Head of Profession Operations, Decommissioning & Construction

Nuclear Restoration Services; Thurso; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Nuclear Restoration Services seeks a Head of Profession Operations, Decommissioning & Construction to lead strategy and professional standards at the Dounreay site. You will shape workforce capability, governance and delivery excellence across the decommissioning programme, engaging regulators and industry partners to ensure safe, efficient outcomes.

The role requires senior leadership in complex, highly regulated environments, with a track record of mentoring, change leadership and

Qualifications

• Degree qualified in a relevant discipline; Chartered status or working towards attainment
• Extensive senior level experience in Operations, Decommissioning and Construction management
• Proven leadership and line management experience with mentoring, talent development and capability building
• Ability to work in complex organisations and drive improvement in regulated environments

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and authoritative advice on Operations, Decommissioning & Construction matters across the organisation
• Develop, maintain and champion professional standards, processes and governance arrangements meeting regulatory and industry requirements
• Lead, inspire and develop the Operations, Decommissioning & Construction community through workforce planning, succession management, coaching and career development
• Build strong relationships with programme teams, regulators and external stakeholders while driving innovation and continuous improvement and operational excellence

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Change management

People development

Education

Degree in a relevant discipline

Job description

Do you have the vision, leadership and technical expertise to shape the future of one of the UK's most complex decommissioning programmes? Dounreay is seeking a Head of Profession Operations, Decommissioning & Construction to provide strategic leadership and professional direction across a critical function at the heart of our mission. This is a unique opportunity to influence site-wide performance, drive excellence, and develop the people, standards and culture that will support the safe delivery of nationally important work.

As the senior subject matter expert for Operations, Decommissioning & Construction, you will work closely with senior leaders, regulators and industry partners to ensure best practice, foster innovation and build organisational capability. You will play a key role in shaping the future workforce while ensuring Dounreay continues to deliver safely, efficiently and sustainably.

Key Responsibilities

As Head of Profession, you will set the strategic direction for Operations, Decommissioning & Construction across Dounreay, providing expert advice to leadership teams and ensuring the highest standards of professional excellence. You will lead the development of frameworks, standards and processes that support safe and effective mission delivery, while driving continuous improvement through benchmarking, innovation and industry engagement. A key aspect of the role will be developing capability across the profession, building a strong culture, supporting workforce planning and succession, and ensuring the organisation has the skills needed for future success.

• Provide strategic leadership and authoritative advice on Operations, Decommissioning & Construction matters across the organisation
• Develop, maintain and champion professional standards, processes and governance arrangements that meet regulatory, legislative and industry requirements
• Lead, inspire and develop the Operations, Decommissioning & Construction community through workforce planning, succession management, coaching and career development
• Build strong relationships with programme teams, regulators and external stakeholders while driving innovation, continuous improvement and operational excellence

What We're Looking For

We are looking for an accomplished leader with significant experience in operations, decommissioning and construction management within a complex and highly regulated environment. You will be a credible professional who can think strategically, influence at senior levels and inspire high-performing teams. Equally important is your passion for developing people, delivering change and fostering a culture of collaboration, safety and continuous improvement.

• Degree qualified in a relevant discipline, or equivalent qualifications plus significant demonstrable experience
• Chartered status or meets the requirements and working towards attainment
• Extensive senior level experience in Operations, Decommissioning and Construction management
• Proven leadership and line management experience, with a strong commitment to mentoring, talent development and capability building
• Ability to work in complex organisations and demonstrated organisation awareness would be an advantage
• Demonstrable success in leading organisational change, influencing stakeholders and delivering improvement initiatives within complex organisations
• Post specific physical capability analysis assessment

We are looking to hold interviews week commencing Monday 09 November 2026, however, please note that this vacancy may close earlier than the stated deadline should we receive a high volume of applications.

Please note: All successful candidates who do not already hold security clearance will need to provide proof of identity, eligibility to work in the UK, and employment/education history (typically covering the last 3–5 years) in line with NRS Baseline Security requirements. Some roles may also require full Security Clearance, which involves additional checks. For details, please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) guidance.