Advanced Specialist HPC Computational Engineer

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority; Abingdon; On-site; GBP 57,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Performance bonus

Pension scheme

Annual leave

Site closure days

Flexible working

Job summary

UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is seeking an Advanced Specialist HPC Computational Engineer to lead modelling, simulation and software development for fusion energy research. The role combines technical leadership, research and software engineering across national and international programmes.

You will drive numerical methods, HPC architectures and digital twin capabilities, publish findings and contribute to funding proposals while collaborating with global partners.

Qualifications

• Doctorate in a computational, mathematical or physical science discipline, with a strong publication record or equivalent contributions.
• Experience leading technical projects or teams within a research or engineering environment.
• Experience developing software using at least one compiled language (C++, Fortran, C or Rust) or advanced scripting language, evidenced through software contributions.
• Strong foundation in numerical analysis demonstrated by publications or software contributions.
• Significant experience using high‑performance computing systems for computational engineering.
• Proficiency with UNIX operating systems and command line environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead modelling, simulation and uncertainty quantification across fusion research programmes.
• Develop and evaluate novel numerical methods and algorithms for scientific and engineering applications.
• Lead the design, development, testing and maintenance of advanced scientific software.
• Drive deployment and assessment of emerging computing architectures and accelerator technologies.
• Design and support digital twin capabilities for current and future fusion systems.
• Publish research findings in peer‑reviewed journals and present at conferences.
• Contribute to research funding proposals and identify opportunities for future programmes.
• Build and support international collaborations across multi‑partner research projects.
• Oversee the technical delivery of small project teams, ensuring milestones are met.
• Provide specialist expertise, technical guidance and skills development across the wider team.

Skills

Technical leadership

C/C++/Fortran/C or Rust

Numerical analysis

HPC experience

UNIX proficiency

Education

Doctorate in computational/physical science

Job description

Overview of Responsibilities

About us 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 organisations to achieve ground-breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid by developing the power stations of tomorrow and the skilled workforce to deliver them.

About the job

Join UKAEA as an Advanced Specialist HPC Computational Engineer and play a leading role in developing the advanced computational capabilities that support fusion energy research and engineering. You will contribute to cutting-edge modelling, simulation and digital engineering activities, helping to improve understanding of complex fusion systems while shaping the next generation of high-performance computing technologies. This is an opportunity to combine technical leadership, research and software development in a role with significant impact across national and international programmes.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead modelling, simulation and uncertainty quantification activities across fusion research programmes.
• Develop and evaluate novel numerical methods and algorithms for scientific and engineering applications.
• Lead the design, development, testing and maintenance of advanced scientific software.
• Drive the deployment and assessment of emerging computing architectures and accelerator technologies.
• Design and support digital twin capabilities for current and future fusion systems.
• Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and present work at scientific conferences.
• Contribute to research funding proposals and identify new opportunities for future programmes.
• Build and support international collaborations across multi-partner research projects.
• Oversee the technical delivery of small project teams, ensuring milestones are achieved to scope and schedule.
• Provide specialist expertise, technical guidance and skills development across the wider team.

What You’ll Bring

• Doctorate in a computational, mathematical or physical science discipline, supported by a strong publication record or significant contribution to relevant software libraries, or equivalent commercial or research experience.
• Experience leading technical projects or teams within a research or engineering environment.
• Significant experience developing software using at least one compiled language (such as C++, Fortran, C or Rust) or advanced scripting language, evidenced through contributions to software packages.
• Strong mathematical foundation, particularly in numerical analysis, demonstrated through published research or contributions to relevant software libraries.
• Significant experience using high-performance computing systems and developing software for computational engineering applications.
• Proficiency with UNIX operating systems, particularly command-line environments.

Location and Working Arrangements

UKAEA is an onsite organisation, and this role requires regular onsite presence (usually between 3-5 days in any given week) in line with business needs. We actively support flexible working arrangements where this is compatible with the role. The role is currently advertised at Culham, but other UKAEA locations may also be considered.

Benefits

We have a generous range of benefits (see the full list here) and highlights include:

• A salary of £57,117 (inclusive of a £5,800 specialist allowance)
• Up to 7% corporate performance bonus
• Final salary defined benefits pension scheme with an equivalent of 21.5% employer pension contribution
• 25 days annual leave plus 2.5 ‘privilege’ days; 8 Bank Holidays
• Additional 3 days of site closure over Christmas break
• Flexible working options plus family-friendly leave provisions

Our commitment to ED&I

UKAEA’s mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal.

We are committed to equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce.

Please email [e-mail] if you have any questions or require adjustments to help you participate fairly in our recruitment process, for example changes to the way we interview or share information. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment experience for all candidates.

We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and people from diverse ethnic backgrounds. All appointments are made on merit and further information can be found here.

Salary

£57,117 (inclusive of Specialist Allowance) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension

Programme

Programme Department Computational Materials and Engineering Discipline Engineering Site Location Type of Employment Full-time Reference Number REF4622T Qualifications Additional Information