Principal Nuclear Engineer

About the role

We’re looking for a Principal Nuclear Engineer to lead the design, development, and integration of advanced control systems across the nuclear industry. In this senior role, you’ll take full ownership of technical solutions, guiding projects from concept through to delivery while ensuring quality, performance, and client satisfaction at every stage.

Responsibilities

• Review and approve complex system architectures, designs, and detailed specifications to meet client requirements.
• Manage the integration of the overall systems compatibility, performance and compliance.
• Be accountable for the system testing and validation routines to verify that systems meet design specifications and performance criteria.
• Lead and approve the delivery of comprehensive technical documentation, including requirements, design specifications, test plans, operator manuals and quality documentation.
• Analyse and translate client requirements into functional and non-functional specifications independently or as a part of a larger team, whilst checking against any compliance standards.
• Lead technical discussions with the project teams and identify and resolve technical issues.
• Plan and lead commissioning at client sites.
• Track and control the resource and expenditure across the project, including authorisation as required.
• Coordinate the testing and troubleshooting of bespoke systems.
• Identify and champion changes and improvements as opportunities arise.
• Identify and encourage continuous learning and development, balancing the skills of the team in line with the project requirements, inclusive of mandatory training.
• Provide coaching, mentorship and technical guidance to the team, fostering a collaborative and knowledge-sharing environment.
• Be responsible for the maintenance and/or development of the Client interface, relationship building and networking, includes the leading of project meetings with clients.
• Be responsible for the technical sign off during the bidding process, including approval of time.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including software, hardware, workshop and project management, to ensure successful project delivery.
• Communicate and report to relevant stakeholders and colleagues to ensure project success.
• Accurately report on project delivery, highlighting successes, failures and recovery plans.
• Plan and control resource.
• Identify, manage and escalate any welfare and/or wellbeing issues.
• Have full accountability for project timesheet authorisation, allocation and attributable project budgets.
• Manage unacceptable and challenging behaviours, escalating when appropriate.
• Successfully close out projects.
• Be responsible for overall delivery of project scopes to company quality management system, processes and procedures.
• Have excellent knowledge of client specific standards and international standards.
• Be the technical and professional expert during quality and technical reviews, and be able to conduct reviews on peers.
• Follow all health and safety regulations, procedures and protocols.
• Have Line management and functional responsibility for assigned team.

Requirements

• A minimum of 7 years’ experience in systems engineering.
• Technical expertise of Software Packages relevant to the role of a Senior Systems Engineer i.e. SCADA packages, PLC packages and HMI packages.
• A good understanding of project management principles, including cost control and client management.
• A basic understanding of contractual and commercial requirements.
• Specific industry experience will be required in certain specialisms, such as highly regulated industries.
• Experience in the application of systems engineering principles and methodologies.
• Familiarity and experience in the application of system integration processes, tools and technologies.
• An excellent understanding of industry and company quality management systems, process and procedure.
• Experience of software development/hardware integration.
• Experience working on client sites.

Skills and Abilities

• Good verbal, written and presentation skills for effective collaboration and client interaction.
• An ability to provide technical solutions in the bidding process, including estimating of time.
• The ability to demonstrate good principles of leadership and management.

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave, 8 Bank Holidays, plus the ability to buy and sell up to 5 days per year.
• Flexible start and finish times, including flexi-Fridays.
• Competitive Employee Referral Award Scheme.
• Private Medical Insurance.
• Life Assurance.
• Pension.
• Payment of professional membership fees.
• Healthy Extras - Employee Assistance Programme, access to a practising GP, Confidential Advice.
• Enhanced family friendly policies.