Senior Magnet Design Engineer

Abingdon Rd, Culham, UK

Full time

Department: STEP

Salary: £65,264 to £69,627 (inclusive of MPP) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension

Confirmed Grade: Level 6*

Company description

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 are at the forefront of realising energy from fusion, working with industry and research partners to deliver the ground-breaking developments that will underpin tomorrow’s fusion power stations with the aim of bringing fusion electricity to the grid.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking to recruit an innovative and experienced senior magnet design engineer to support in the development of a magnet design capability for the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP).

STEP is an ambitious national programme that is exploring the options, challenges and solutions for accelerating the delivery of fusion power which is expected to operate in a hitherto uncharted high beta burning plasma domain.

You will lead a multidisciplinary team to deliver complex and highly technical projects and you must have a good understanding of material characteristics at cryogenic temperature and cryogenic cooling. This is a perfect opportunity for a strategic magnet designer to contribute to paving the way to future commercial energy plants, working with a range of internal and external stakeholders.

What will you be responsible for?

• Leading in the development of superconducting magnet concept design.
• Lead the definition of magnet related technology projects that support the concept design development.
• Develop engineering plans to meet the programme and deliver to performance, time, cost and quality criteria.
• Collaborate across the STEP product areas to develop an integrated fusion reactor design.
• Lead on communication of magnet design progress through reviews and regular communication to the STEP Product Delivery Team leaders.

Essential skills, experience and competence required

• Strong background in the design, development, testing and manufacture of superconducting magnet systems including development of conceptual designs.
• BEng or BSc in a scientific or engineering discipline.
• Full Member of a recognised professional institution.
• Good understanding of material characteristics at cryogenic temperature and cryogenic cooling.
• Experience of leading multidisciplinary teams to successfully deliver complex high technology projects, as well as the development of engineers with no experience of magnet design.
• Ability to use a range of engineering analysis tools for magnet system design and guide others in their use.
• Experience in the preparation of bids, proposals and technical management of subcontracted work.
• Demonstrable experience collaborating with a range of key stakeholders.
• Good understanding of modern standards for quality assurance, safety and health and the environment.

What we offer

• A competitive salary.
• A culture committed to being fully inclusive, supported by a being inclusive strategy and inclusion ambassadors. 
• An employee assistance programme and trained mental health first aiders, with a full calendar of health and wellbeing initiatives. 
• Flexible working options including family friendly policies.
• Emergency leave (paid). 
• 30.5 days’ annual leave (including privilege days and 3 days between Christmas and New Year) increased with length of service. 
• Wide range of career development opportunities (e.g. professional registration, internal promotions, coaching and mentoring programme).
• Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
• Annual corporate bonus scheme.
• Relocation allowance (if eligible). 

We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly from individuals from Black and other ethnic minority backgrounds, including nationality and citizenship, people with disabilities, (visible and hidden) and women. Our dedicated equality, diversity and inclusion partner, with the support of our inclusionaAmbassadors, is actively promoting and advancing diversity and inclusion in the organisation to help make our organisation an employer of choice. We are easily accessible by car and are a 10 minute walk from Culham Railway Station.  

Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if large or sufficient numbers of applications are received.

Please note, all employees working at the UK Atomic Energy Authority will be required to complete an online Disclosure Certificate application as part of their clearance – The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks will show the details of all current criminal convictions (convictions considered unspent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974) or will confirm that there are no such convictions.