Do you have the vision, leadership and technical expertise to shape the future of one of the UK's most complex decommissioning programmes? Dounreay is seeking a Head of Profession Operations, Decommissioning & Construction to provide strategic leadership and professional direction across a critical function at the heart of our mission. This is a unique opportunity to influence site-wide performance, drive excellence, and develop the people, standards and culture that will support the safe delivery of nationally important work.
As the senior subject matter expert for Operations, Decommissioning & Construction, you will work closely with senior leaders, regulators and industry partners to ensure best practice, foster innovation and build organisational capability. You will play a key role in shaping the future workforce while ensuring Dounreay continues to deliver safely, efficiently and sustainably.
Key Responsibilities
As Head of Profession, you will set the strategic direction for Operations, Decommissioning & Construction across Dounreay, providing expert advice to leadership teams and ensuring the highest standards of professional excellence. You will lead the development of frameworks, standards and processes that support safe and effective mission delivery, while driving continuous improvement through benchmarking, innovation and industry engagement. A key aspect of the role will be developing capability across the profession, building a strong culture, supporting workforce planning and succession, and ensuring the organisation has the skills needed for future success.
- Provide strategic leadership and authoritative advice on Operations, Decommissioning & Construction matters across the organisation
- Develop, maintain and champion professional standards, processes and governance arrangements that meet regulatory, legislative and industry requirements
- Lead, inspire and develop the Operations, Decommissioning & Construction community through workforce planning, succession management, coaching and career development
- Build strong relationships with programme teams, regulators and external stakeholders while driving innovation, continuous improvement and operational excellence
What We're Looking For
We are looking for an accomplished leader with significant experience in operations, decommissioning and construction management within a complex and highly regulated environment. You will be a credible professional who can think strategically, influence at senior levels and inspire high-performing teams. Equally important is your passion for developing people, delivering change and fostering a culture of collaboration, safety and continuous improvement.
- Degree qualified in a relevant discipline, or equivalent qualifications plus significant demonstrable experience
- Chartered status or meets the requirements and working towards attainment
- Extensive senior level experience in Operations, Decommissioning and Construction management
- Proven leadership and line management experience, with a strong commitment to mentoring, talent development and capability building
- Ability to work in complex organisations and demonstrated organisation awareness would be an advantage
- Demonstrable success in leading organisational change, influencing stakeholders and delivering improvement initiatives within complex organisations
- Post specific physical capability analysis assessment
We are looking to hold interviews week commencing Monday 09 November 2026, however, please note that this vacancy may close earlier than the stated deadline should we receive a high volume of applications.
Please note: All successful candidates who do not already hold security clearance will need to provide proof of identity, eligibility to work in the UK, and employment/education history (typically covering the last 3–5 years) in line with NRS Baseline Security requirements. Some roles may also require full Security Clearance, which involves additional checks. For details, please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) guidance.
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Head of Profession Operations, Decommissioning & Construction in Thurso employer: Nuclear Restoration Services
At NRS, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a unique nine-day fortnight that provides our engineers with an extra day off every two weeks, promoting a healthy work-life balance. Our collaborative work culture fosters innovation and personal growth, allowing you to tackle meaningful engineering challenges within a highly skilled multidisciplinary team dedicated to the future of Hunterston B. With a commitment to diversity and inclusion, we support your career development while ensuring you feel valued and empowered in your role.
Contact Details:
Nuclear Restoration Services Recruitment Team
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