Site Ancillaries / Construction Principal Engineer in Warrington

Great British Nuclear (GBN) is a new government arm’s length body supporting the delivery of Britain’s energy security and net zero, making sure that we can power Britain from Britain sustainably. It has been set up to turn nuclear ambition into reality.

GBN’s first step was to start the technology selection process for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in July. SMRs can potentially be quicker to deploy and less expensive to build than traditional nuclear power plants because they are smaller, have factory based modular manufacturing, and more flexible deployment options.

GBN is aiming to deliver fast, based on a supportive and collaborative culture which values equality and diversity and creates an inclusive workplace. It draws on deep nuclear expertise – its Executive Committee has over 100 years of nuclear experience in this country and abroad. And it can unlock billions of pounds of private and public investment from design to operation, helping to get sites ready for development, and working to grow manufacturing capacity and skills capability.

Our activities will be driven by our values, which are:

Trust - We prioritise safety, we act responsibly and with integrity.

Collaborative - We work as a team; we value diversity and expertise.

Challenge - We are curious and courageous in the way we think and act.

Care - We are thoughtful, inclusive and respectful of others.

Drive - We get things done and we make a difference.

If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format or would like us to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at recruitment@gbnuclear.gov.uk and we will talk to you about how we can assist.

Job Profile

As the Site Ancillaries / Construction Principal Engineer, you will lead and assure the technical definition, integration and progressive maturation of the Wylfa Site Ancillaries scope through Concept Design Readiness.

The role focuses on permanent on-site ancillary buildings and infrastructure required to support construction completion, commissioning and long-term operation of the SMR power station. This includes administration and support facilities, emergency response and security facilities, fuel and waste management facilities, logistics/maintenance/storage facilities, utilities infrastructure, internal roads, drainage and site-wide supporting infrastructure where these fall within the Site Ancillaries scope.

The role supports the development of a fully defined and traceable Site Ancillaries strategic brief, including a complete definition of requirements for permanent site ancillary assets, a structured baseline of facilities, infrastructure and system needs, and integration of operational, safety, regulatory and Technology Partner inputs. It also supports progression into spatial coordination by developing concept options, integrating Masterplan, Technology Partner, SSSE, Associated Developments, utilities, marine/logistics inputs, and supporting selection of a preferred concept.

The role acts as a client-side technical lead within the SMR Project Client Technical Team, working closely with Masterplanning, Enabling Works, Associated Developments, Reactor Island, Turbine Island, Balance of Plant, SSSE Case, PMO / Project Controls, suppliers and delivery partners. The role requires comfort with ambiguity, uncertainty and progressive scope maturity, as Concept Design is a phased process of requirements capture, scope-gap identification, definition studies, interface definition and optioneering.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical definition and assurance of the Site Ancillaries scope for Wylfa, focused on permanent on-site auxiliary buildings and infrastructure, while managing boundaries and interfaces with Enabling Works and Associated Developments.
• Establish, maintain and assure the Site Ancillaries requirements baseline, including requirements registers, functional and performance requirements, operational and maintenance constraints, and HSE considerations.
• Lead development of Site Ancillaries facilities and infrastructure definition, including facilities schedules, functional requirements, capacity needs, spatial requirements and operational relationships.
• Develop and assure strategic technical definition at Concept Design level, including zoning principles, access and security strategy, utility philosophy and alignment with PBS/SBS/WBS structures.
• Lead utilities demand identification and strategy, including electrical, water, wastewater, drainage and telecoms infrastructure, defining demand assumptions, distribution philosophy and external interfaces.
• Coordinate integration with Masterplanning, including alignment with spatial zones, site constraints, constructability and programme sequencing.
• Support delivery of Engineering Work Packages, including development and assurance of task orders and supplier deliverables.
• Lead or support structured optioneering activities, including facility grouping, layout strategies and utilities routing, ensuring alignment with safety, constructability, programme, cost and environmental considerations.
• Develop and manage formal interfaces with adjacent workstreams including Masterplanning, Enabling Works, Associated Developments, Reactor Island, Turbine Island, Balance of Plant, SSSE Case and PMO.
• Produce and assure interface management outputs including interface registers, interface control documents (ICDs), dependency maps and clash/constraint resolution logs.
• Coordinate with SSSE Case and regulatory stakeholders on zoning, emergency planning, environmental and permitting requirements.
• Support Concept Design Gate activities, including design maturity assessments, assurance documentation and inputs to DCO and permitting processes.
• Instruct and technically manage engineering supply chain partners delivering studies, layouts, requirements capture, utilities strategies and concept design outputs.
• Manage scope boundaries where temporary construction facilities or utilities interface with or transition into permanent Site Ancillaries.
• Support PMO / Project Controls by providing clear technical scope definitions, assumptions, dependencies and delivery inputs.
• Promote collaborative working across all project partners, ensuring transparency of decisions, assumptions, risks and residual uncertainties.

This role is/is not identified as likely to be included in a future LC36 Nuclear Baseline because it does/does not have the potential to impact Safety/Security/Nuclear Safeguards/Environmental Management/Long Lead Items [delete as appropriate]. See “Nuclear Baseline Indicated Competencies” section.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience required

• Significant experience in civil, infrastructure, architectural or systems engineering within major projects or regulated environments.
• Strong understanding of Concept Design development, including requirements capture, optioneering, interface definition and design maturity progression.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience developing and managing requirements registers, facilities schedules, utilities strategies and interface documentation.
• Experience in spatial coordination and masterplanning integration, including layout development, zoning and constraint resolution.
• Ability to manage complex interfaces across multiple technical disciplines and delivery workstreams.
• Knowledge of utilities infrastructure and demand modelling, including electrical, water, wastewater and communications systems.
• Understanding of structured breakdown methodologies (PBS/SBS/WBS) and configuration-controlled scope definition.
• Ability to operate effectively in environments with uncertainty, evolving scope and changing requirements.