Senior Characterisation Specialist

Nuclear Restoration Services; Thurso; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

NRS Dounreay seeks a Senior Characterisation Specialist to provide technical leadership across characterisation programmes in a highly regulated environment.

You will lead and support characterisation activities, develop radiological fingerprints, oversee sampling, interpret data, and prepare technical plans and reports to underpin safe waste management decisions. Interviews planned for late September 2026; security clearance requirements may apply.

Qualifications

• Degree in scientific, technical or engineering discipline or equivalent experience.
• Experience in radioactive waste characterisation, radiological assessment, radiochemistry or health physics.
• Knowledge of radiological fingerprint development, sampling and analysis techniques, inventory development or decay modelling.
• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills.
• Experience producing technical reports, plans and supporting documentation.
• Ability to communicate complex technical information to both specialist and non‑specialist audiences.
• Commitment to technical excellence, continuous improvement and collaborative working.
• Post specific physical capability assessment.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support characterisation activities across the site, providing expert advice on radiological and waste characterisation challenges.
• Develop and maintain radiological fingerprints and characterisation methodologies.
• Design and oversee sampling and analysis programmes.
• Interpret radiological and characterisation data to support waste management and decommissioning decisions.
• Prepare characterisation plans, reports and technical justifications.
• Support projects through specialist characterisation advice.
• Identify opportunities to improve characterisation approaches, efficiency and technical quality.
• Provide coaching, mentoring and technical leadership within the characterisation discipline.
• Engage with regulators, supply chain partners and specialist stakeholders.

Skills

Radiological data interpretation

Characterisation expertise

Technical leadership

Regulatory liaison

Education

Degree in scientific/technical/engineering discipline

Tools

Sampling & analysis techniques

Radiochemical methods

Decay modelling

Job description

Are you an experienced characterisation professional with the expertise to transform complex data into the evidence needed to support waste management and decommissioning decisions? NRS Dounreay is seeking a Senior Characterisation Specialist to provide technical leadership across a range of characterisation programmes. This is an opportunity to become a recognised expert within a unique and highly regulated environment, supporting some of the site's most significant waste and decommissioning challenges. Working with projects, waste specialists, operational facilities and regulators, you will help define and interpret radiological inventories, develop characterisation strategies and provide the technical basis that underpins safe, compliant and proportionate waste management decisions.

What You'll Be Doing

As a senior technical specialist, you will lead and support characterisation activities across the site, providing expert advice on complex radiological and waste characterisation challenges.

Key Responsibilities Will Include

• Developing and maintaining radiological fingerprints and characterisation methodologies.
• Designing and overseeing sampling and analysis programmes.
• Interpreting radiological and characterisation data to support waste management and decommissioning decisions.
• Preparing characterisation plans, reports and technical justifications.
• Supporting projects through the provision of specialist characterisation advice.
• Identifying opportunities to improve characterisation approaches, efficiency and technical quality.
• Providing coaching, mentoring and technical leadership within the characterisation discipline.
• Engaging with regulators, supply chain partners and specialist stakeholders.

What You'll Bring

You will be a technically strong scientist, physicist or characterisation professional who enjoys solving complex technical problems and applying scientific principles to real-world challenges.

You'll Ideally Have

• A degree in a scientific, technical or engineering discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Experience in radioactive waste characterisation, radiological assessment, radiochemistry, health physics or related disciplines.
• Knowledge of radiological fingerprint development, sampling and analysis techniques, inventory development or decay modelling.
• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills.
• Experience producing technical reports, plans and supporting documentation.
• The ability to communicate complex technical information to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• A commitment to technical excellence, continuous improvement and collaborative working.
• Post specific physical capability analysis assessment

Experience within the nuclear sector is advantageous, although applications are welcomed from candidates with relevant expertise gained in other regulated technical environments.

Ready to make an impact?

This is an opportunity to apply specialist knowledge to some of the most technically interesting challenges at Dounreay. Your work will directly support waste management, hazard reduction and decommissioning decisions, helping ensure they are founded on robust technical evidence and sound scientific understanding. If you're looking for a role where your technical expertise can genuinely shape outcomes, we'd love to hear from you. We are looking to hold interviews week commencing Monday 28 September 2026, however, this vacancy may close earlier than the stated deadline should we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.

If you require assistance at any point during the recruitment process contact [e-mail] at the appropriate time so we can make any necessary, reasonable adjustment.

Please note: All successful candidates who do not already hold security clearance will need to provide proof of identity, eligibility to work in the UK, and employment/education history (typically covering the last 3-5 years) in line with NRS Baseline Security requirements. Some roles may also require full Security Clearance, which involves additional checks. For details, please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) guidance.