Division is responsible for applied science based, multi-disciplinary programmes relating to fusion power plant development, technology strategy development and emerging technology. The ultimate mission is to enable the development of fusion relevant technologies, from conceptual idea to their demonstration in relevant environments, in the context of the whole powerplant design and delivery community. Utilising the skill bases and develop a thriving technology infrastructure across UKAEA sites principally at Culham Campus, Oxfordshire, and Fusion Technology Facilities, South Yorkshire.

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference? Join our team and contribute to the future of fusion energy. As Chief Technologist, you will play a crucial role in the technical research portfolio within our division, whilst maintaining our world leadership position in fusion research. Collaborating with the Senior Leadership Team, your responsibilities include directing and expanding programs to meet the evolving technological demands of fusion. Your expertise will be vital in shaping the division's strategy, governance, financial management, business development, and planning. You'll proactively advise the leadership team on technology strategy and represent UKAEA in international and UK programs. Leading the integration of divisional capabilities and identifying emerging technologies, you will contribute to securing UKAEA's future. Additionally, you will influence grant programs, cultivate external relations with industry and academia, and may engage in media interviews and PR events. Join us in driving innovation and securing UKAEA's position in the global fusion community.

Additional Responsibilities

• Define the technical programme within the Fusion Technology Division the “Technology Programme”, gaining agreement of the FT Director, Research Strategy and Research Programme Committees for strategies, budget and resourcing. Obtain agreement of the Executive team for objectives of the Technology Programme and ensure these are communicated and embedded.
• Provide technical leadership to multidisciplinary team of staff, collaborators and customers in the execution of the Technology Programme contracts and work streams, ensuring quality of work, completion to time and budget. Direct staff from other Departments leading or contributing to Technology Programme contracts.
• Proactively manage the technical interaction between the FT Division and other internal initiatives such as UKIFS, MRF and RACE, to the optimum benefit of UKAEA as agreed with the FT Director.
• Direct the bidding process for tasks in the FT division and other relevant programmes to ensure project content is deliverable, affordable, aligned with UKAEA strategy, increases UKAEA expertise and satisfies the customer.
• Determine, with the FT Director the Technology strategy to deliver the relevant mission statements, and the development of fusion as an economic energy source, considering interaction with other UKAEA programmes.
• Proactively lead and manage the integration of the strategy of Technology with other entities within UKAEA and nurture close working relationships between their staff.
• Identify, initiate and maintain contacts with external bodies such as Universities, PSRE and industry through a variety of means in the UK and internationally to raise UKAEA’s profile in Engineering and Technology. This will include developing collaborative programmes, lecturing at university courses, placing of UKAEA PhD grants in strategic technology areas, providing the necessary supporting activities and identifying additional opportunities to enhance the UKAEA skill base through extramural contacts.
• Seek additional sources of support for FT Division outside the EPSRC Grant funding, where necessary by forging alliances with external partners.
• Proactively lead and develop the technical content of research programmes funded by EPSRC, including the Technology allocation of the UKAEA Fusion Grant, EUROfusion, F4E and other external bodies.
• Develop and review the research strategy within the Fusion Technology business plan to deliver the missions of the UKAEA.
• Represent Technology Division at relevant committees – UKAEA Research Strategy Committee, UKAEA Research Programme Committee, Programme Boards, UKAEA Programme Advisory Committee, UKAEA Scientific and Technology Advisory Committee, Relevant UK Industrial Fusion Solutions (UKIFS) committees and boards, relevant externals fusion community committees and boards, etc.as required.
• Play a key role in presenting the Fusion Technology Programme to external advisory and policy-making committees.
• Grow and maintain an international leading position within fusion community and act as a role model for good leadership to develop future leaders in UKAEA.

Qualifications

Essential Requirements

• PhD or equivalent qualification in relevant discipline.
• An internationally recognised expert in a relevant field, with a strong existing network across industry and academia.
• Demonstrable experience in managing research and technical development projects, including oversight of a portfolio of activities.
• Demonstrable capability and judgement to initiate technical projects/programmes, influencing internal and external resource managers and delivering results.
• Demonstrable ability to rationalise complex interactions between UK and international R&D programmes and the funding of competing research streams matching to high aims/goals.
• Good team player able to build relationships at Executive Team level.
• Clear and effective communicator at all levels and ability to challenge and influence with external bodies.
• Long experience and broad understanding of R&D work across a wide range of disciplines; extensive experience and deep understanding of working within an international programme.
• Demonstrable experience in effectively challenging and influencing at senior management and senior external stakeholder level.

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.