Principal Hpc Computational Engineer

Uk Atomic Energy Authority; Culham; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 79,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £71,815 including £7,700 expert

Up to 7% corporate performance bonus

Final salary defined benefits pension

25 days annual leave plus 2.5 days + 8

Site closure 3 days over Christmas

Flexible working options + family‑or‑l

Job summary

UK Atomic Energy Authority is seeking a Senior HPC Computational Engineer to lead development of software for fusion simulations and to guide research directions. You will manage 4–10 researchers across concurrent projects and build capabilities for peta- to exa-scale computing.

Os, you will drive funding, collaborate with industry and academia, and represent UKAEA in national and international forums while delivering high-impact research outcomes and publications.

Qualifications

• Doctorate in computational, mathematical or physical science, or leadership experience in research/industry.
• International reputation in the field from research or commercial work.
• Experience with compiled languages (C++, Fortran, C, Rust) and scripting (Python/Julia) in UNIX.
• Experience in agile project and budget management within a team.
• Strong background in numerical analysis, parallel programming (MPI/OpenMP), and CFD/multiphysics.

Responsibilities

• Lead R&D activities, developing novel numerical techniques and codes for fusion applications.
• Lead and develop teams of 4–10 across multiple projects and collaborations.
• Drive research funding and partnerships with industry and academia.
• Represent UKAEA nationally and internationally and evolve codes for exa-scale systems.
• Share outputs via peer-reviewed publications and plan simulation efforts across programmes.

Skills

C++

Fortran

C

Rust

Python

Julia

MPI

OpenMP

GPU acceleration

Uncertainty Quantification

Education

Doctorate degree in computational/scientific field

Tools

UNIX

CUDA

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 industry and research organisations to achieve ground-breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid by developing the power stations of tomorrow and the skilled workforce to deliver them.

About the job

The Computational Materials and Engineering (CME) Unit within UKAEA’s Computing Division delivers research, development and technical support across high-performance computing, engineering and scientific computing, AI, machine learning and advanced simulation technologies for the fusion programme. In this role, you will lead the development and maintenance of software capabilities supporting computational nuclear and multiphysics applications, while driving research, collaboration, funding and adoption of emerging technologies. You will provide technical and strategic leadership, manage projects and resources, represent UKAEA nationally and internationally, and help shape future research directions while developing expertise and collaborations across the Authority.

What You’ll Be Doing

General:

• Lead research and development activities, driving novel numerical techniques, advanced simulation and modelling approaches, and the development of world-leading codes for fusion applications and beyond.
• Lead and develop research teams, managing small to medium-sized teams of 4–10 people across multiple concurrent projects, while building expertise and capability around your research area.
• Drive research, funding and collaboration opportunities, establishing new partnerships with industry, academia and across UKAEA, and actively identifying opportunities for future research and funding.
• Collaborate and represent UKAEA nationally and internationally, contributing to expert and working groups and working with partners to develop and evolve codes for peta- and exa-scale computing systems.
• Share expertise and research outputs, contributing to peer-reviewed publications, supporting other UKAEA units where required, and planning and leading simulation and modelling activities across relevant UKAEA programmes.

What You’ll Bring

Experience:

• At least a doctorate degree in a computational, mathematical or physical science discipline or a leadership role in either a commercial or research environment in one of these fields
• An international reputation in your field gained in either a research or commercial environment
• Demonstrable experience of at least one compiled level language (e.g. C++, Fortran, C, Rust) and advanced scripting language (e,g, Julia, Python), preferably in a UNIX environment
• Experience of agile project and budget management in a team leadership role

Specific Experience:

• Solid foundation in mathematics, especially numerical analysis, demonstrated by either a publication record or contribution to a relevant software library
• Significant and demonstrable experience in parallel programming techniques (e.g. MPI, OpenMP and accelerator hardware such as GPUs)
• Experience leading a distributed team in both mentoring and managing roles
• Experience of the development and implementation of testing strategies (verification and validation) and an ability to assess new algorithms which could be applicable to fusion based codes.
• Significant experience in at least CFD and ideally more relevant nuclear and multiphysics fields (e.g. FV, FD, FE, MHD, Monte Carlo, and associated workflow)
• A good background in Uncertainty Quantification and actionable data.

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

The role is currently advertised at Culham, but other UKAEA locations may also be considered.

We have a generous range of benefits (see the full list here ) and highlights include:

• A salary of £71,815 (inclusive of a £7,700 specialist allowance)
• Up to 7% corporate performance bonus
• Final salary defined benefits pension scheme with an equivalent of 21.5% employer pension contribution
• 25 days annual leave plus 2.5 privilege days; 8 Bank Holidays
• 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 .

Principal HPC Computational Engineer • Culham, England, United Kingdom