Principal Technologist

UK Atomic Energy Authority; Whitehaven; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 79,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Defined benefit pension

Bonus up to 7%

Relocation allowance

Flexible working

Employee Assistance Programme

Generous annual leave

Inclusive culture

Job summary

UK Atomic Energy Authority seeks a Principal Technologist to lead tooling and equipment for remotely operated robotic systems in RAICo. You will drive concept through prototyping to deployment on real sites, mentoring engineers along the way.

The role emphasizes leadership, safety, and collaboration with industry partners, with nuclear safety knowledge encouraged but not mandatory.

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field, Master’s preferred.
• Substantial experience in mechanical design of tooling, mechanisms or equipment.
• Experience with robotic, automated or remote handling systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical design and development of tooling for remotely operated robotic systems.
• Provide technical leadership on integration of tooling with robotic platforms and AI systems.
• Plan and deliver engineering projects with internal teams and suppliers.
• Mentor engineers and technologists and ensure safe trial delivery.

Skills

Robotics

Mechanical design

3D CAD

Project leadership

Systems integration

Education

Master's in Mechanical Engineering

Chartered Engineer status (desirable)

Tools

FEA

Tolerance analysis

Job description

• Salary: £71,815 (inclusive of Specialist Allowance) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension
• Division: ARC (RAICo)
• Site Location: UKAEA Cumbria
• Position Grade: Grade I
• Department: Operations and Technology

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 the 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.

Job Description

As an employee of UKAEA 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 equality and being fullyinclusive

The salary for this role is £71,815(inclusive of aSpecialist Allowance) Onsite working is expected for a minimum of3 days each week, however, we actively support requests for flexible working.

This role is based at the following site: Whitehaven, Cumbria

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.

Some of the hardest engineering problems in the UK sit inside nuclear facilities: cutting up contaminated assets, decontaminating surfaces, and working in places no person can safely go. We're looking for an experienced mechanical design engineer with a robotics background to lead how we solve them.

As Principal Technologist, you'll lead the Tooling and Equipment focus area within RAICo (Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration). RAICo is a joint programme bringing together UKAEA, the NDA, Sellafield, AWE and the University of Manchester to accelerate nuclear decommissioning through robotics and AI. You'll design and develop end effectors, tooling and equipment for remotely operated robotic systems, and take them from concept and R&D through prototyping and trials to deployment on real sites.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role. You'll shape the technical and strategic direction of the focus area, lead projects delivered with multidisciplinary teams and supply chain partners, and mentor engineers and technologists. If you come from an R&D, research or advanced engineering background and want your designs to leave the lab and make a real-world difference, we'd like to hear from you. Nuclear experience is not required; we'll support you in learning the sector's safety and regulatory processes.

Key Accountabilities:

Lead the mechanical design and development of tooling and equipment for remotely operated robotic systems, covering size reduction, decontamination and contamination prevention. Work from concept through detailed design, prototyping, testing and deployment.

Provide expert technical leadership on the integration of tooling with robotic platforms and intelligent systems, including manipulators, mobile robots and remote handling systems, making sound design decisions on performance, reliability and maintainability.

Shape and deliver the technical strategy for the Tooling and Equipment focus area within RAICo, identifying emerging technologies and opportunities to move them towards deployment.

Plan and lead engineering projects delivered by internal teams and supply chain partners, including specification, procurement, commissioning and trials, to agreed time, cost, quality and risk targets.

Act as the technical lead and point of contact for the focus area with partner organisations and suppliers, and mentor and develop engineers and technologists.

Ensure safe delivery of trials and project activities through safe systems of work, including Work Control Packs, with training and support provided where needed.

Qualifications

A degree (ideally a Master's) in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics or a related discipline, or equivalent knowledge gained through experience.

Substantial experience in the mechanical design and development of tooling, mechanisms or equipment, taken from concept through to manufacture and test, in industry or applied R&D.

Experience designing for or integrating with robotic, automated or remote handling systems.

Experience leading technical projects or workstreams, including planning, budgets, suppliers and working with a range of stakeholders.

Proficiency with 3D CAD and core design analysis methods (for example tolerance analysis, FEA, design for manufacture).

Experience designing tooling for cutting, size reduction, decontamination or material handling.

Experience working in harsh, hazardous or constrained environments, such as nuclear, subsea, offshore, space or defence.

Knowledge of the nuclear sector or other highly regulated industries, including safe systems of work such as Work Control Packs.

Chartered Engineer status, or working towards it, with a relevant professional institution.

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,inclusionand accessibility, and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce.

Please email [e-mail] if you have any questions or require adjustments to help us participatefairly 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 onmeritand further information can be found here .

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