Principal Mechanical Engineer – Microwave Engineering
£71,815 (inclusive of Specialist Allowance) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension.
Location: Culham, Oxfordshire.
Onsite working is expected for 3 days a week, however flexible working arrangements may be supported.
Employees must complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) and the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions, and may be required to undergo a search of open source data.
The Role
As a Principal Mechanical Engineer in the Engineering Future Projects Group, you will be deployed into the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) Programme. You will lead the mechanical design, integration, and delivery of cutting‑edge microwave-based fusion plasma heating and current‑drive systems, shaping mechanical architecture, driving innovation, and ensuring robust performance under extreme loads. You will guide multidisciplinary teams, influence programme‑level decisions, and take concepts from early R&D through detail design and manufacture to support the UK’s mission to deliver commercially viable fusion energy.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the design and delivery of major fusion sub‑systems from concept to detailed design, supporting UKAEA facilities and future programmes.
- Take responsibility for technical project delivery, including planning, resource coordination, and risk management with multidisciplinary teams and external partners.
- Define and deliver technical strategy within Microwave Heating & Current Drive and related technologies, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities.
- Identify capability gaps and lead targeted research and development activities to reduce risk and enhance engineering performance.
- Apply systems engineering principles to develop robust design solutions, including requirements definition, interface management, and trade‑off analysis.
- Oversee the progression of designs through manufacture, installation, and commissioning, including procurement and contract management, ensuring compliance with relevant standards.
- Provide technical leadership and assurance, mentoring and developing colleagues, reviewing technical outputs, and representing UKAEA in external collaborations.
Additional Responsibilities
- Manage projects or contracts up to a value of £2M.
- Lead multidisciplinary project teams, including large groups of engineers at all levels, staff with technical expertise beyond the job holder’s experience, drawing office personnel, department technicians, and on‑site contractors and technicians.
As part of the role, you may be required to work in radiation‑controlled or beryllium‑controlled areas; full training and medical assessments will be provided if necessary.
Qualifications
- A relevant engineering degree or equivalent.
- Chartered status with a suitable professional institution.
- Extensive experience of complex engineering projects.
- Experience with fusion‑relevant environmental factors such as vacuum systems, particle loads, transient magnetic fields, and irradiation damage.
- Ability to perform exploratory design calculations using first principles.
- Excellent knowledge of structural and thermal engineering, fluid dynamics, solid mechanics and engineering materials.
- Experience with design standards and design codes.
- Leading technical teams and supervising other staff.
- Good communication and technical writing skills.
Equalities, Diversity & Inclusion
UKAEA’s mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds. We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, while ensuring all appointments are made on merit.
Benefits
- Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
- Corporate bonus scheme up to 7%.
- 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.
- A vibrant culture committed to equality and being fully inclusive.
Application Information
Vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if a large number of applications is received.
Accessibility Support
If you require assistance or adjustments to compete on a fair basis, such as changes to the way we interview or share information, please email talent@ukaea.uk.
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