Lead Engineer - Structures

Rolls-Royce SMR; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Rolls-Royce SMR in the United Kingdom is seeking a Lead Engineer - Structures to lead structural engineering activities within the Containment programme, delivering safe, robust, and integrated design solutions for the reactor island.

You will guide a team of engineers, manage interfaces with safety case and design teams, and drive technical leadership across complex structural challenges while working in a hybrid model with Derby, Warrington or Manchester as the primary location.

Responsibilities

• Leading structural engineering activities across the Containment programme area, ensuring technical solutions are delivered safely, efficiently and to the highest quality standards.
• Providing technical leadership on complex structural engineering challenges, supporting the development, justification and integration of design solutions.
• Leading engineering work packages from concept through to detailed design, managing technical scope, programme priorities and engineering risks.
• Resolving complex engineering challenges, driving robust decision‑making and providing technical direction to colleagues and project teams.

Job description

Role: Lead Engineer - Structures

Hybrid working with one of the following locations as primary: Derby, Warrington or Manchester

Our Mission

At Rolls-Royce SMR, our mission is to deliver clean, affordable energy for all. Our Small Modular Reactor (SMR) provides a British solution to a global energy challenge. We are uniquely positioned to become a global leader in SMR technology and the UK's premier green energy export, helping to create a more secure, sustainable and low-carbon energy future.

The Team

The Structures team sits at the centre of Reactor Island design, delivering the engineering solutions that underpin the safety, resilience and performance of our power plants. Working across complex structural challenges, the team combines technical excellence, innovation and multidisciplinary collaboration to develop first-of-a-kind nuclear infrastructure.

As part of our continued growth, we are looking for a Lead Engineer - Structures to support our Senior Manager - Structures. Leading technical workstreams and a team of engineers and secondees, this role will take ownership of complex structural engineering challenges within the Containment area of the plant, helping to deliver safe, robust and integrated design solutions across one of the most critical parts of the reactor.

The Role

This is a highly influential technical leadership role, responsible for leading structural engineering activities across the Containment programme area whilst supporting the development of engineering capability and project delivery.

You’ll work at the heart of Reactor Island design, providing technical leadership on complex structural engineering challenges, coordinating multidisciplinary interfaces and ensuring the successful delivery of safe, robust and integrated engineering solutions.

More Specifically, We'll Look To You For

Technical Leadership & Engineering Delivery

• Leading structural engineering activities across the Containment programme area, ensuring technical solutions are delivered safely, efficiently and to the highest quality standards.
• Providing technical leadership on complex structural engineering challenges, supporting the development, justification and integration of design solutions.
• Leading engineering work packages from concept through to detailed design, managing technical scope, programme priorities and engineering risks.
• Resolving complex engineering challenges, driving robust decision‑making and providing technical direction to colleagues and project teams.

Structural Analysis, Design & Substantiation

• Delivering structural analysis, design and substantiation activities associated with reinforced concrete and steel structures within the Reactor Island and Containment areas.
• Supporting the development and justification of structures subject to: Seismic loading, Blast effects, and Fire scenarios
• Thermal loading conditions
• Supporting the development and management of engineering requirements, assumptions, risks and design substantiation documentation.
• Ensuring engineering solutions comply with relevant codes, standards and governance requirements.

Multidisciplinary Integration

• Coordinating multidisciplinary interfaces across engineering, safety case and design teams to ensure aligned and fully integrated outcomes.
• Managing technical interfaces with Safety Case, Systems, Mechanical and Plant Integration teams to ensure designs meet functional and regulatory requirements.
• Preparing and presenting technical solutions through governance reviews, design assessments and stakeholder scrutiny processes.

Safety, Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Ensuring conventional health and safety considerations are incorporated into engineering solutions