Permitting & Consent Manager

UK Atomic Energy Authority; Retford; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 71,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Defined benefit pension

Bonus scheme up to 7%

Relocation allowance

Flexible working

Employee assistance programme

Generous annual leave

Inclusive culture

Job summary

UK Fusion Energy Ltd. (UKFE), a subsidiary of UKAEA, seeks a senior regulatory professional to own permitting and consenting workstreams for the STEP programme. You will advise senior stakeholders, engage regulators, and drive governance within a growing regulatory function.

You will build frameworks, ensure compliance across projects, and lead a small team of regulatory staff while maintaining strong external relationships with regulators and government bodies.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in permitting, consenting, licensing or regulatory compliance.
• Experience managing permits, licences or consents through application, submission and determination.
• Experience leading, supervising or mentoring colleagues.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills and experience working with regulators or government bodies.
• Excellent written communication skills with the ability to produce robust regulatory documentation.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple complex workstreams simultaneously.
• NSIPs and DCO experience.
• Experience across public and private sectors.
• Professional membership or qualifications in planning, environmental management or regulatory compliance.
• Experience within energy, nuclear or fusion sectors.
• Previous people management and talent development experience.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end permit, licence, consent and exemption workstreams.
• Oversee the preparation, review and submission of regulatory applications.
• Ensure compliance requirements are incorporated into project planning and delivery.
• Identify and manage regulatory risks, issues and dependencies.
• Support the development of wider regulatory and consenting strategies.
• Develop strong relationships with regulators, government departments and external stakeholders.
• Act as a representative for UKFE in regulatory discussions and engagements.
• Coordinate stakeholder interactions across complex and multidisciplinary workstreams.
• Support strategic regulatory engagement activities across the wider programme.
• Lead and mentor a small team of permitting professionals.

Skills

Permitting

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Leadership

Education

Regulatory qualifications

Job description

• Salary: £64,115 + excellent benefits including outstanding pension
• Division: UKFE - Risk Assurance and Regulation
• Site Location: West Burton, Nottinghamshire
• Department: UKFE - Regulation

Company Description

The UK Government has established UK Fusion Energy (UKFE) Ltd., a subsidiary of UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), to lead the charge in delivering fusion energy through design and delivery of the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) protype fusion plant. UKFE is establishing itself, setting up the company, attracting talent, engaging with industry, developing a supply chain, and planning and constructing of the STEP prototype.

Fusion energy, crucial for combating climate change and ensuring energy independence, is expected to be commercially viable by mid-century. The UK, led by UKFE, aims for a prototype fusion plant, targeting first operations around 2040. UK Fusion Energy Ltd. will lead delivery, collaborating with industrial partners and building a fusion supply chain with an estimated global sector value of £7tn per year. Join UKFE and the STEP programme to be involved in this ground-breaking journey.

Onsite workingis expected for3 days each week, however, we actively support requests for Flexible Working.

As an employee of UKFE, you will benefit from:

• Outstandingdefined benefit pension scheme, details of which can be found at the end of this advert.
• Corporatebonus schemeup to 7% and aRelocationallowance (if eligible).
• Flexible working optionsincluding family friendly policies and the right to request flexible working from the start of your employment.
• Employee Assistance Programmeand trained Mental Health First Aiders,
• Generous annual leaveallowance starting with 25 days, plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays
• A vibrantculturecommitted to being fullyinclusive

The salary for this role is £64,115+ excellent benefits including outstanding pension.

The closing date to apply for this position is the 15th Sept 2026.

This UKFE vacancy will be based atWest Burton,Nottinghamshire.

Job Description

You’ll take ownership of permitting and consenting workstreams across the STEP programme, managing activities from initial strategy and application development through to determination, implementation and ongoing compliance. You’ll be a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, a key point of contact for regulators and a leader within an expanding regulatory and compliance function.

You will also help develop the frameworks, processes and culture that support effective regulatory engagement throughout the programme lifecycle.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Manage end-to-end permit, licence, consent and exemption workstreams.
• Oversee the preparation, review and submission of high-quality regulatory applications.
• Ensure compliance requirements are incorporated into project planning and delivery.
• Identify and manage regulatory risks, issues and dependencies.
• Support the development of wider regulatory and consenting strategies.

Build and Maintain Regulatory Relationships

• Develop strong relationships with regulators, government departments and external stakeholders.
• Act as a key representative for UKFE in regulatory discussions and engagements.
• Coordinate stakeholder interactions across complex and multidisciplinary workstreams.
• Support strategic regulatory engagement activities across the wider programme.

Lead Assurance, Governance and Compliance

• Drive consistency and quality across permitting and consenting activities.
• Support audits, inspections and assurance reviews.
• Maintain permitting registers, compliance records and regulatory documentation.
• Produce reporting and management information for programme leadership.

Lead and Develop People

• Manage and mentor a small team of permitting and consenting professionals.
• Provide coaching, technical oversight and quality assurance.
• Promote regulatory best practice and support capability development across the organisation.
• Deputise for the Head of Regulatory Compliance & Engagement when required.

Qualifications

You’ll be an experienced regulatory, permitting, licensing or consenting professional who thrives in complex and highly regulated environments.

You may currently work in energy, nuclear, utilities, transport, environmental consultancy, infrastructure, engineering, construction or another sector where successful project delivery depends on securing regulatory approvals.

• Significant experience in permitting, consenting, licensing or regulatory compliance.
• Experience managing permits, licences or consents through application, submission and determination.
• Experience leading, supervising or mentoring colleagues.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills and experience working with regulators or government bodies.
• Excellent written communication skills with the ability to produce robust regulatory documentation.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple complex workstreams simultaneously.
• Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) and Development Consent Order (DCO) experience.
• Experience working across public and private sector environments.
• Professional membership or qualifications in planning, environmental management, regulatory compliance or related disciplines.
• Experience within the energy, nuclear or fusion sectors.
• Previous people management and talent development experience.

Additional Information

We welcome applications from under‑represented groups, particularly women in STEM and individuals from British black and ethnic minority backgrounds, and individuals with disabilities. Our Executive team, supported by our 'Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) Partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, actively promotes EDI and takes steps to increase diversity within our organisation. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.

UKFE is committed to being accessible. Please email[emailprotected] 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.

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions. Whilst not required at this time, there is a possibility of an SC Clearance being required in the future. If a candidate already holds an SC clearance, that clearance can be transferred to UKFE.

As we work towards our mission and goals, guided by our principles, STEP has six behaviours that are intended to capture the spirit of how we work:

• We championsafety
• We allmatter
• We act asone
• We arepioneering
• Wedeliver

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.