Group Leader (Materials Modelling)

UKAEA; South Oxfordshire; On-site; GBP 78,000; Full time

Job summary

UKAEA seeks a Group Leader in Materials Modelling to lead a team of experts in fusion materials. This role involves developing theoretical models and collaboration across disciplines to drive advancements in clean energy. The ideal candidate will have a strong educational background and leadership experience, contributing to UKAEA's mission of bringing fusion electricity to the grid.

Benefits

Defined benefit pension scheme

Corporate bonus scheme up to 7%

Flexible working options

Employee Assistance Programme

Generous annual leave starting with 25 days

Qualifications

• Degree or industry experience in relevant fields.
• Experience leading large teams and projects.
• Passion for understanding nuclear impacts on materials.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development in UK's Fusion Materials strategy.
• Manage collaboration agreements with partners.
• Provide technical expertise for UKAEA programs.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Planning

Collaboration

Problem Solving

Education

Degree in Materials Science, Metallurgy, Solid State Physics, Radiochemistry

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.
• A vibrant culture committed to equality and being fully inclusive.

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

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference? Join our team and contribute to the future of fusion energy. As Group Leader (Materials Modelling), you will play a pivotal role in leading a group of international experts in the development of theoretical and computational models, validated by experiments, to understand the behaviour of materials exposed to the fusion environment. The Fusion Materials Interfaces (FMI) team comprises nuclear physicists, materials modellers, and material experimentalists; this role provides an opportunity to work across a number of disciplines.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and delivery of a crucial area (irradiation / post irradiation / development / modelling) in the UK Fusion Materials Roadmap strategy, collaborating with relevant teams and activities in the Materials Division and beyond.
• Lead and develop a team to achieve tangible scientific progress in the specified area.
• Establish and manage collaboration agreements with UK and national partners (e.g., universities, national labs, Eurofusion).
• Define and implement a positive workplace culture emphasising safety, inclusivity, diversity, and creativity.
• Provide high-level inputs to Materials Division annual business planning, budget creation, people reviews, and resource scoping.
• Provide senior management with information on materials resilience, availability, safe use, and novelty for broader forums and reporting (e.g., annual UKAEA report, board meetings).
• Provide technical problem-solving expertise to UKAEA programs (JDR, MAST-U, STEP, EPSRC-UK Fusion, LIBRTI) through coaching/mentorship of highly qualified scientists and engineers.
• Collaborate with US, EU, and Asian partners on technical projects for future fusion power plants in new regulatory environments.
• Represent UKAEA at conferences, review panels, committees, etc., as appropriate.

Significant travel to attend conferences and interact with colleagues at universities and labs worldwide will be expected for this role.

£77,239 (inclusive of Specialist Allowance) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension

• Degree or industry experience in Materials Science, Metallurgy, Solid State Physics, Radiochemistry, or similarly relevant field.
• Can demonstrate strategic planning and leadership to support business goals.
• Experience of working on major projects as a technical lead with the ability to provide strategy and direction to a team working for them.
• Commercial awareness and evidence of delivering innovative solutions in related technologies.
• Experience in leading large technical and scientific teams.
• A passion for understanding nuclear impacts on material properties.

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 take 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.

For applicants applying from outside the United Kingdom or those who have spent time outside the UK in the last five years, please visit the following link for information on criminal records checks: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants. If your country of residence or previous residence is not listed on the website or if the UK Government does not have information on obtaining a criminal records check from that state, we regret to inform you that we cannot process your application.

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.
• A vibrant culture committed to equality and being fully inclusive.

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What can I expect from the application process at UKAEA?

Once you have submitted a formal application via our website, all CVs will be reviewed shortly after the closing date of the advert.

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 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: Innovation, Commitment, Trust, and Collaboration.

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