Professional Development Lead

Cavendish Nuclear; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Pension with life assurance

Digital GP access

Job summary

Cavendish Nuclear in Bristol is seeking a Professional Development Lead to shape the growth of engineers, project professionals and technical specialists across national programmes. You will design development plans, mentor talent and drive professional accreditation through partnerships with institutions and providers.

This permanent, full-time role offers hybrid working, security-sensitive projects and a clear career path with extensive learning opportunities.

Qualifications

• Experience developing, coaching or mentoring talent within engineering, technical or project environments.
• Experience with competency frameworks or career development pathways.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building at all levels.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and development activities.
• Knowledge of workforce capability or early careers/professional development programmes.

Responsibilities

• Develop and support emerging talent across engineering and technical disciplines.
• Create development plans aligned to competency frameworks and business needs.
• Coach and mentor individuals toward professional registration and career progression.
• Collaborate with placement managers and leaders to secure meaningful development opportunities.
• Monitor progress, identify risks and intervene to support successful outcomes.

Skills

Talent development

Competency frameworks

Stakeholder management

Multi-priority management

Workforce capability

Education

Engineering / Project Management / Business Management degree

Job description

Job Title: Professional Development Lead

Location: Bristol + Hybrid Working Arrangements

Compensation: Attractive Salary + Benefits

Role Type: Full time / Permanent

Role ID: SF76674

Shape the Future of Engineering Talent and Build Capability That Makes a Difference

At Cavendish Nuclear, we’re working to create a safe and secure world, together. If you join us, you can play your part as a Professional Development Lead at our Bristol site.

This is your opportunity to influence the development of the next generation of engineers, project professionals, and technical specialists supporting some of the UK's most important nuclear, defence, and infrastructure programmes. If you're passionate about coaching talent, building capability, and creating meaningful career pathways, this role offers the chance to make a lasting impact on both people and national programmes.

The role

As a Professional Development Lead, you will be responsible for developing and supporting emerging talent across engineering, project management and technical disciplines. Working closely with business leaders, placement managers, professional institutions and training providers, you'll ensure apprentices, graduates and early career professionals gain the experience, skills and professional accreditations needed to succeed.

This is an exciting opportunity to combine people leadership, talent development, coaching, workforce capability and stakeholder engagement in a role that directly supports projects critical to national security, clean energy and public infrastructure. You'll play a key role in developing future industry leaders whilst advancing your own career within a business committed to professional growth and continuous learning.

This is a permanent, 37-hour-per-week role based at our Bristol site. Hybrid working patterns are available.

Day-to-day, You’ll Be Required To

• Supporting graduates, apprentices and early career professionals throughout their development journey.
• Creating and managing professional development plans aligned to competency frameworks and business requirements.
• Coaching and mentoring individuals towards professional registration and career progression goals.
• Collaborating with placement managers and business leaders to secure meaningful development opportunities and assignments.
• Monitoring development performance, identifying risks and implementing interventions to support successful outcomes.

Essential Experience Of The Professional Development Lead

• Experience developing, coaching, mentoring or managing talent within engineering, technical or project environments.
• Experience working with competency frameworks, career development pathways or professional accreditation programmes.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and build relationships at all levels.
• Experience managing multiple priorities, development activities and competing business requirements.
• Knowledge of workforce capability, early careers, talent development or professional development programmes.

Qualifications For The Professional Development Lead

• Degree qualification or equivalent experience in Engineering, Project Management, Business Management or a related discipline.
• Incorporated Engineer, Chartered Engineer status, or the ability to obtain professional registration within six months of appointment.

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be a sole UK national who is able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

What We Offer

• Generous holiday allowance
• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+
• Employee share scheme
• Employee shopping savings portal
• Payment of Professional Fees
• Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave
• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows UK Cavendish employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement. This Window opens February through to March annually.
• ‘Be Kind Day’ enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity
• Excellent development opportunities and benefits package including an employee assistance programme supporting physical, mental and financial wellbeing.

Cavendish

We’re Cavendish Nuclear — a team of c5,000 specialists and a core part of Babcock International Group.

Here, you’ll be part of something bigger. Across clean energy, defence, and civil decommissioning, your work will contribute to projects that are critical to energy security and national protection. Together, we’re shaping a future that lasts — not only through the impact we make, but through meaningful careers that respect your work-life balance.

Join us and discover how far we can go, together.

We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email [e-mail] with the subject header ‘Reasonable adjustments requirement’. We’re committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone’s free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working – please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.

Closing date: 11/11/2026

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