Head – Engineering

Adani Group; Ahmedabad District; On-site; INR 3,000,000 - 5,200,000; Full time

Job summary

AAEL invites a Head of Engineering to own the complete lifecycle of its nuclear projects, from concept to operations. The role unifies technology partners, owner’s engineers and internal teams to deliver safe, timely plants while building internal capability.

The successful candidate will establish the Design Authority, ensure regulatory compliance with AERB, and guide architectural, safety and interface decisions across PHWR and global LWR programs, driving a self-reliant engineering culture.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Nuclear/Mechanical/Civil engineering; 25+ years in nuclear power.
• Experience leading 100+ engineers and major EPC/Owner's Engineering contracts.
• Deep knowledge of PHWR/LWR technologies, safety principles, and regulatory interfaces.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end engineering delivery from pre-project to handover.
• Define technical specs, QA, and interface responsibilities for major packages.
• Lead Design Authority and regulatory approvals with AERB.
• Develop in-house capabilities and governance for long-term nuclear programs.

Skills

PHWR/LWR expertise

Regulatory compliance

Leadership of large teams

Nuclear safety principles

Project delivery leadership

Education

Master's or PhD in Nuclear/Mechanical/Civil engineering

Job description

Purpose/Objective

The Head of Engineering will own the complete engineering lifecycle from concept to operations of AAEL's nuclear power projects. The role will be the ultimate technical authority, responsible for tying together various engineering streams (technology suppliers, Owner's Engineers, internal teams) to deliver nuclear plants in record time. The primary objective is to build a robust, self-reliant engineering capability that ensures the safe, efficient, and timely delivery of India’s largest nuclear program, meeting global benchmarks. This includes developing internal teams, managing external engineering partners, and ensuring full compliance with all regulatory standards while driving a long-term vision of technological independence. The executive will also be responsible for establishing AAEL's Design Authority in line with regulatory requirements and ensuring control over design basis, design changes, configuration and technical decisions.

Key Responsibilities of Role

• A. End-to-End Engineering Delivery
  • Own the complete engineering delivery plan for nuclear power projects from pre-project engineering, basic design and detailed engineering through construction, commissioning and operational handover.
  • Ensure all engineering deliverables are released in line with project schedule, procurement priorities, regulatory milestones and construction sequence.
  • Drive timely resolution of engineering bottlenecks affecting procurement, construction readiness, regulatory approvals or commissioning.
  • Act as the single-point engineering owner across nuclear island, turbine island, BOP, electrical, I&C, civil, safety systems, auxiliary systems and site integration.
• B. Technical Specifications, Procurement and Package Engineering
  • Lead preparation and review of technical specifications for major supply, construction, erection and service packages, including nuclear island, turbine island, BOP, civil, mechanical, electrical, I&C, HVAC, cooling water, fire protection and radiation protection systems.
  • Define technical acceptance criteria, codes and standards, inspection requirements, QA requirements, documentation obligations and interface responsibilities for suppliers and contractors.
  • Support timely finalization of engineering inputs for critical and long-lead equipment packages.
• C. Design Integration and Engineering Interface Control
  • Direct and manage various teams across technology suppliers, owner’s engineers, detailed engineering consultants, EPC contractors, Group Central Engineering and AAEL's internal teams; and ensure integration of engineering inputs.
  • Act as the primary technical decision maker.
  • Establish and own the project-wide engineering interface matrix covering system, discipline, package, site, construction and regulatory interfaces.
  • Ensure consistency across reactor technology design, site-specific design, civil structures, mechanical systems, electrical systems, I&C, utilities, grid interface and construction methodology.
  • Ensure rapid resolution of site engineering queries, non-conformances, technical deviations, field changes and construction-interface issues.
• D. Regulatory Engineering Approvals and Design Authority
  • Lead the formation and functioning of a formal Design Authority as mandated by the nuclear regulator (AERB), serving as the ultimate point of accountability for the safety case and design integrity.
  • Oversee the preparation and submission of all technical and safety documentation required for regulatory clearances and permits.
  • Act as the senior technical representative in interactions with regulatory bodies.
  • Ensure no design change, field change, substitution or deviation impacting safety, reliability, licensing or constructability is implemented without proper technical assessment and approval.
  • Implement and enforce a robust configuration management program to maintain design integrity throughout the project lifecycle.
• E. Engineering Program Development
  • Structure technology adoption and develop roadmap to systematically reduce dependence on external technology suppliers, focusing on in-house or partner-driven mastery of design, analysis, and system integration.
  • Develop and mentor a lean, high-caliber engineering team within the nuclear business unit.
  • Build nuclear competency within the group's central engineering team, creating a flexible resource pool to support project execution.
  • Architect and implement a group-wide nuclear engineering strategy, focusing on indigenous Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) technology, along with an identified global advanced Light Water Reactor (LWR) design.
  • Build internal understanding of PHWR/global reactor design philosophy, safety features, operating experience, supply chain requirements and execution learnings.
  • Develop repeatable engineering templates, specifications, review checklists and standardization opportunities for AAEL’s nuclear projects.
  • For future global reactor technologies evaluation, support Head-Technical in assessing engineering maturity, constructability, localization potential, regulatory adaptability, design transferability and long-term support requirements.
• F. Broader Engineering Support
  • Provide engineering support during construction, erection, testing, commissioning, fuel loading, first criticality, synchronization and commercial operation.
  • Establish engineering processes for system turnover, commissioning tests, as-built documentation and operational handover.
  • Develop long-term engineering programs for configuration management, plant modification control, equipment reliability, system health monitoring, ageing management, lifecycle management and post-COD operational engineering support.
  • Integration of global best practices and emerging engineering solutions from the outset (for e.g.: digital tools such as digital twins, AI-enabled analytics, modularization, construction/productivity improvements and others) to build best in class nuclear fleet, within established regulatory framework.
  • Non-negotiable responsibilities for this role: Engineering delivery within project timelines, cost and modernized fleet as per global benchmarks.
  • Demonstrated expertise in both PHWR and global LWR reactor technologies is essential.
  • Deep understanding of nuclear safety principles, regulatory requirements (Indian and international), and relevant codes & standards (e.g., ASME, IAEA) - Proven track record in leading large-scale, complex nuclear engineering projects, and detailed engineering oversight, and possibly global projects so as to deliver best in class learnings.
  • Proven ability to build and develop technical capabilities within an organization.
  • Established credibility and a proven track record of successfully interfacing with nuclear regulators (e.g., AERB) for timely design clearances.

Technical Competencies

• Engineering delivery within project timelines, cost and modernized fleet as per global benchmarks.
• Demonstrated expertise in both PHWR and global LWR reactor technologies is essential.
• Deep understanding of nuclear safety principles, regulatory requirements (Indian and international), and relevant codes & standards (e.g., ASME, IAEA).
• Proven track record in leading large-scale, complex nuclear engineering projects, and detailed engineering oversight, and possibly global projects so as to deliver best in class learnings.

Qualifications and Experience

• Advanced degree (master's or PhD) in Nuclear/Mechanical/Civil engineering, or a related core field - 25+ years of experience in nuclear power / large power plant engineering, multidisciplinary engineering delivery, design review, project engineering or engineering program leadership.
• Experience managing large teams of engineers (100+) and overseeing major EPC-scale contracts or Owner's Engineering consultants.