Head of Heatsink Delivery in Leiston

Sizewell C’s business is to design, finance, construct, commission, operate, maintain, and eventually decommission the nuclear power plant and related infrastructure at Sizewell C in Suffolk. While the company is in the construction phase, the Board’s principal focus is on delivering Sizewell C on time, on budget and to the highest quality and safety standards. Sizewell C is economically regulated by OFGEM under the RAB model similar to other UK electricity distribution networks and Thames Tideway. Construction strategy is to replicate the design of Hinkley Point C, using the majority of the same supply chain, but innovating in delivery to achieve savings of around 20%. The Chief Commercial Officer will incorporate lessons learned from the Hinkley Point C commercial delivery to achieve this ambition.

Why Join Us? We are building an infrastructure project that will power Britain’s energy security and net‑zero ambitions for decades. Following our recent Final Investment Decision, construction is fully greenlit. This is your chance to be part of the largest investment in homegrown clean energy in decades.

What’s in It for You

• Salary: £105,000 per annum, depending on experience
• Car Allowance: £6,900 per annum
• Bonus: 10% annual incentive
• Pension: Up to 7.5% employee / 15% employer contribution

Your Impact

Lead the end‑to‑end delivery of the Heat Sink scope for SZC Units 1 & 2 within the Main Civil Works, acting as the Owner Participant in the Civil Works Alliance. Accountable for safe, quality, on‑time, on‑cost delivery across Engineering Interfaces, Procurement, Construction, and Handover. Operates in a peer relationship with the CWA Heat Sink Platform Delivery Lead and provides line leadership to SZC project managers and functional support.

Key Responsibilities

• Delivery Leadership: Own delivery outcomes (SQEP: Safety, Quality, Environment, Performance) for the Heat Sink scope across Units 1 & 2; proactively unblock issues, optimise phasing, and drive schedule adherence.
• Alliance Partnering: Operate as Owner Participant within CWA; collaborate as a peer with the CWA CI Platform Delivery Lead to drive integrated planning and decision‑making.
• Scope Integration: Manage interfaces with Engineering, CI Programme, PMO, Commercial, Quality, and Supply Chain to assure design maturity, constructability, and progressive assurance.
• Risk & Change: Own risk register and change control for CI scope; ensure transparent escalation and evidence‑based decision‑making.
• People Leadership: Lead a team of SZC Senior PMs/PMs and matrix functional support; set performance expectations and build delivery capability.
• Commercial & Contracts: Support procurement strategies, alliance commercial mechanisms, adjustment events within the alliancing framework.
• Stakeholder Management: Engage with CWP leadership and wider SZC stakeholders; prepare and present clear delivery reporting and readiness reviews.
• Handover & Readiness: Ensure progressive assurance, completions, and documentary readiness to handover CI structures and components.

Key Stakeholders

• UK Government, including HM Treasury, DESNZ/BEIS, IPA
• EDF (UK & France organisations) – engineering, assurance & delivery
• Financial investors and institutions
• UK Regulators (ONR, Environment Agency, local planning authorities)
• Alliance partners within the Civil Works Alliance (CWA)
• Local communities, authorities and representative groups
• Responsible Designer (RD) and replicated HPC design teams
• MEH and other programme leads (NI, CI, Heat Sink, Enabling, Marine & Tunnelling)

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience

• Track record of delivering projects within a technically complex and dynamic environment whilst ensuring high levels of safety, security, and environmental responsibility, ideally within the Nuclear Energy sector or similar regulated environment.
• Demonstrated success in managing/developing engineering design and field execution strategies, procurement and management of complex commercial arrangements, and influencing contractors, consultants and other advisors throughout large and complex construction projects.
• Control of costs, risk, schedule and change and proficient use of estimating, scheduling, programming and risk tools.
• Experience of successfully engaging groups of stakeholders and working within Alliances and Joint Ventures.
• Strong management skills including project management, financial management, change management and facilitation; excellent communication and organisational skills.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills.
• Degree and/or chartered status in an engineering, construction, project management or other related field.
• Good knowledge and experience of CDM Regulations.
• Experience of applying APM Body of Knowledge and OGC’s Prince2.
• Experience managing a project through the lifecycle from concept to handover.
• Understanding of nuclear quality standards and assurance.

Behavioural Competences

• Humility: Recognises the value brought from different cultures and experiences, open to others’ points of view and ideas, willing to debate and compromise.
• Positivity: Positively challenges poor quality and performance, identifies solutions at the lowest possible level, encourages tier‑1s and others to bring new ideas forward.
• Respect: Values the rules and environment in which we operate, gives and receives feedback with respect, embraces new people and ideas, operates as ‘One team’ and empowers teams.
• Clarity: Communicates clearly and consistently, promotes collaboration and team alignment, makes clear and fast decisions, drives simplification at all levels.

To be appointed to this role, you will need to meet the criteria for Security Vetting, which will ordinarily require you to have been a resident of the UK for at least three of the past five years. Please note that export control compliance requirements apply to this role.