Head of Reactor Island Layout in Derby

Locations: Derby, Warrington or Manchester, with hybrid working options available.

Salary: We anticipate paying a salary of between £80,000- £105,000 DOE.

Reporting to the Chief Design Engineer, the Head of Reactor Island Layout is accountable for development of fully integrated technical solutions, ways of working, and technical governance across the Reactor Island Plant and Equipment Layout and Piping Design scope, inclusive of:

• Reactor Island Mechanical Layout (Equipment, piping, HVAC)
• Reactor Island Mechanical routing (Piping/HVAC)
• Cross functional integration of engineering disciplines
• Cross coordination of Reactor Island EC&I Layout Design

This role is fundamental to Rolls -Royce SMR achieving its modularisation strategy. The role covers the senior technical and programme leadership of a large department of design engineers, as well supporting the management of significant design contracts in the supply chain. This includes:

• The overall direction and governance of the programmes of work under their scope;
• Accepting the validity of the technical solutions developed under their direction;
• The delivery of a robust design and safety justification, supported by detailed performance and underpinning assessment;
• Ensuring outputs comply with environment, safety, security and safeguards (E3S) objectives;
• Developing the team capabilities and resilience;
• Resolving emergent issues.

This role is a senior leadership figure within Engineering. It requires domain knowledge and expertise, excellent leadership skills, the ability to inspire and motivate others, and the ability to influence business and strategic direction. They will use their experience and abilities to steer and influence at all levels, displaying a positive and collaborative leadership style, to ensure successful department management.

Success will demand engagement with a wide range of senior internal and external stakeholders, inclusive of industry bodies and regulators, to ensure the analysis programme and safety case are progressed in accordance with broader business and legislative requirements.

The successful candidate shall provide senior technical, strategic and programme leadership across a number of large and growing teams, focussed on delivery of Layout and Installations for specific plant areas, holistic Reactor Island Layout and Piping and HVAC routing. This role also plays a significant part in enabling delivery strategies to be developed, stewarding cost and programme and leading people through an exciting time within the SMR business development.

Why Join Us?

• A flexible, inclusive, and supportive working environment.
• Opportunities for career growth in a rapidly scaling business.
• A culture that values diversity, innovation, and continuous learning.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Inclusivity is important to us, and as a Disability Confident organisation, we are committed to fair, supportive, and continually improving recruitment practices that ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Confidence can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job. But we’ll let you in on a secret: there’s no such thing as a 'perfect' candidate. If you feel you meet 75% of the requirements for this role, we would love to hear from you. Also, if you are considering a career move or a sector-jump, please get in touch – we welcome applications from people with transferable skills.

Our Application Process

Due to the safety regulations within the nuclear industry, applicants will be required to participate in additional screening. These are:

• Obtaining Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance
• Satisfactory completion of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
• Satisfactory completion of a basic financial probity check