Tokamak Operations Manager

ukatomicenergyauthority

Abingdon, OXFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom · Abingdon · United Kingdom

Posted May 22, 2026

Full-time
On-site
Tokamak Systems
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 £81,090 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance) . Onsite working is expected for 5 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 complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) , including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions and possibly a search of open source data. The Role MAST-U is currently the largest operating spherical tokamak in the world, providing a facility on which to perform experiments to provide the answer to key questions for fusion power to be delivered to the grid. We are looking for an Tokamak Operations Manager for MAST-U who is responsible for the day-to-day delivery of operations periods, including the commissioning and restart of new plant. The Tokamak Operations Manager is a key senior role responsible for the safe, reliable, efficient, delivery of facility operations to meet the needs of the UK, international and commercial programmes that use the multimillion-pound facility. The post holder will guide the commissioning and integration of new plant and equipment into the facility to deliver the new capabilities required of the device through the coordination and management of many expert teams. The Operations Manager will provide insight and innovative solutions to problems to help ensure that operational milestones are met and provide consultancy on machine operations matters externally to other programmes (e.g. STEP), other laboratories or commercial partners. The post holder will report to & influence key stakeholder groups. Additional Responsibilities: Be responsible for the delivery of effective, reliable, day to day operations of the facility: Chairing the Operations/Commissioning Coordination Meeting, coordinating the tasks needed to ensure reliable operation of the facility and delivering the operating periods agreed with the Head of the programme; flexing the staffing as required Guiding the operations team in the delivery of machine operations and tasks to meet the safety, regulatory and procedural requirements of operating the machine, through the development and maintenance of operating procedures Providing clear, measurable goals to define successful operation of the machine and delivering against them; initiating action as required to maximise the availability of the facility Evaluating and recommending to the Head of the programme areas expenditure would benefit efficient operations to manage the risk to loss of operations on the facility Acting as the senior point of approval on operations matters for all plant modifications Ensuring there is effective communication of the operating schedule and status for the facility to all relevant stakeholders Acting as member of Protection Working Group to contribute to the safe operation of the machine Steering the process of commissioning and integrating of new plant and equipment into the facility: Reviewing technical aspects of new plant/diagnostics/systems to ensure fitness of operational use Overseeing the commissioning activities to ensure work is carried out in a safe, effective and efficient manner Acting as restart manager after shutdowns to deliver the experimental campaign as required by the programme Monitoring progress of activities affecting operations to ensure interventions are timed to minimise the impact on operations Additional duties Deputising for other key staff within the Operations programme, including the Head of the programme and or the Engineering manager on an ad-hoc basis Representing UKAEA internationally at conferences, committees and fusion workshops Acting as a (MAST-U) facility Engineer in Charge to staff operational shifts Qualifications Essential Requirements: MSc or PhD in physics or engineering subject, or equivalent experience in a relevant field Relevant experience of commissioning and operating a large facility Significant & demonstrable experience of leading multi-disciplinary technical teams at a national or multinational facility. Proven excellent interpersonal skills; including communication skills; experience of presenting information persuasively and succinctly; negotiating effectively with others and establishing & maintaining effective working relationships at all levels across a range of disciplines (e.g. engineering and science) Significant Safety management experience Proven excellent organisational skills, including the ability to manage changing and / or conflicting priorities and time optimally Ability to thrive in ambiguous, evolving and uncertain situations by showing initiative and judgement in a changing environment Demonstrable analytical and problem-solving skills to maximise machine availability for users Desirable Experience & knowledge of fusion research facilities Experience of experimental plasma physics through engineering, science or operation of a facility 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.