Senior Waste Processing Design Engineer – Plant Equipment

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 Plant Equipment team is responsible for delivering a wide range of mechanical and process equipment into the SMR, supporting safe, compliant and repeatable power‐station designs. This senior role sits within the Miscellaneous Plant Equipment team and focuses specifically on waste‐processing plant and systems delivered into a regulated nuclear environment.

As a Senior Waste Processing Design Engineer – Plant Equipment, you will deliver a portfolio of waste‐processing equipment and systems into the SMR, taking end‐to‐end technical ownership across requirements definition, design development, governance and contract delivery. You will work closely with internal engineering, safety and delivery stakeholders to develop and manage requirements, apply modularisation and standardisation principles, and oversee sourcing and supplier‐led development. Acting as an intelligent customer, you will assure technical quality, apply governance processes and oversee supplier outputs to ensure consistency with SMR standards and programme objectives. The role involves significant interaction with a global supply chain and carries responsibility not only for technical delivery, but also for cost and programme performance, which will continue to grow as the project and business mature.

We’ll Need You To:

• Own the delivery of key SMR waste‐processing equipment and systems
• Deliver systems such as reverse osmosis, evaporators, ion exchange and filtration equipment
• Apply waste‐processing engineering expertise in nuclear and/or conventional environments
• Develop and manage requirements with multidisciplinary stakeholders
• Apply modularisation and standardisation across plant‐equipment designs
• Act as the intelligent customer for supplier‐developed solutions
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with suppliers
• Apply engineering governance and quality assurance processes
• Review and approve technical outputs across multiple workstreams
• Oversee contract delivery, including cost and programme considerations
• Support and mentor junior engineers within the team
• Adapt to new, unfamiliar scope and evolving business demands
• Travel between SMR office locations and supplier sites as required

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:

• Strong experience in waste‐processing or process‐plant design
• Experience delivering systems such as RO, evaporators, ion exchange or filtration
• Background in nuclear, energy, or other regulated industries (desirable)
• Proven ability to take ownership of technical scope and delivery
• Experience working with suppliers and acting as an intelligent customer
• Strong stakeholder coordination and communication skills
• Understanding of governance, quality assurance and regulated delivery
• Ability to balance technical, cost and programme demands
• Experience supporting or mentoring engineers
• Flexible mindset suited to a dynamic programme environment

Qualifications:

• Degree‐level qualification or HND (or equivalent) in a relevant technical discipline
• Achieved, or actively working towards, professional institute recognition

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, and the role may develop further as the organisation continues to grow. 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 18th May 2026. The process will begin with an introductory call with the Talent Acquisition Partner, with interviews being able to take place straight away. 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

We are Rolls-Royce SMR. 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 future. We’re proud to be one of the few employers that can genuinely say we’re a strengths-based organisation. Our people are here because of what makes them exceptional - and our role is to help them make the most meaningful contribution of their careers, doing work they love. We offer opportunities that go beyond traditional career paths. At Rolls-Royce SMR you can develop your career by exploring roles and challenges that align with your unique talents.

At Rolls-Royce SMR, we are committed to ensuring that our teams reflect the communities we serve and that everyone can be themselves at work. We know that diverse teams are more innovative and get better results, and that our people can thrive and be more successful in truly inclusive cultures. Join us and help shape our culture.