At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and delivery of complex electrical systems for nuclear projects.
- Company: Cavendish Nuclear, a leader in energy security and national defence.
- Benefits: Attractive salary, generous holiday, pension scheme, and health support.
- Other info: Flexible working options and excellent development opportunities available.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on energy security while advancing your engineering career.
- Qualifications: Degree in Electrical Engineering and experience in regulated industries required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 £ per year.
Location: Flexible + Hybrid Working Arrangements
Compensation: Attractive Salary + Benefits
Role Type: Full time / Permanent
Shape the Future of Nuclear Engineering
At Cavendish Nuclear we’re working to create a safe and secure world, together, and if you join us, you can play your part as a Principal Electrical, Control and Instrumentation Engineer at any of our main UK locations, including Warrington (Cheshire), Bristol, Leicester, Humberside, Cumbria (Westlakes), Preston or Newbury.
The role
As a Principal Electrical, Control and Instrumentation Engineer, you’ll lead the design and delivery of complex EC&I systems that underpin critical nuclear projects. This is your opportunity to make a tangible impact on energy security and national defence while advancing your career in a dynamic, highly regulated environment.
Day-to-day, you’ll be:
- Leading the design and delivery of electrical, control and instrumentation systems for major nuclear projects.
- Providing technical guidance and mentoring to engineers within the team.
- Ensuring engineering solutions meet safety, quality, and regulatory standards.
- Collaborating with internal teams and external stakeholders to solve complex technical challenges.
- Overseeing project progress, supporting decision-making, and contributing to strategic planning.
This is a full-time role, 37 hours per week. Hybrid working patterns are available, with three days on site.
Essential experience:
- Proven experience leading the design and delivery of complex EC&I systems in regulated industries (e.g., nuclear, energy, defence).
- Strong understanding of safety standards, compliance, and technical governance.
- Ability to manage and mentor engineering teams across multi-disciplinary projects.
- Experience working with control systems, PLCs, SCADA, and instrumentation technologies.
- Skilled in stakeholder engagement, including clients, regulators, and suppliers.
Qualifications:
- Degree in Electrical, Control, or Instrumentation Engineering (or equivalent).
- Chartered Engineer status (or working towards) is highly desirable.
Security Clearance
The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role.
What we offer:
- Generous holiday allowance
- Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
- Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+
- Employee share scheme
- Employee shopping savings portal
- Payment of Professional Fees
- Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave
- Holiday Trading allows employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement.
- Be Kind Day enables employees to take one working day’s paid leave a year to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity.
- Excellent development opportunities and benefits package including an employee assistance programme supporting physical, mental and financial wellbeing.
We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email with the subject header ‘Reasonable adjustments requirement’. We’re committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone’s free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working – please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.
Closing date: 30/04/2026
Principal Electrical, Control and Instrumentation Engineer employer: Nuclearinst
Cavendish Nuclear is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where you can lead the design and delivery of critical electrical, control, and instrumentation systems in the nuclear sector. With flexible hybrid working arrangements, generous benefits, and a strong commitment to employee development and wellbeing, you will have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact while advancing your career in a supportive and inclusive culture across various UK locations.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Electrical, Control and Instrumentation Engineer
✨Get Involved in Control Systems Communities
Dive into control systems forums and relevant LinkedIn groups to showcase your expertise. Engage in discussions, answer questions, and share your knowledge—this can help us get noticed by potential employers looking for someone just like you!
✨Attend Industry Conferences and Workshops
Join conferences or workshops specifically tailored to control systems engineering, like the IEEE conference. These events are goldmines for networking with industry leaders and might just lead us to that perfect role at Nuclearinst.
✨Get Practical Experience Through Projects
Start or contribute to projects that highlight your control systems skills. Whether it’s a simulated environment or real-world application, having tangible results will give us a huge edge when chatting with Nuclearinst.
✨Choose Job Boards Wisely
Focus on niche job boards that specialise in engineering roles. Channels like Engineers.co or similar can help ensure that we’re not only applying to random jobs but targeting positions that align perfectly with our control systems engineering skills!
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Electrical, Control and Instrumentation Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Your Technical Skills:When applying for the Principal Electrical, Control and Instrumentation Engineer role, make sure to showcase your technical expertise in control systems. Be specific about the software and programming languages you’ve worked with—mention anything from MATLAB to PLC programming. This will help us see your proficiency in the tools that are essential for the job.
Quantify Your Achievements:In the engineering world, numbers speak volumes! Use your CV to quantify your achievements—whether it’s a percentage improvement in system efficiency or successful project completions under budget. This will not only make your application stand out but also showcase your problem-solving capabilities to us.
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Don’t hesitate to get personal in your cover letter! Talk about why you’re passionate about control systems engineering and how your previous experiences have prepared you for this role at Nuclearinst. We want to see your genuine interest and motivation to contribute to our projects.
Professional Documentation:For a full-time role, ensure that your application documents are professional and well-structured. Include a clear CV format and cover letter that highlights key projects or systems you've worked on. Don’t forget to mention any relevant certifications or training that would make you a valuable addition to us at Nuclearinst.
How to prepare for a job interview at Nuclearinst
✨Brush Up on Control Systems Concepts
Make sure we're up to speed with control systems theory—think stability analysis, PID tuning, and state-space representation. Revising these fundamentals will help us answer technical questions more confidently and demonstrate our expertise during the interview.
✨Familiarise Yourself with Simulation Tools
Get hands-on with popular simulation tools like MATLAB/Simulink or LabVIEW. A lot of interviews might include technical assessments or practical tasks to gauge our understanding of system modelling and control design using these tools, so being proficient could really set us apart.
✨Be Ready for Problem-Solving Scenarios
We should expect scenario-based questions where we'll have to solve real-world control system challenges. Practising how to approach problems logically and articulately will help us show our analytical thinking to the interviewer at Nuclearinst.
✨Show Your Passion for Engineering
As this role is full-time, it's crucial we convey our genuine enthusiasm for control systems engineering. Sharing personal projects or experiences where we tackled interesting engineering tasks can illustrate our commitment and eagerness to contribute to the team at Nuclearinst.
