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Control System Design and Simulation Team Leader

UK Atomic Energy Authority
Full-time
On-site
Culham England United Kingdom
Fusion
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 groundbreaking 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

This role is based at Culham, Oxfordshire. Onsite working is expected, however we can also discuss hybrid working where possible, depending on business needs.

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.

Salary: Β£70,505 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance).

The Role

The Control and Instrumentation Group is responsible for leading, proposing, defining, building, commissioning, and maintaining electrical, control and instrumentation systems, both at a small and large scale for UKAEA projects and programmes. We are seeking a strategic and technically exceptional Team Leader to head the Control System Design and Simulation team within the C&I Group. In this role, you will lead the design, development, and commissioning of advanced E,C&I systems across a range of pioneering projects, both large and small scale.

As the Subject Matter Expert and Lead Control & Instrumentation Engineer, you will provide high-level technical leadership and innovation in a complex, often unprecedented field. You will manage an engineering team and be responsible for delivering high-impact solutions on time and within budget.

Strong leadership and proven line management experience are essential, along with the ability to engage effectively with stakeholders at all levels and drive technical excellence throughout the team.

If you have excellent communication and technical writing skills, along with a proven track record of successfully delivering complex Electrical, Control & Instrumentation projects on time and within budget, we’d like to hear from you.

Role Overview

The Control System Design and Simulation Team Leader is responsible for both leading the delivery of complex technical projects and managing a high-performing engineering team. A summary of key responsibilities is outlined below. Full details are provided in the Job Description.

As Lead C&I Engineer / Subject Matter Expert:

Lead complex EC&I projects from concept to delivery, including critical systems with site-wide or external impact.
Setting direction and advising on design, installation, and operational strategies.
Create and implement new technical standards, processes, and risk mitigation where no formal procedures exist.
Represent UKAEA externally, contribute to technical development, and mentor junior engineers.

As Team Leader:

Provide strong line management, including performance management and career development for direct reports.
Plan, prioritise, and oversee the team's workload to meet programme and safety requirements.
Manage team resources, equipment, and contractor engagement to support delivery.
Promote a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with relevant legislation and standards.

Qualifications

Essential Requirements:

A Degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, or a related discipline, and relevant professional experience in an E,C&I engineering role. Or an HND in an Electrical/Electronic discipline, or equivalent qualification level, with a greater breadth and depth of experience/knowledge.
Experience using simulation tools, such as MATLAB/Simulink, AVEVA, ETAP, Siemens Simulation Software (PLM, SIMIT), LabVIEW.
A broad and deep understanding of design and related engineering processes, practices, current standards, and industry best-practice.
A good understanding and willingness to work to modern standards in health, safety, environment, and quality assurance.
Experience of working within high hazard Industrial environment.

Desirable

Chartered Engineer status with a suitable professional institution.
Functional Safety qualifications (e.g. TÜV Rheinland FSEng)

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 who want to help us achieve our mission. We are under-represented from some groups and so want to encourage applications in particular from women in STEM, people from Black British Caribbean and African backgrounds and from Pakistani and Bangladeshi British backgrounds. 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 organization. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.

UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email [email protected] 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.