UK Atomic Energy Authority
Senior Project Manager
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Company Description
The UK Government has established UK Fusion Energy (UKFE) Ltd, a subsidiary of UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), to lead the charge in delivering fusion energy through design and delivery of the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) prototype fusion plant. UKFE is establishing itself, setting up the company, attracting talent, engaging with industry, developing a supply chain, and planning and constructing the STEP prototype.
Fusion energy, crucial for combating climate change and ensuring energy independence, is expected to be commercially viable by mid-century. The UK, led by UKFE, aims for a prototype fusion plant, targeting first operations around 2040. UK Fusion Energy Ltd. will lead delivery, collaborating with industrial partners and building a fusion supply chain with an estimated global sector value of £7tn per year. Join UKFE and the STEP programme to be involved in this groundbreaking journey.
As an employee of UKFE, you will benefit from:
- Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme, details of which can be found at the end of this advert.
- Corporate bonus scheme up to 7% and a Relocation allowance (if eligible).
- Flexible working options including family-friendly policies and the right to request flexible working from the start of your employment.
- Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders.
- Generous annual leave allowance starting with 25 days, plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays.
- Wide range of career development opportunities.
- A vibrant culture committed to being fully inclusive.
A full list of our benefits can be found here: https://careers.ukaea.uk/life-at-ukaea/employee-benefits/
The salary for this role is £64,115. This role includes a non-contractual and non-pensionable specialist allowance of £7,700 + excellent benefits including outstanding pension.
This position is based at West Burton, Nottinghamshire.
For more information on UKFE, visit: https://careers.ukaea.uk/wp-content/uploads/download/UKIFS_CandidateRecruitmentPack.pdf
The closing date for this advert is set for the 8th September 2026.
Job Description
The Role
Reporting to the Head of Whole Programme, you will be responsible for leading the delivery of a diverse portfolio of Science & Technology projects, ranging from early-stage technical studies and proof-of-concept activities through to large-scale research, development and innovation programmes worth millions of pounds.
Working closely with Design Authority, Engineering Delivery Teams, Integrated Project Teams, and wider stakeholders, you will identify opportunities to reduce risk, improve plant design, and accelerate programme delivery. You will thrive in an environment characterised by uncertainty, technical complexity, and evolving requirements, bringing structure, direction, and leadership to transform ideas into tangible outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the successful delivery of an approved portfolio of Science & Technology projects.
- Develop and manage a pipeline of innovative concepts, research opportunities, and risk reduction initiatives.
- Translate ambiguous requirements into clearly defined projects, business cases, and delivery plans.
- Provide leadership to project teams, ensuring effective governance, planning, scheduling, budgeting, and risk management.
- Drive prioritisation activities to ensure investments align with programme objectives and strategic goals.
- Establish and maintain performance baselines, tracking progress and implementing corrective actions where required.
- Collaborate across the STEP programme to remove barriers, secure resources, and maximise delivery performance.
- Manage project budgets ranging from hundreds of thousands to multi-million-pound investments.
- Produce high-quality reporting and insights for senior stakeholders and governance boards.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and delivery excellence.
- Support recruitment, development, and leadership of project management professionals.
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About You
We are looking for an experienced project leader who enjoys working in highly innovative, technically challenging environments and has the ability to bring clarity and momentum to complex programmes.
You will likely have:
- Significant experience delivering complex projects or programmes within science, engineering, technology, R&D, energy, defence, infrastructure, or other highly regulated sectors.
- Proven experience managing multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously.
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire, influence, and build high-performing teams.
- Experience working in environments with significant uncertainty, ambiguity, and evolving requirements.
- Excellent programme and project management expertise across scope, schedule, cost, risk, governance, and controls.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively at all levels.
- A track record of identifying opportunities, solving problems, and driving successful outcomes.
- Experience managing significant project budgets and complex resource requirements.
Why Join STEP?
This is more than a project management role. It is an opportunity to contribute to one of the UK's most ambitious scientific programmes and help deliver a technology that could transform how the world generates clean energy.
You'll work alongside some of the brightest minds in science, engineering, and programme delivery, tackling challenges that have never been solved before and playing a key role in turning fusion energy into a reality.
Qualifications
Essential:
- Significant experience in leading and delivering significant multi £m scale projects in complex, technical, and highly regulated environments.
- Extensive experience working on the development phase of projects and understand the balance needed between robust controls and flexibility as the design evolves.
- Well versed and significant experience using various project management methodologies.
- Vast experience of leading team in ambiguous environment.
- Significant experience of influencing leaders and key stakeholders to drive Science and Technology.
- Have a innovating and R&D mindset.
- Significant experience of developing projects working with a wide range of stakeholders.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, to build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders and can engage effectively with technical and non-technical professionals in a complex matrix organisation.
- A strong experience of budget, commercial, and project/programme methods.
- Significant Experienced and comfortable with change and the ability to work autonomously with an organisation that is undergoing significant transformation and can demonstrate a proven ability to conform to shifting priorities, demands, and timelines through analytical and problem-solving capability.
- Significant experience of working with technical and operational ambiguity, in fast-developing programme.
- Have Project Management certifications like APM Chartered Project Professional.
- Graduate level education completed.
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Beneficial:
- Working in Research Development and Innovation and projects of highly technical nature.
- Previous experience of Fusion or similar industry.
- Have significant years of experience in working in project environment.
- Membership and other professional qualifications like MSP.
- Significant experience managing teams of five or more.
Additional Information
We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly women in STEM and individuals from British black and ethnic minority backgrounds, and individuals with disabilities. Our Executive team, supported by our 'Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) Partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, actively promotes EDI and takes steps to increase diversity within our organisation. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.
UKFE is committed to being accessible. Please email [email protected] 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.
This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions. Whilst not required at this time, there is a possibility of an SC Clearance being required in the future. If a candidate already holds an SC clearance, that clearance can be transferred to UKFE.
As we work towards our mission and goals, guided by our principles, STEP has six behaviours that are intended to capture the spirit of how we work:
- We champion safety.
- We all matter.
- We act as one.
- We embrace change.
- We are pioneering.
- We deliver.
For applicants applying from outside the United Kingdom or those who have spent time outside the UK in the last five years, please visit the following link for information on criminal records checks: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants If your country of residence or previous residence is not listed on the website or if the UK Government does not have information on obtaining a criminal records check from that state, we regret to inform you that we cannot process your application.
Division: UKFE - Programme
Site Location: West Burton, Nottinghamshire
Confirmed Grade: Grade I
Department: UKFE - Whole Programme and Controls
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