Methods Development Engineer

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 Performance & Analysis team is the centre of excellence for the engineering analysis used to substantiate the performance and safety of the SMR power station. Within this organisation, the Reactor Plant Performance Methods team develops the tools, analysis methods and software that underpin reactor plant and containment transient and fault analysis across the programme.

As a Methods Development Engineer, you will support the development, verification and application of advanced fluid and thermal analysis methods used to substantiate the SMR design and safety case. You will work closely with analysts and system designers to ensure analysis tools and methodologies accurately represent plant behaviour and meet the high assurance requirements expected for nuclear safety applications.

A key aspect of the role is interpreting systems design data and faithfully implementing it within fluid‑thermal models, for example using codes such as RELAP, ensuring modelling follows established guidelines and relevant good practice. The outputs of your work will directly support safety‑case development and therefore must demonstrate high standards of quality, traceability and technical justification.

This role combines strong software‑engineering discipline with the rigour required for nuclear analysis. You will develop and maintain analysis methods and tooling using modern, object‑oriented Python, applying best practice in code structure, performance and maintainability. You will use Git‑based workflows for configuration control and collaboration and contribute to automated testing frameworks and CI/CD pipelines that support continuous integration and deployment of analysis methods.

You will work in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary environment, engaging directly with analysts as your primary customers while also interfacing with systems designers to ensure accurate interpretation of plant data. Flexibility and proactive collaboration are essential as the design programme continues to mature.

We’ll Need You To:

• Develop, verify and maintain fluid‑thermal analysis methods supporting reactor and containment analysis
• Translate system design data into robust analysis models following modelling guidelines and good practice
• Develop and maintain analysis tooling using modern Python and object‑oriented design approaches
• Apply strong configuration control using Git‑based workflows
• Develop and maintain automated testing frameworks (e.g. pytest)
• Support DevOps pipelines enabling automated testing, integration and deployment
• Work closely with analysts to gather requirements and ensure methods meet analysis needs
• Interface with system designers to ensure accurate modelling of plant configurations
• Produce high‑quality technical outputs suitable for nuclear safety‑case substantiation
• Plan and manage your own work to meet programme milestones and quality requirements
• Support knowledge‑sharing and mentoring activities within the team as experience grows

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 in fluids or thermal‑hydraulic analysis using a structured, methodical approach
• Strong understanding of fluid dynamics and thermal processes
• Experience writing analysis reports or contributing to safety‑case documentation
• Experience using industry‑standard fluids or thermal‑analysis tools
• Experience developing analysis methods, models or tools in Python
• Familiarity with software‑engineering best practice, testing and quality assurance
• Experience verifying and validating analysis tools and models
• Understanding of uncertainty quantification and benchmarking methods
• Knowledge of power‑generation or other safety‑critical industries
• Nuclear thermal‑hydraulics experience (RELAP, FLOMASTER, VIPRE, CTF, GOTHIC) desirable but not essential
• Strong communication skills and ability to work across multidisciplinary teams
• Degree‑qualified in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science or a related discipline

We welcome applicants from nuclear and non‑nuclear backgrounds, including energy, defence, aerospace, oil & gas and advanced engineering sectors.

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 £42,000 - £55,150 dependent on the skills, values and knowledge you bring. There may be flexibility with the starting salary in exceptional cases, and the role may develop further over time.

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 ability to buy or sell up to 5 days
• Private Medical Insurance – BUPA single cover
• Life Assurance – 6× 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 collaboration, diversity and continuous learning.

Selection Process: The closing date for this role is 23rd August 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