Senior Engineer – Fuel Assemblies & Control Rods

Rolls-Royce SMR; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 51,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus 12.5%

Benefits Allowance £2,200 per annum

Pension - 12% employer / 6% employee

Holidays 28 days (+ public holidays) +

Buy/sell up to 4 days

Private Medical Insurance

Life Assurance - 6x pensionable pay

Home office stipend £250

Job summary

Rolls-Royce SMR is seeking a Senior Engineer - Fuel Assembly & Control Rod to provide technical leadership across the development of integrated core component solutions. You will work at the centre of complex engineering challenges, driving design maturity and ensuring governance across the product lifecycle.

Based in a hybrid role, you will collaborate with suppliers and stakeholders globally, contribute to strategy, and support programme delivery while ensuring safety, quality and timely

Qualifications

• Degree-qualified in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline, or equivalent technical experience.
• Strong experience in design, analysis, manufacture or support of nuclear core components, including Fuel Assemblies and Control Rod Assemblies.
• Understanding of the product lifecycle from concept to in-service support.
• Experience delivering complex engineering in highly regulated environments with integrated programme teams.
• Ability to build relationships across stakeholders while communicating complex information clearly.
• Collaborative, adaptable and proactive; capable of independent work and influencing outcomes.
• Chartered Engineer status, or active progress towards registration would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of Fuel Assembly and Control Rod technical solutions, ensuring maturity throughout the product lifecycle.
• Apply specialist engineering knowledge to solve complex challenges and support critical design decisions.
• Coordinate activities across multidisciplinary teams, suppliers and stakeholders to meet milestones safely and to quality.
• Manage technical risks, assumptions and dependencies with mitigation plans.
• Maintain governance, regulatory compliance and internal quality processes.
• Provide technical leadership, guidance and knowledge sharing to grow capability within the team.
• Represent the component scope in cross-functional reviews, customer engagements and supplier discussions.

Skills

Nuclear core design

Engineering leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Independent working

Education

Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline

Job description

Pay Range

£50,600.00

Location:

Hybrid with attendance at any Rolls-Royce SMR location, including Warrington, Derby or Manchester as required

Our Mission

At Rolls-Royce SMR, we're delivering a new generation of nuclear power that will provide affordable, low-carbon electricity for decades to come. By combining proven nuclear technology with innovative design and manufacturing approaches, we're helping to address global energy challenges while creating a cleaner future.

This is an opportunity to join a business at a pivotal stage of growth and play a key role in delivering one of the UK's most ambitious engineering programmes.

The Team

You’ll join our Core Components team within Engineering, where specialists work across the design, development and delivery of critical reactor core equipment. Working as part of a multidisciplinary environment, you'll collaborate with experts across component design, systems engineering, analysis, manufacturing, supply chain and programme delivery.

The team is responsible for ensuring Fuel Assembly and Control Rod solutions achieve the required level of technical maturity whilst supporting key programme milestones and future deployment activities.

The Role

As Senior Engineer - Fuel Assembly & Control Rod, you'll provide technical leadership across the development of integrated core component solutions throughout the product lifecycle. You'll work at the centre of complex engineering challenges, driving design maturity, supporting programme delivery and ensuring robust engineering governance is applied throughout.

This role offers the opportunity to influence product strategy, engage with suppliers and stakeholders on a global scale, and contribute directly to the successful delivery of the Rolls-Royce SMR programme.

What We'll Need You To Do

• Lead the development and delivery of Fuel Assembly and Control Rod technical solutions, ensuring designs achieve the required level of maturity throughout the product lifecycle.
• Apply specialist engineering knowledge to solve complex technical challenges and support critical design decisions.
• Coordinate activities across multidisciplinary teams, suppliers and stakeholders to deliver programme milestones safely, efficiently and to the required quality standards.
• Manage technical risks, assumptions and dependencies, ensuring appropriate mitigation plans are developed and implemented.
• Maintain compliance with engineering governance, regulatory requirements and internal quality processes.
• Provide technical leadership, guidance and knowledge sharing to support capability growth within the wider team.
• Represent the component scope in cross-functional reviews, customer engagements and supplier discussions as required.

What You’ll Bring

• Degree-qualified in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline, or equivalent relevant technical experience.
• Strong experience in the design, analysis, manufacture or support of nuclear core components, ideally including Fuel Assemblies and Control Rod Assemblies.
• A sound understanding of the product lifecycle, covering concept development, detailed design, verification, manufacture and in-service support.
• Experience delivering complex engineering work within highly regulated environments and integrated programme teams.
• The ability to build effective relationships across technical and non-technical stakeholders while communicating complex information clearly.
• A collaborative, adaptable and proactive approach, with the confidence to work independently and influence technical outcomes.
• Chartered Engineer status, or active progress towards professional registration, would be advantageous.

Pay And Benefits

We anticipate paying a salary of between £50,650 - £66,500 plus:

• Bonus - Performance related target opportunity 12.5%
• Benefits Allowance – £2,200 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

You’ll be joining a rapidly growing organisation at a critical stage of its development, offering excellent opportunities for learning, professional development, and long-term career progression within a purpose-driven and innovative environment.

Pay Range

£50,600.00

£66,465.00

Why Join Us?

You’ll be joining a forward-thinking organisation that values transparency, fairness, and innovation. We offer:

• A flexible, inclusive, and supportive working environment.
• Opportunities for career growth in a rapidly scaling business.
• A culture that values diversity, innovation, and continuous learning.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Inclusivity is important to us, and as a Disability Confident organisation, we are committed to fair, supportive, and continually improving recruitment practices that ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Confidence can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job. But we’ll let you in on a secret: there’s no such thing as a 'perfect' candidate. If you feel you meet 75% of the requirements for this role, we would love to hear from you.

Also, if you are considering a career move or a sector-jump, please get in touch – we welcome applications from people with transferable skills.

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

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