Senior R&D Engineer - Sensors

By 2050, the planet could be using twice as much electricity compared to today. Are you interested in contributing and helping to shape the future of the world’s energy? If so, read on. Fusion, the process that powers the Sun and Stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs. UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research for groundbreaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid, supported by tomorrow's power stations. In pursuit of our mission, UKAEA embraces core values: Innovative, Committed, Trusted, and Collaborative.

As an employee of UKAEA you will benefit from:

• Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
• Corporate bonus scheme up to 7% and a Relocation allowance (if eligible).
• Flexible working options including family friendly policies.
• Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders.
• Generous annual leave allowance starting with 25 days, plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays.
• Wide range of career development opportunities.
• A vibrant culture committed to equality and being fully inclusive.

The salary for this role is £57,117 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance). Onsite working is expected for 3 days minimum each week. This role can be based at any of the following sites; Culham, Oxfordshire. This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions and possibly a search of open source data.

This is an exciting opportunity for a Senior R&D Engineer within the Technology Development group to provide technical and project leadership across key UKAEA programmes, supporting the delivery of critical technology development activities and enabling informed engineering decisions. In this role you will apply specialist expertise to lead multidisciplinary teams, ensuring solutions are developed and delivered in line with stakeholder requirements, using structured approaches such as Systems Engineering and Robust Engineering.

This role has a strong focus on sensing, instrumentation, and control/measurement systems. You will support the definition and selection of sensor suites and measurement strategies for complex, high-hazard facilities, ensuring alignment with operational, safety, and regulatory requirements. As the programmes mature, the role will develop towards leading R&D activities, including the development, testing, and validation of novel sensing technologies for use in extreme and uncertain environments, and supporting their progression through technology maturity stages. You will work across organisational and disciplinary boundaries, engaging effectively with stakeholders at all levels, identifying and integrating expertise, and contributing to the development of next-generation measurement and control capabilities for fusion applications.

Key Accountabilities:

• Lead multidisciplinary teams to develop and execute R&D strategies from requirements through to commissioning for sensing technologies operating in complex, challenging, and uncertain environments, including prototyping, testing, verification and validation, procurement, and supplier management where appropriate.
• Provide technical leadership and subject matter expertise in sensing and measurement systems, supporting decision-making, design reviews, and programme delivery.
• Apply and embed best practice engineering approaches (e.g. Systems Engineering, Robust Engineering) across technology development, testing, and facility delivery activities.
• Ensure high standards of technical governance, documentation, and quality assurance across projects and work packages.
• Build and maintain effective relationships across UKAEA and with external partners including academia and industry to access specialist capabilities and deliver programme outcomes while managing IP and compliance.
• Contribute to capability development and inclusive organisational culture through mentoring, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement of engineering practices, while maintaining a strong commitment to safety and compliance.

Qualifications

Essential Requirements:

• Degree or doctoral-level qualification in engineering, physics or a related STEM discipline (or equivalent experience) applied in an R&D context.
• Thorough understanding of working across the R&D lifecycle, including experimental design, testing, and verification and validation across different stages of technology maturity.
• Experience in the development and application of a broad range of sensing or instrumentation systems.
• Strong investigative, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to evaluate system performance.
• Identify limitations, develop practical solutions, and drive continuous improvement.
• Demonstrable ability to work effectively in uncertain or evolving programmes, proactively identifying issues and developing practical solutions.
• Effective communication and stakeholder engagement skills, including the ability to present and justify technical recommendations.
• Ability to work across disciplines and organisational boundaries, leveraging internal and external expertise to deliver integrated engineering outcomes.
• Sound professional judgement, including awareness of regulatory and safety requirements.

Desirable Requirements:

• Experience applying Systems Engineering and Systems Thinking approaches, including requirements capture, integration, and verification planning (e.g. VVUQ).
• Hands-on experience with experimental facilities, test rigs, or prototype system development.
• Experience specifying, procuring, and deploying instrumentation in regulated, safety-critical, complex, or high-hazard environments (e.g. defence, aerospace, medical, oil and gas).
• Understanding of commissioning, calibration, and performance validation of measurement systems.
• Established professional network with links to external partners, test facilities, and specialist suppliers.
• Achieved or actively working towards chartered engineer status.

UKAEA’s mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal. We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, while ensuring all appointments are made on merit.

UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions or require help or adjustments to compete on a fair basis, for example, changes to the way we interview or share information.