Project Manager – Major Capital Projects

UK Atomic Energy Authority; England; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading energy research organization in the UK seeks an experienced Project Manager to lead a £100M infrastructure project. The role requires managing multidisciplinary teams and ensuring adherence to safety and quality standards. Ideal candidates will have a proven track record in large-scale projects and relevant leadership experience. This position offers an opportunity to shape the future of fusion energy, working closely with scientists and industry partners.

Qualifications

• Extensive Project Management experience in large-scale construction projects.
• Experience managing budgets exceeding £60M.
• Strong negotiation skills and ability to manage complex contracts.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of a major capital project with budgets exceeding £100M.
• Manage multidisciplinary teams and complex stakeholder relationships.
• Ensure compliance with regulations and UKAEA governance.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Commercial acumen

Project management

Construction methodologies

Education

Degree in Science, Engineering, or Construction Management

Professional accreditation (e.g. PMP, APM, RICS)

Job description

The salary for this role is £91,173 inclusive of an Specialist Allowance. Onsite working is expected for 3 days each week; however, we actively support requests for flexible working.

This role is based at the following site: Culham, Oxfordshire.

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.

Join the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) as Project Manager Major Capital Projects.

Are you ready to lead one of the most ambitious and strategically critical engineering programmes in the UK? UKAEA is seeking an experienced Project Manager Major Capital Projects to deliver a complex, novel, multi-million-pound infrastructure project that will shape the future of fusion energy. This is a unique opportunity to work within UKAEA where we are driving one of the most ambitious and transformative scientific endeavours of our time. As Project Manager you will play a pivotal role in overseeing complex large-scale infrastructure works ensuring they are delivered to the highest standards of safety, quality and efficiency. Working with leading scientists, engineers, and industry partners you will help build the foundations for cutting‑edge facilities that will enable fusion research to move from breakthrough science to novel clean energy solutions.

About the Role

As lead Project Manager you will be accountable for the successful delivery of a major engineering and construction project valued at over £100 million. This mission‑critical project involves large integrated teams, complex technical systems and international stakeholders. You will lead a delivery team of over 50 professionals, including UKAEA staff, contractors and secondees, ensuring performance compliance and strategic alignment.

The project includes work packages at varying levels of maturity from concept design to early construction. The Project Manager will be expected to manage this complexity effectively.

Although research‑led, the programme must be delivered with industrial rigour and strong focus on schedule and cost.

This is a high‑impact role requiring exceptional leadership, commercial acumen and technical oversight. You will manage significant budgets, oversee procurement contracts and ensure adherence to national regulations and UKAEA governance frameworks.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of a major capital project with budgets exceeding £100M.
• Manage large multidisciplinary teams and complex stakeholder relationships.
• Oversee commercial contracts (e.g. NEC4) and procurement strategies.
• Ensure compliance with CDM regulations, HSE directives and public sector controls.
• Provide strategic leadership and accurate reporting to senior management.
• Represent UKAEA externally at a senior level and contribute to organisational strategy.
• Manage multi‑contractor environments and ensure integration across engineering, procurement and site operations.
• Drive delivery excellence across all phases, including design, construction, installation and commissioning.

What We Are Looking For

• An extensive track record of delivering large‑scale complex projects within construction, energy or related high‑risk sectors.
• Substantial experience managing large‑scale projects (60M+).
• Exceptional leadership, communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Advanced project/programme management qualifications (e.g. PRINCE2, PMP, APM, MSP).
• Strong commercial acumen with experience negotiating and managing complex high‑value contracts and resolving challenges in dynamic and regulated settings.
• Ability to navigate complexity, ambiguity and strategic challenges.
• Technical knowledge: understanding of engineering and construction methodologies, risk management and regulatory compliance in infrastructure delivery.
• Proven experience in managing site‑based execution phases including construction, installation and commissioning.
• Experience working in environments where scientific research intersects with industrial delivery, balancing innovation with execution discipline.

Qualifications

• Extensive Project Management experience with a proven track record of leading complex engineering infrastructure or large‑scale construction projects.
• Degree in Science, Engineering, Construction Management or related discipline preferred. Professional accreditation (e.g. PMP, APM, RICS, CEng or equivalent) preferred.
• Evidence of delivering complex large‑scale multi‑year projects (>£60M) on time, within budget and to required quality standards.
• Skilled at managing relationships with clients, government bodies, communities and senior executives.

Additional Information

UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to diversity and inclusion. We encourage applications in particular from women in STEM and people from Black, British, Caribbean and African, Pakistani and Bangladeshi British backgrounds. Our Executive team, supported by the Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Wellbeing, actively promotes inclusion and works to increase diversity within our organization. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.

UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email 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.

Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications.

Remote work: No

Employment type: Full‑time

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Vacancy: 1