Head of Risk and Assurance

UK Atomic Energy Authority; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 84,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading energy research organization based in the United Kingdom is seeking a Head of Risk and Assurance to oversee strategic risk management. The role requires a strong leader with professional risk management qualifications and significant experience in compliance with ISO standards. You'll be responsible for embedding best practices, monitoring internal controls, and guiding a dedicated team. This position offers competitive salary and excellent benefits.

Benefits

Defined benefit pension scheme

Corporate bonus scheme up to 7%

Flexible working options

Generous annual leave allowance

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Significant experience in managing systems that are certified to ISO standards.
• Good background knowledge of fusion science and/or technology and engineering.
• Excellent Board report writing technical skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of UKAEA's Risk and Assurance strategic agenda.
• Monitor internal controls and drive a pro-active risk culture.
• Guide and manage the risk and assurance team.

Skills

Professional risk management qualification

Experience managing systems certified to ISO standards

Strong commercial awareness

Education

IRM Certificate/Diploma

Job description

Company Description

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 cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs.

UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research for ground‑breaking 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: Innovative, Committed, Trusted, and Collaborative.

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 and the right to request flexible working from the start of your employment.
• 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.
• Wide range of career development opportunities.
• A vibrant culture committed to equality and being fully inclusive.

Job Description

The salary for this role is £83,421 + excellent benefits including outstanding pension. Onsite working is expected for 3 days each week, however, we actively support requests for flexible working.

This role is based at the following site; Culham, Oxfordshire.

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions and possibly a search of open source data.

The Role

As the Head of Risk and Assurance, you will be leading the delivery of UKAEA's Risk and Assurance strategic agenda, driving cultural improvement and embedding best-in-class practices and advising the Board and senior leadership on all risk and assurance matters, ensuring robust governance, compliance, and internal controls. You will also be championing the organisational Risk and Assurance framework, influencing stakeholders, and developing a high‑performing team to build capability across all levels and providing independent assurance and benchmarking to maintain alignment with legislation and global best practice.

Additional Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver the UKAEA risk and assurance strategy, operating model, and improvement plan.
• Monitor internal controls, embed lessons learned, and drive a pro‑active risk and assurance culture.
• Offer visible guidance and governance in risk and assurance, representing UKAEA nationally and internationally.
• Guide, coach, and manage the risk and assurance team, ensuring effective and inclusive service delivery.
• Oversee enterprise risk, assurance programmes, and programme board reporting, ensuring alignment and effective escalation.
• Develop risk appetite, integrate risk and opportunity management into decision‑making, and conduct horizon scanning and risk workshops.

Qualifications

Essential Requirements

• Professional risk management qualification including IRM Certificate/Diploma or working towards IRM certification.
• Significant experience in managing systems that are certified to ISO standards.
• Passion for ensuring good risk and assurance management practices and culture.
• A pro‑active approach to safety, with good appreciation of UK compliance requirements in design.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to make sound economic decisions that maximise project value.
• Good background knowledge and understanding of fusion science and/or technology and engineering.
• Excellent Board report writing technical skills.

Desirable Requirements

• Professional Project Management qualification.
• Lead auditor/quality systems trained with experience of implementing assurance quality improvement programmes.

Additional Information

A full list of our benefits can be found here https://careers.ukaea.uk/life-at-ukaea/employee-benefits/.

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 takes steps to increase diversity within our organization. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.

UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email [e-mail] if you have any questions or require help or adjustments to compete on a fair basis, for example, changes to the way we interview or share information.

Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications.