Senior Reactor System Design Engineer - Emergency Core Cooling

Rolls-Royce SMR; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 51,000 - 67,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus up to 12.5%

Benefits allowance

Pension plan

Holidays 29 days

Private medical insurance

Life assurance

Home office support

Job summary

Rolls-Royce SMR is seeking an experienced engineer to lead the ECC system development, integrating safety, licensing, operations and plant interfaces to ensure a robust, safety-significant design.

You will define requirements and operating philosophies, guide design development, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to meet programme milestones in a regulated nuclear environment.

Qualifications

• A degree in an engineering or scientific discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Experience delivering complex engineering systems within a regulated industry such as nuclear, defence, aerospace, energy or process engineering.
• A strong understanding of systems engineering, requirements management and design development.
• Knowledge of process, mechanical or fluid systems design.
• The ability to communicate complex technical concepts and build strong relationships across multidisciplinary teams.
• A proactive and collaborative approach, with a passion for solving challenging engineering problems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and integration of the ECC system through detailed design.
• Define system requirements, operating philosophies and design solutions.
• Work closely with multidisciplinary teams to manage interfaces and resolve technical challenges.
• Produce and review high-quality engineering documentation and substantiation.
• Support safety case and regulatory activities within your area of responsibility.
• Manage technical risks and opportunities while ensuring delivery against programme milestones.
• Provide technical leadership, coaching and guidance to other engineers.

Skills

Systems engineering

Requirements management

Design development

Communication skills

Collaborative approach

Education

Engineering or scientific degree

Job description

Our Mission

At Rolls-Royce SMR, we are developing a new generation of nuclear power technology to deliver secure, affordable and low-carbon energy. It is an ambitious programme with the potential to transform how clean energy is deployed in the UK and beyond.

The Team

You will join our Reactor Plant Systems team, a multidisciplinary engineering group responsible for developing the systems at the heart of the reactor. Working alongside specialists in safety, licensing, operations and plant integration, you will help mature a design that meets the highest standards of safety and performance.

The Role

We are looking for an experienced engineer to take a leading role in the development of the Emergency Core Cooling (ECC) system, a fundamental reactor safety function. This is an opportunity to own a safety-significant system, influence key design decisions and work at the interface of engineering design, safety analysis and licensing. You will collaborate with a wide range of disciplines to ensure the design is robust, integrated and aligned with programme objectives, while helping to solve some of the most complex engineering challenges in the SMR industry.

What We’ll Need You to Do

• Lead the development and integration of the ECC system through detailed design.
• Define system requirements, operating philosophies and design solutions.
• Work closely with multidisciplinary teams to manage interfaces and resolve technical challenges.
• Produce and review high-quality engineering documentation and substantiation.
• Support safety case and regulatory activities within your area of responsibility.
• Manage technical risks and opportunities while ensuring delivery against programme milestones.
• Provide technical leadership, coaching and guidance to other engineers.

What You’ll Bring

• A degree in an engineering or scientific discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Experience delivering complex engineering systems within a regulated industry such as nuclear, defence, aerospace, energy or process engineering.
• A strong understanding of systems engineering, requirements management and design development.
• Knowledge of process, mechanical or fluid systems design.
• The ability to communicate complex technical concepts and build strong relationships across multidisciplinary teams.
• A proactive and collaborative approach, with a passion for solving challenging engineering problems.

Salary and Package:

The salary band for this role will be between £50,650 – £66,500 dependent on the skills, values and knowledge you bring. There may be flexibility with the starting salary in exceptional cases, and the role may develop further as the programme grows.

Benefits include:

• Bonus – Performance‑related target opportunity up to 12.5%
• Benefits Allowance – £2,200 per annum for a bespoke package
• Pension – 12% employer and 6% employee contributions
• Holidays – 29 days (+ public holidays) with the ability to buy or sell up to 4 days
• Private Medical Insurance – BUPA single cover
• Life Assurance – 6× pensionable pay
• Home Office Support – £250 one‑off payment for new starters
  

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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