Lead Electrical Engineer - Earthing

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 Electrical Systems team is responsible for delivering safe, resilient and technically robust electrical infrastructure across the Rolls‐Royce SMR power station. Earthing and lightning protection systems are fundamental to ensuring plant safety, regulatory compliance and system integrity. This includes the design, verification and substantiation of systems that protect both people and equipment, ensuring a consistent and compliant approach across the station.

About the Role:

As a Lead Electrical Engineer – Earthing, you will provide technical expertise across the design and development lifecycle of earthing and lightning protection systems. You will lead system architecture, sub‐system design, equipment specification and the selection of components necessary to realise the final verified design of the SMR power station.

You will work across engineering teams—electrical, civil, systems, safety and project functions—to ensure earthing systems are integrated effectively, compliant with UK and international standards and aligned with overall plant architecture. You will act as a responsible designer and intelligent customer, ensuring quality, consistency and technical rigour throughout the project lifecycle.

You will support design reviews, risk assessments, strategic planning, and technical governance activities. You may also mentor less experienced engineers and support engagement with suppliers, customers, regulators and external stakeholders.

We’ll Need You To:

• Provide technical leadership for earthing and lightning protection systems
• Assess and substantiate designs to ensure compliance with UK and international standards
• Develop system architecture, specifications, design documentation and component selections
• Support designers by offering technical guidance and design review input
• Lead or contribute to technical reviews, ensuring quality is maintained through project gates
• Identify risks and develop mitigations during system design and integration
• Support capacity planning, long‐term strategy and team development
• Work across power station engineering teams to deliver standardised, commoditised approaches to system design
• Represent electrical engineering in working groups, supplier engagements, customer discussions and regulatory dialogue
• Manage or oversee supply chain partners delivering work packages
• Coach and mentor less experienced engineers across the electrical discipline

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 across the electrical system lifecycle in a regulated industry (nuclear preferred but not essential)
• Strong knowledge and experience in earthing and lightning protection system design, assessment, verification, installation, commissioning and maintenance
• Knowledge of relevant earthing and lightning protection codes and standards for the UK and Europe
• Experience developing earthing and lightning protection systems in nuclear or high‐integrity environments
• Knowledge of systems engineering methodologies, including MBSE tools such as Capella, DOORS or Polarion
• Proven ability to manage contract partners delivering technical work packages
• Understanding of commercial availability and cost considerations for materials
• Practical field experience in earthing or lightning protection design or installation
• Strong communication and presentation skills, including the ability to present complex information to technical and non‐technical audiences
• Degree in electrical engineering or related discipline (or equivalent relevant experience)

We welcome applicants from a wide range of regulated sectors including nuclear, defence, aerospace, rail and energy.

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

Salary and Package: The salary band for this will be between £63,600–£83,500 dependent on the skills, values and knowledge you bring. There may be some flexibility with the starting salary in exceptional cases, and, in due course, the role may be developed further.

Benefits include:

• Bonus – Performance‐related target opportunity 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 – 6x pensionable pay
• Home Office Support – £250 one‐off payment for new starters

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, and a culture that values diversity, collaboration and continuous learning.

Selection Process:

The closing date for this role is 30th March 2026. The process will begin with an introductory call with the Talent Acquisition Partner, with interviews able to take place straight away.

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