Engineer - Radiological Consequences Analysis

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

We anticipate paying a salary between £40,000-£52,500 DOE.

We are Rolls-Royce SMR and we are revolutionising an industry. This is more than just a job; this is a legacy. The Radiological Consequences team perform radiological consequences analysis (RCA) of the RR-SMR design during faulted and accident conditions to substantiate the safety of the power station. We are responsible for the calculation of off-site and on-site radiological consequences during design basis and severe accidents. We work alongside the design, performance and safety teams to understand the technical nature of the reactor plant design and produce RCA which characterises system performance, informs intelligent design decisions and ultimately verifies the performance and safety of the final design. Our work directly supports the deterministic and probabilistic safety assessments for the RR-SMR, development of the security case, and the demonstration of ALARP.

About the role: As a radiological consequences analyst, you will model radioactive releases during accident scenarios to define the radiological exposure to workers and members of the public. Activities are expected to include:

• Engage with the safety analysis, system design, performance analysis and severe accident analysis areas to identify and scope candidate accident scenarios for RCA.
• Engage with the chemistry area to determine the fundamental source terms relevant to these accident scenarios.
• Develop Source Term and Radionuclide Transport (STaRT) methodologies to model the behaviour and transport of radionuclides during accident scenarios leading to atmospheric releases and/or onsite exposures.
• Implement appropriate models for iodine chemistry aspects with support from the accident chemistry area.
• Apply software tools to calculate dispersion of atmospheric releases to onsite and offsite receptor locations.
• Calculate radiological consequences, in terms of effective doses and conditional risks, to exposed individuals applying the ICRP radiological protection framework and with consideration of Urgent Protective Actions (UPAs) where appropriate.
• Apply the RR-SR gated review process to govern analysis work and solicit stakeholder feedback and endorsement of analysis scope and objectives.
• Produce quality technical reports following standard RR-SMR policies and processes.
• Perform technical review of RCA tasks completed by other team members.

The RCA team apply a range of methodologies appropriate for the complexity of the specific analysis case. These range from simple Excel based calculations to the development of Python based solvers. Atmospheric dispersion is modelled using Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling Software (ADMS) and the integrated dispersion/dose Probabilistic Accident Consequences Evaluation (PACE) software. Due to the safety-critical nature of the modelling we undertake, excellent quality-management processes including code verification and validation are essential. The development of robust and automated analysis routes is an important aspect of this. All analysts have a role in ensuring the quality of outputs through rigorous process adherence, supporting verification activities and supporting the continuous improvement of our methods and tools.

As RCA supports the development and substantiation of many aspects of the power station design, effective communication and collaboration with teams across a wide range engineering and non-engineering disciplines is essential. Staff should be flexible to evolving nature of the ongoing design programme and proactive in collaborating with other teams in developing analysis requirements and communicating results. All staff will be involved in planning their own work to ensure that objectives are met, quality processes are followed, and delivery is on schedule.

Key selection criteria for this role are:

• Strong understanding of radionuclide transport phenomena and analysis methods for design basis faults and severe accidents.
• Experience performing public and worker dose assessments to support safety cases or emergency planning. Familiarity with radiation protection principles and the ICRP framework; awareness of iodine treatment in RCA.
• Skilled in developing analysis methods and tools, including Python-based solutions, for safety-critical applications.
• Experience applying structured, methodical approaches to analysis and adhering to software quality assurance processes.
• Knowledge of nuclear industry domain areas such as probabilistic safety assessment, design basis fault analysis, and emergency planning.
• Proven ability to deliver analysis tasks to time, cost, and quality, with strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Degree-qualified in Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or Computer Science; working toward chartered status preferred.

Salary and Package:

• We anticipate paying a salary of between £40,000-£52,500 DOE.
• Bonus - Performance related target opportunity 12.5%.
• Benefits Allowance – £2,200 per annum, enabling you to create a bespoke package.
• Pension - 12% employer and 6% employee contributions.
• Holidays - 28 days holiday (+ public holidays) and the ability to buy or sell up to 4 days.
• Private Medical Insurance - BUPA single cover health care.
• Life Assurance - 6x pensionable pay.
• £250 - One-off payment for new starters for home office purchases.

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.

A career with Rolls-Royce SMR offers a unique opportunity to contribute to an exciting organisation delivering a transformational mission. Rolls-Royce SMR is a radically different approach to proven nuclear technology. Each Rolls-Royce SMR power station will generate 470MW of low-carbon energy - equivalent to more than 150 onshore wind turbines and enough to power a million homes for over 60 years. With its Rolls-Royce SMRs will play a vital role in supporting renewable energy by helping to overcome intermittency and ensure a stable, sustainable energy.