At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead engineering excellence and ensure safe, compliant operations of critical infrastructure.
- Company: Join a leading organisation in the nuclear industry with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, professional development, and opportunities for career advancement.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities to influence at all organisational levels.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on engineering strategies and safety in a complex environment.
- Qualifications: Chartered Engineer with extensive nuclear or industrial engineering experience required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
A vacancy has arisen for a Principal Engineer to join our Infrastructure Programme Engineering team. This is a pivotal role at the heart of facility engineering, acting as the primary technical authority, safeguarding engineering integrity, and ensuring that critical plant and infrastructure remain safe, compliant, and fully operational throughout their lifecycle. As the driving force behind engineering excellence, you will influence everything from plant performance and maintenance strategies to long term operational planning and decommissioning readiness. You’ll provide expert guidance to senior leaders, oversee engineering governance, and ensure that modifications, upgrades, and day to day activities are delivered to the highest standards.
What you will be doing
In this role, you will shape and govern the engineering framework that underpins the safe, reliable, and compliant operation of the site. You’ll manage the development of technical strategies and processes, ensure robust integration with safety and environmental requirements, and provide authoritative oversight across engineering governance, competence, and project delivery.
Key Deliverables for the role are:
- Control the development, validation and continuous improvement of engineering strategies, procedures and technical governance across complex projects.
- Assist projects to develop an engineering and safety case delivery strategy, optimising plans to respond to changes when necessary and integrate engineering activities with safety, environmental, waste, and regulatory requirements, maintaining effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Manage investigations, assess engineering capability, and manage Design Authority arrangements to ensure high‑quality, compliant engineering performance.
- Provide guidance as a line manager, developing a capable technical organisation and ensuring consistent application of specifications, authorisations and project support.
Who we are looking for
You will bring significant engineering expertise and professional credibility to this role, combining deep technical knowledge with the ability to influence and represent the organisation at all levels. Drawing on substantial experience across the full engineering lifecycle, ideally within a nuclear or similarly complex industrial environment, you’ll apply sound judgement, strong stakeholder skills, and a proven understanding of Dounreay’s modification and governance requirements.
- Chartered Engineer (or equivalent) with extensive nuclear or industrial engineering experience.
- Strong ability to collaborate across programmes, facilities, safety case teams, and multidisciplinary engineering functions.
- Confident representing the organisation at internal and external forums, including effective engagement with regulators.
- Post specific capability analysis assessment.
We are looking to hold interviews week commencing Monday 17 August 2026, however, please note that this vacancy may close earlier than the stated deadline should we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible. If you require assistance at any point during the recruitment process contact careers@dounreay.nrservices.uk at the appropriate time so we can make any necessary, reasonable adjustment.
Principal Engineer employer: Nuclearinst
At Babcock, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer, offering a dynamic work environment in Hawthorn, Corsham, where innovation meets collaboration. Our commitment to employee growth is reflected in our generous benefits package, including a matched contribution pension scheme, professional development opportunities, and initiatives like Be Kind Day for volunteering. Join us to be part of a supportive culture that values diversity and encourages flexible working arrangements, ensuring you can thrive both personally and professionally.
