Senior Design Engineer - Hazard Protection in Derby

We are Rolls‑Royce SMR and we’re doing something that’s never been done before. We’re revolutionising an industry. That’s a once‑in‑a‑career opportunity for those excited by such a challenge. This is more than just a job; this is a legacy.

The Reactor Plant Systems team is responsible for delivering the integrated design of the SMR power station, ensuring that all systems operate safely and effectively under normal and faulted conditions. Within this, Hazard Protection plays a critical role in ensuring the plant is resilient to internal and external hazards across its full lifecycle.

As a Senior Design Engineer – Hazard Protection, you will support the development and delivery of design solutions that protect the power station against internal and external hazards. You will contribute to the definition, integration and maturation of hazard protection measures and Service Condition Control Measures (SCCMs), ensuring that hazard‑informed design requirements are effectively incorporated across the plant. This will involve working across a broad range of engineering disciplines, including civil, structural, architectural, systems, C&I, human factors and safety analysis.

You will play a key role in developing robust hazard‑informed design concepts, supporting engineering optioneering and integrating requirements across the design. The role involves strong collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that hazard protection arrangements meet programme, regulatory and E3S expectations.

We’ll Need You To:

• Support development and delivery of hazard protection and SCCM design solutions
• Lead and contribute to engineering optioneering and hazard‑informed decision making
• Develop and allocate design requirements across multiple engineering disciplines
• Manage interfaces between systems, structures and supporting functions
• Lead and support technical workshops and cross‑discipline integration activities
• Produce high‑quality engineering outputs, including design definitions, requirement sets and substantiation documentation
• Support verification, validation and design assurance activities
• Identify and manage risks, issues, assumptions and dependencies
• Apply governance, configuration control and design decision processes
• Support engagement with regulators and licensing activities
• Provide technical leadership, guidance and mentoring to other engineers
• Deliver work packages in line with programme timelines and quality requirements

Key Skills Required:

We know there’s no such thing as the ‘perfect’ candidate. If you meet around 75% of the criteria below, we’d love to hear from you:

• Experience working in the nuclear sector or another highly regulated or high‑hazard industry
• Understanding of hazard protection principles and design in complex engineering systems
• Knowledge of E3S principles, including ALARP and BAT
• Aware of internal and external hazards and their impact on plant design
• Experience of systems engineering approaches, including requirements development, optioneering and interface management
• Experience integrating cross‑discipline requirements into coherent design solutions
• Understanding of design substantiation, verification and assurance processes
• Experience producing engineering outputs such as design reports, requirement specifications and substantiation documentation
• Strong technical problem‑solving and analytical skills
• Ability to manage technical work and deliver to agreed milestones
• Strong communication and stakeholder‑engagement skills
• Experience supporting or leading small technical teams and mentoring engineers

Qualifications:

Degree‑qualified in Engineering or a related technical discipline (or equivalent experience)

Experience delivering complex design or engineering work in a regulated environment

Strong understanding of engineering design principles and systems integration

Location: Hybrid working with one of the following as your primary site: Derby, Manchester or Warrington.

Salary and Package:

The salary band for this role will be between £50,650 – £66,500 dependent on the skills, values and knowledge you bring. There may be flexibility in exceptional cases, reflecting the technical depth and responsibility of the role.

Benefits include:

• Bonus – Performance‑related target opportunity up to 12.5%
• Benefits Allowance – £2,200 per annum for a bespoke package
• Pension – 12% employer and 6% employee contributions
• Holidays – 28 days (+ public holidays) with the ability to buy or sell up to 4 days
• Private Medical Insurance – BUPA single cover
• Life Assurance – 6× pensionable pay
• Home Office Support – £250 one‑off payment for new starters

Selection Process:

The closing date for this role is 14th June 2026. The process will begin with an introductory call with the Talent Acquisition Partner, with interviews being able to take place straight away.

Why Join Us?

You’ll be joining a forward-thinking organisation that values transparency, fairness, and innovation. We offer:

• 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