Senior Regulatory Specialist

ukatomicenergyauthority

Abingdon, OXFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom · Abingdon · United Kingdom

Posted May 22, 2026

Full-time
Hybrid
Risk and Assurance
Mid-Senior Level

Job description

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 leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research for ground breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid, supported by tomorrow's power stations. In pursuit of our mission, UKAEA embraces core values: Innovative, Committed, Trusted, and Collaborative. As an employee of UKAEA 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 equality and being fully inclusive What to expect in our recruitment process: For a step-by-step overview of how we hire from application to offer please see our Recruitment Process page: careers.ukaea.uk/join-us/recruitment-process Job Description The salary for this role is £71,815 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance) . Onsite working is expected for 3 days each week, however, we actively support requests for flexible working. This role can be based at any of the following sites: Culham, Oxfordshire. This role requires employees to be eligible for SC Clearance (must have resided in the UK for the last 5 years), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions and possibly a search of open source data. The Role Fusion is one of the most significant global opportunities of the century, and the fusion industry is growing in the UK and internationally, with the initiation of long-term projects to design and build future fusion power plant on the path to commercialisation of fusion power. This includes UKAEA’s STEP prototype reactor, in support of UKAEA Goals, to solve challenges of sustainable fusion energy. To support these advances, the future safety, security and environment regulatory framework for fusion power plant must be developed, to ensure that it is proportionate to the risk of fusion in comparison to fission. A pro-innovation approach will be adopted to support growth of this exciting new energy sector. The Fusion Safety Advisory team plays a key role in the development of UK and international regulatory framework for future fusion powerplant, providing technical fusion safety advice and expertise to DESNZ, Regulatory Bodies and the IAEA. The team also engages with domestic and international fusion groups and companies in areas of fusion safety, security and environment. As Senior Regulatory Specialist you will provide technical leadership, managing activities relating to the development of fusion safety, security and environmental regulation both domestically and internationally. Nationally, this will include working with and advising government, as well as assisting regulatory bodies, contributing to pivotal strategic industry documents and technical fusion safety guidance. Internationally, the UK has built a reputation as a leader in the development of proportionate fusion regulation, and the job holder will lead a number of activities to preserve this reputation and influence the world stage by collaborating closely with international groups, such as IAEA and others. As such, there will be a requirement for domestic and international travel, enabling the job holder to build relationships with multi-organisational teams, and supporting working groups as required on focal regulatory topics. Key Responsibilities: Responsible for a number of fusion safety regulation programme activities and some elements of team management at times when the Team Lead requires cover Lead several key domestic and international stakeholder relationships for the team in order to influence and support the harmonisation of fusion safety regulation Providing expert fusion safety, security and environment input into strategic and technical documentation supporting the development of the national and international regulatory framework for the future fusion industry Elicit and provide input to IAEA Documents on the Fusion Regulatory Framework and Safety Assessment and potentially new Standards for fusion Presenting influential work at domestic and international conferences and seminars Lead technical input to / review of documentation to provide guidance and standards for the production of safety, security and environment cases for the fusion industry Qualifications Essential Requirements: A postgraduate qualification in an engineering or scientific discipline; or equivalent combination of relevant qualifications and/or experience. Extensive experience in the production of nuclear or high hazard safety cases and the assessment of radiological safety, environmental and waste hazards, or COMAH safety reporting Deep knowledge of the Health & Safety at Work Act, Environmental Permitting Regulations and other regulations / guidance relevant to nuclear, radiological and high hazard health, safety and security Participation in regulatory interactions, at a technical or strategic level Led or co-ordinated input to national and/or international industry workgroups on the processes for developing safety, security, environment cases. The ability to communicate technical information to a non-specialist audience Desirable Requirements Experience of modelling radionuclides to estimate dose to public and the environment would be advantageous Additional Information A full list of our benefits can be found here https://careers.ukaea.uk/life-at-ukaea/employee-benefits/ UKAEA’s mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal. We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, while ensuring all appointments are made on merit. UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email talent@ukaea.uk 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. Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications.