Reactor Coolant Systems Design Senior Manager

Rolls Royce SMR Ltd.; Derby, Manchester, Warrington; Hybrid; GBP 68,000 - 89,000; Full time

Job summary

Rolls-Royce SMR is seeking a Reactor Coolant Systems Design Senior Manager to lead nuclear design initiatives. The role emphasizes strong leadership in technical design and stakeholder engagement, ensuring compliance with safety and quality standards while fostering team collaboration. This is an opportunity to be part of a revolutionary project that aims to shape the future of low-carbon energy generation.

Benefits

Bonus - Performance related target opportunity 17%

Benefits Allowance – £5,000 per annum

Pension 12% employer and 6% employee contributions

28 days holiday (+ public holidays)

Private Medical Insurance - BUPA single cover

Life Assurance - 6x pensionable pay

£250 - One-off payment for new starters for home office purchases

Qualifications

• Proven engineering leader with nuclear design programme experience.
• Strong record in delivery and collaboration across business functions.

Responsibilities

• Lead design teams to deliver complex nuclear safety design solutions.
• Manage significant design contracts and governance processes.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to drive programme success.

Skills

Leadership

Nuclear design expertise

Stakeholder engagement

Collaboration

Technical design

Education

Technical degree

Chartered Engineer

Job description

Reactor Coolant Systems Design Senior Manager

Role Title: Reactor Coolant Systems Design Senior Manager

Location: flexible hybrid

We are Rolls-Royce SMR and we’re doing something that’s never been done before. We’re revolutionising an industry. That’s a once-in-a-career opportunity for those excited by such a challenge. This is more than just a job; this is a legacy.

We are now recruiting for the exciting role of Reactor Coolant Systems Design Senior Manager.

Reporting to the Head of Reactor Process Systems, the Senior Manager for Reactor Coolant Systems Design is responsible for development of technical solutions and governance across the scope of the Nuclear Steam Supply System and supporting systems, inclusive of:

• Reactor Coolant Loops
• Reactor Pressuriser and Pressure Relief Systems
• Reactor Plant Chemistry, Sampling and Volume Control Systems
• Steam Generator Chemistry, Inventory and Pressure Relief Systems

The role covers the senior technical and programme leadership of large teams of design engineers, as well as the management of significant design contracts in the supply chain. This includes: the overall direction and governance of the programmes of work under their scope; accepting the validity of the technical solutions developed under their direction; the delivery of a robust design and safety justification, supported by detailed performance and underpinning assessment; ensuring outputs comply with environment, safety, security and safeguards (E3S) objectives; developing the team capabilities and resilience; and resolving emergent issues.

The candidate will be an expert in nuclear process/safety system design with a strong proven record of delivery of complex programmes.

The Senior Manager for Reactor Coolant Systems is a leadership figure within Engineering. It requires strong design expertise, strong leadership skills, and the ability to inspire and motivate others. They will use their experience and abilities to steer and influence at all levels, displaying a positive and collaborative leadership style, to ensure successful department management.

Success will demand engagement with a wide range of senior internal and external stakeholders, inclusive of industry bodies and regulators, to ensure the analysis programme and safety case are progressed in accordance with broader business and legislative requirements.

Responsibilities within the role:

• Technically lead and drive their specified elements of the design programme in line with the programme’s policies and processes.
• Manage large department of design engineers to deliver the full design and development scope.
• Own the delivery programme for their accountable scope of supply and create and manage suitable design milestone schedules.
• Deliver the required design documentation/definition to the programme.
• Define and manage the required elements of all lifecycle management aspects of the design scope.
• Manage and agree requirements across the full scope and ensure requirements are satisfied in accordance with any required V&V plans and programmes.
• Develop design and product cost estimates, manage the wider technical attributes for their scope and maintain the associated opportunity and risk registers.
• Develop and implement robust governance processes for their scope of supply, integrating it into the wider Reactor Island / programme governance cycle.
• Deliver and own any generated engineering substantiation and safety cases.
• Develop and lead the team to provide the required technical expertise to deliver the defined scope and provide the required support to the business.
• Own the implementation of design configuration control process for their area of accountability, integrated with the wider programme.
• Develop and lead the capability across the system design scope / function.
• Deliver capability strategies to ensure that the business has the capability to deliver all aspects of the duty system design, covering in house and externally sourced capability.
• Implement the programme Health, Safety and Environment policy on all designated activities.

Required qualifications and experience:

The candidate will be a proven engineering leader with a strong proven record of leadership and delivery of large complex nuclear design programmes.

As a senior engineering and integration role, this position will require extensive interaction at all levels, internal and external to the company and strong collaboration across all business functions. The candidate will need to show excellent communication and collaboration characteristics and very strong influence in order to bring all parties together and drive the challenging programme forward to realise the common goals.

The candidate will be a Chartered Engineer or equivalent and hold a relevant technical degree level qualification.

Ref 364 Department Engineering - Reactor Plant Systems Location Derby, Manchester, Warrington Employment type Full-time Salary £68,000 - £89,000 Closing date 12/07/2025 Role related

Role Title: Reactor Coolant Systems Design Senior Manager

Location: flexible hybrid

We are Rolls-Royce SMR and we’re doing something that’s never been done before. We’re revolutionising an industry. That’s a once-in-a-career opportunity for those excited by such a challenge. This is more than just a job; this is a legacy.

We are now recruiting for the exciting role of Reactor Coolant Systems Design Senior Manager.

Reporting to the Head of Reactor Process Systems, the Senior Manager for Reactor Coolant Systems Design is responsible for development of technical solutions and governance across the scope of the Nuclear Steam Supply System and supporting systems, inclusive of:

• Reactor Coolant Loops
• Reactor Pressuriser and Pressure Relief Systems
• Reactor Plant Chemistry, Sampling and Volume Control Systems
• Steam Generator Chemistry, Inventory and Pressure Relief Systems

The role covers the senior technical and programme leadership of large teams of design engineers, as well as the management of significant design contracts in the supply chain. This includes: the overall direction and governance of the programmes of work under their scope; accepting the validity of the technical solutions developed under their direction; the delivery of a robust design and safety justification, supported by detailed performance and underpinning assessment; ensuring outputs comply with environment, safety, security and safeguards (E3S) objectives; developing the team capabilities and resilience; and resolving emergent issues.

The candidate will be an expert in nuclear process/safety system design with a strong proven record of delivery of complex programmes.

The Senior Manager for Reactor Coolant Systems is a leadership figure within Engineering. It requires strong design expertise, strong leadership skills, and the ability to inspire and motivate others. They will use their experience and abilities to steer and influence at all levels, displaying a positive and collaborative leadership style, to ensure successful department management.

Success will demand engagement with a wide range of senior internal and external stakeholders, inclusive of industry bodies and regulators, to ensure the analysis programme and safety case are progressed in accordance with broader business and legislative requirements.

Responsibilities within the role:

• Technically lead and drive their specified elements of the design programme in line with the programme’s policies and processes.
• Manage large department of design engineers to deliver the full design and development scope.
• Own the delivery programme for their accountable scope of supply and create and manage suitable design milestone schedules.
• Deliver the required design documentation/definition to the programme.
• Define and manage the required elements of all lifecycle management aspects of the design scope.
• Manage and agree requirements across the full scope and ensure requirements are satisfied in accordance with any required V&V plans and programmes.
• Develop design and product cost estimates, manage the wider technical attributes for their scope and maintain the associated opportunity and risk registers.
• Develop and implement robust governance processes for their scope of supply, integrating it into the wider Reactor Island / programme governance cycle.
• Deliver and own any generated engineering substantiation and safety cases.
• Develop and lead the team to provide the required technical expertise to deliver the defined scope and provide the required support to the business.
• Own the implementation of design configuration control process for their area of accountability, integrated with the wider programme.
• Develop and lead the capability across the system design scope / function.
• Deliver capability strategies to ensure that the business has the capability to deliver all aspects of the duty system design, covering in house and externally sourced capability.
• Implement the programme Health, Safety and Environment policy on all designated activities.

Required qualifications and experience:

The candidate will be a proven engineering leader with a strong proven record of leadership and delivery of large complex nuclear design programmes.

As a senior engineering and integration role, this position will require extensive interaction at all levels, internal and external to the company and strong collaboration across all business functions. The candidate will need to show excellent communication and collaboration characteristics and very strong influence in order to bring all parties together and drive the challenging programme forward to realise the common goals.

The candidate will be a Chartered Engineer or equivalent and hold a relevant technical degree level qualification.

Pay and benefits

We anticipate paying a salary of between £68,000 - £89,000 DOE plus:-

• Bonus - Performance related target opportunity 17%
• Benefits Allowance – £5,000 per annum, enabling you to create a bespoke package
• Pension - 12% employer and 6% employee contributions.
• Holidays - 28 days holiday (+ public holidays) and the ability to buy or sell up to 4 days.
• Private Medical Insurance - BUPA single cover health care
• Life Assurance - 6x pensionable pay
• £250 - One-off payment for new starters for home office purchases

Company related

We are Rolls-Royce SMR

Rolls-Royce SMR is a rare employer because it blends the world-class brand of Rolls Royce with an exciting start-up that has a hugely challenging mission. We’re doing work that contributes to the survival of the planet. Because of our mission, there’s a pace and energy that is palpable, and our leaders draw you in with their passion, energy, and determination.

We’re one of a handful of employers who can genuinely say we’re a strengths-based organisation – our people are here because of what makes them great, and our job is to help them make the best contribution of their careers doing work they love.

The start-up mentality coupled with our strengths-approach to people means there are opportunities to grow in ways and jobs you probably would be barred from doing in more traditional companies.

Each Rolls-Royce SMR power station will have the capacity to generate 470MW of low carbon energy, equivalent to more than 150 onshore wind turbines and enough to power a million homes. It will provide consistent baseload generation for at least 60 years, helping to support the roll out of renewable generation and overcome intermittency issues

Our Culture

At Rolls-Royce SMR, we are committed to ensuring that our teams reflect the communities we serve and that everyone can be themselves at work. We know that diverse teams are more innovative and get better results, and that our people can thrive and be more successful in truly inclusive cultures. Join us and help shape our culture. Find out more about our inclusion pledge .

Rolls-Royce SMR is a place where everyone can grow, so whatever background you bring with you, please apply if this is a role that would make you excited to come into work every day and help shape our culture.

Our Application Process

Due to the safety regulations within the nuclear industry, applicants will be required to participate in additional screening. These are:

Obtaining Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance

Satisfactory completion of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

Satisfactory completion of a basic financial probity check