Materials Scientist/Engineer - Plasma Facing Components

UK Atomic Energy Authority; Abingdon; On-site; GBP 51,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Onsite role

Flexible working options

Generous benefits package

Job summary

UK Atomic Energy Authority in Abingdon invites a Senior Scientist to lead materials development for fusion power plants. You will direct copper alloy heatsink material programs and support STEP PFC development with robust data and modelling.

You'll lead a small team, coordinate external collaborators and build a strong materials capability across partnerships in academia and industry, contributing to UKAEA's mission for clean energy.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent experience in a relevant field and research background.
• Experience in laboratory materials research and experimental campaigns.
• Ability to communicate complex technical information to diverse audiences.
• Ability to deliver results within tight timescales and budgets.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate projects (>£100k) with sample preparation and modelling.
• Deliver high-quality research and engineering in nuclear materials.
• Publish results in technical reports and high-impact papers.
• Define materials requirements for fusion power plant operation.
• Manage external collaborators and customers across academia and industry.
• Provide leadership to a team of scientists or PhD students.
• Represent UKAEA at conferences and meetings.

Skills

Project leadership

Team leadership

Technical communication

Fluent English

Education

PhD in a relevant subject

Tools

MS Office

Job description

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 industryand research organisations to achieveground-breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the gridby developing the power stations of tomorrow and the skilled workforce to deliver them.

About the job

Join UKAEA’s Materials Division as a Senior Scientist and help shape the materials that will enable future fusion power plants. You’ll lead the development, testing and qualification of copper alloys, tungsten and other plasma-facing component materials, providing the performance data needed to support the STEP programme. This is an opportunity to influence the design of next-generation fusion systems through innovative research, technical leadership and collaboration across the fusion and nuclear materials communities.

The role provides leadership on material requirements for use in in‑vessel plasma‑facing components (PFCs), focusing primarily on Cu-alloy heatsink materials. It ensures coordinated, technically robust materials‑engineering support across STEP Vacuum and In‑Vessel Systems (VIVS) PFC development activities.

Expertise in the development and testing of Cu-alloys heat sink materials is essential for the role. Accompanied by expertise in mechanical & thermophysical properties testing for engineering design to deliver materials performance data for the development of STEP PFCs. Knowledge of tungsten as an armour material for PFCs is also desirable.

This role is a Fixed-Term Appointment until March 2029.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Organise, lead and coordinate short and long-term projects (Project >£100k), arranging specimen/data procurement, scope of work, funding and resources for sample preparation, testing and modelling.
• Deliver high quality, novel research and engineering in the field of nuclear materials through own endeavour and creative input.
• Compile and present results within technical reports and internal meetings, contributing as a lead author in high-impact publications.
• Lead in the definition of materials requirements for operation in a fusion power plant, collaborating closely and building a network not just with internal stakeholders but with other fusion and fission partners in both academia and industry.
• Build and provide leadership and management to, a small team of material scientists or PhD students, providing direction and allocating them to projects (Project >£100k) as required. This may also include leading teams during experiments or modelling exercises, to ensure that data is collected and reported in a robust and timely manner.
• Manage relationships with external collaborators (including universities, public sector research establishments and industry in fusion and fission related fields) and customers, in order to complement UKAEAs internal capability.
• Lead on the contribution to the development and positive reinforcement of UKAEAs knowledge base, design rules and practices in the area of materials & nuclear physics research and development.
• Propose, lead bids and secure funding and contribute to delivery of novel projects (Project >£100k) aligned with internal strategy (e.g. STEP, EUROfusion, EPSRC, PhD, Masters placements, graduates)
• Represent UKAEA at both domestic and international conferences, as well as at various meetings and functions as required.
• Participate in a national working group in a specialist area of nuclear related science (e.g. EUROfusion group, standards committee, benchmarking across countries).

What You’ll Bring

• PhD degree in a relevant subject or equivalent learning across an HNC / apprenticeship / base degree plus work experience.
• Significant previous research-oriented experience in a laboratory environment / materials research group / experimental campaign.
• Ability to work well within a team and to readily articulate complex technical information to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• Ability to deliver high-quality results to tight timescales and budgets.
• Fluent written and spoken English
• Digital literacy across MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

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.

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 of21.5% 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.