Senior Manager – Mechanical Handling

Role

Senior Manager – Mechanical Handling

Pay Range

£71,000 - £93,200

Location

Hybrid working with any Rolls‑Royce SMR location as primary, including Derby, Warrington or Manchester. Regular travel between UK sites is expected, along with supplier, customer and stakeholder engagement to support programme delivery. There may be opportunities to support international customer and supply chain activities as the programme expands.

Business

Our mission is to deliver clean, affordable energy for all. Rolls‑Royce SMR provides a British solution to a global energy challenge, combining world‑class engineering with disciplined delivery. We are developing scalable nuclear technology capable of supporting energy security, accelerating the transition to net zero, and establishing the UK as a global leader in low‑carbon energy and advanced manufacturing.

Team

The Mechanical Installations team is responsible for delivering the integrated mechanical systems and equipment that underpin safe and reliable plant operations. Working across engineering disciplines, supply chain partners and programme functions, we develop, govern and deliver complex safety‑critical solutions that support the full lifecycle of our power stations. As the organisation grows, we are building the capability, standards and expertise required to support deployment of multiple SMR units globally.

Summary

In this role, you report to the Chief Design Engineer – Installations and lead a growing multi‑disciplinary organisation. You will own the technical direction, programme performance, engineering capability, design governance and through‑life product strategy for the Mechanical Handling equipment portfolio. Your leadership will ensure the delivery of robust, licensable and commercially viable solutions while building the people, processes, tools and supply chain capability needed to support future fleet deployment in the UK and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, governance and delivery of integrated Mechanical Handling solutions throughout the entire product lifecycle, from concept through to operation and maintenance.
• Provide technical leadership and delegated engineering authority across Mechanical Handling equipment, ensuring safe, robust and deployable solutions.
• Build, lead and develop a growing engineering team, establishing the capability required to become the Design Authority and Intelligent Customer for the commodity.
• Own delivery of major programmes across cost, schedule, quality, safety and technical performance objectives.
• Govern engineering substantiation, safety cases, design configuration and verification activities within your scope of accountability.
• Develop capability strategies covering engineering resources, supplier engagement, manufacturing readiness, materials, verification &validation and long‑term delivery needs.
• Collaborate across engineering, procurement, manufacturing, safety, licensing, programme and supply chain functions to ensure fully integrated product delivery.
• Support customer, site‑specific and future fleet deployment activities, ensuring solutions meet both programme and market requirements.

Essential Skills / Qualifications

• Degree‑qualified in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline, with Chartered Engineer status or equivalent professional recognition.
• Experience leading the design, manufacture, operation and maintenance of Mechanical Handling equipment or comparable safety‑critical systems within the nuclear sector or another highly regulated industry.
• Proven experience leading large engineering teams and delivering complex product development programmes across multiple stages of the product lifecycle.
• Strong understanding of engineering governance, safety substantiation, product ownership, design integration, manufacturing delivery and verification &validation activities.
• Experience managing substantial engineering budgets, programme risks, resource planning and capability development.
• Demonstrable success leading multidisciplinary teams and influencing stakeholders across engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, commercial and programme functions.
• Ability to operate effectively within ambiguity, driving delivery and maintaining high‑performance standards in a rapidly evolving environment.

Benefits

• Salary between £71,000-£93,200.
• Bonus – Performance‑related target opportunity up to 17%.
• Benefits Allowance – £5,000 enabling you to create a bespoke package.
• Pension – Competitive Rolls‑Royce SMR pension scheme.
• Holiday – 28 days holiday plus public holidays.
• Family Friendly Policies: 39 weeks paid maternity, surrogacy and adoption leave; 6 weeks paternity leave; IVF and assisted conception support; neonatal care and more.
• Private Medical Insurance – BUPA single cover healthcare.
• Life Assurance – 6× pensionable pay.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
• The opportunity to shape a critical engineering capability within one of the UK's most exciting clean energy programmes and influence deployment of future SMR fleets worldwide.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds. As a Disability Confident organisation, we are committed to fair, supportive recruitment practices and workplace adjustments where needed.

You may not feel you meet every requirement – and that's okay. If you feel you meet around 75% of the role, we would love to hear from you. We also welcome applications from candidates bringing transferable skills or considering a sector move.