Senior Control & Instrumentation Engineer

UK Atomic Energy Authority; Abingdon; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Outstanding defined benefit pension

Relocation allowance

Flexible working options

Employee Assistance Programme

Mental Health First Aiders

Generous annual leave 25 days + 3 days

Inclusive culture

Job summary

UK Atomic Energy Authority seeks a Senior Control & Instrumentation Engineer to lead medium-to-large fusion C&I projects from concept through detailed design for facility upgrades and future technologies.

The role requires an SME in control and instrumentation, with experience in Siemens S7/PCS7, LabVIEW, ABB 800xA, Python and C++, delivering high-quality safety-critical systems on complex facilities. Hybrid options may be discussed given project needs.

Qualifications

• A degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering or equivalent, or a minimum of an HND in Electrical/Electronic discipline with substantial experience.
• Excellent knowledge and significant experience of PLC and SCADA systems.
• Demonstrable experience with Siemens, ABB 800xA or similar control system applications.
• Deep understanding of EC&I documents (SLDS, P&IDs, C&Es, schematics etc.).
• Experience with safety documentation such as risk assessments and method statements.

Responsibilities

• Lead medium-to-large scale fusion C&I projects from concept through to detailed design for facility upgrades and future technologies.
• Act as Subject Matter Expert for control and instrumentation across projects and programmes.
• Develop control system architectures and documentation, applying innovative solutions to complex challenges.
• Provide technical leadership for control and safety systems including software development, installation, and lifecycle management.
• Lead software development using industrial platforms and languages (Siemens S7/PCS7, LabVIEW, ABB 800xA, Python, C++).
• Coordinate and mentor multidisciplinary teams and contractors to ensure safe, high-quality delivery.

Skills

Siemens S7/PCS7

LabVIEW

ABB 800xA

Python

C++

Education

Electrical/Electronic Engineering degree

HND in Electrical/Electronic discipline

Tools

Siemens S7/PCS7

LabVIEW

ABB 800xA

Python

C++

Job description

Senior Control & Instrumentation Engineer

• Full-time
• Salary: £64,820 (inclusive of Specialist Allowance) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension
• Division: Integrated Engineering
• Position Grade: Grade H
• Department: Electrical Engineering

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.

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

Are you an experienced Control & Instrumentation Engineer looking to work on some of the most advanced and complex engineering challenges in the UK?

The salary for this role is £64,820 (inclusive of aSpecialist Allowance).

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

The Role

The Control & Instrumentation Group provides organisation-wide expertise, support and services for UKAEA projects, with strong capability in the design, delivery, installation and commissioning of electrical, control and instrumentation systems. Our work underpins major operational facilities today while helping shape future fusion technologies.

As Senior Control & Instrumentation Engineer, you will provide and apply key technical skills related toControl and Instrumentation systems to enable the successful delivery of projects and programmes across UKAEA.

The role holder will act as a subject matter expert in control and instrumentation, leading and owning large, high-risk work packages involving complex systems and technical studies.

Key Accountabilities:

Lead medium-to-large scale fusion C&I projects from concept through to detailed design for facility upgrades and future technologies.

Act as Subject Matter Expert for control and instrumentation systems across projects and programmes.

Produce or contribute to technical decision papers, involving innovative problem solving of novel situations, analysing unprecedent technical issues and influencing strategic project direction and approaches.

Develop control system architectures and solutions, specifications, and documentation, applying innovative solutions to complex technical challenges.

Provide technical leadership for control and safety systems, covering architecture design, software development, installation, commissioning, and lifecycle management.

Lead and deliver software development using industrial control platforms (e.g. Siemens S7/PCS7, LabVIEW,ABB 800xA, Python, C++).

• Manage project delivery, including requirements capture, design reviews, HAZOPs, risk management, budgets, and stakeholder engagement.
• Coordinate and mentor multidisciplinary teams and contractors, ensuring safe, high-quality, and cost-effective delivery in line with organisational and regulatory standards.

This role is primarily onsite due to the nature of the work and the facilities involved. However, hybrid working can be discussed where possible, depending on business needs.

A degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering or equivalent, and relevant professional experience in an engineering role. Or a minimum of a HND in Electrical/Electronic discipline, or equivalent qualification level, with a greater breadth and depth of experience/knowledge.

Excellentknowledge and significant experience of PLC and SCADA systems

• Demonstrable experience with Siemens, ABB 800Xa or similar control system applications.
• Deep understanding of EC&I documents (SLDS, P&IDs, C&Es, schematics etc.)
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of safe working practices and procedures, with substantial experience of preparing safety documentation (i.e. risk assessments, method statements, permits, isolations etc).

Demonstrable experience in design, installation and testing of Control and Instrumentation software and hardware systems.

Identify policy/process improvements in C&I engineering and contribute to proposals that influence organisational standards and governance.

• Experience working in a scientific / engineering environment following strict safety processes, collaborating with a broad variety of stakeholders

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.

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, and inclusion and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, while ensuring all appointments are made on merit.

UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email [e-mail] 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.

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