Principal Control & Instrumentation Engineer

The salary for this role is £71,815 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance).

Onsite working is expected, however we can also discuss hybrid working where possible, depending on business needs.

The role will be based at the UKAEA South Yorkshire site in Rotherham. 

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard, including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions and possibly a search of open source data. 

The Role

The Control & Instrumentation Group provides organisation-wide expertise, support, and services for UKAEA projects, with strong capability in the design, delivery, installation, and commissioning of electrical, control, and instrumentation systems.

In this role you will provide technical and project leadership on major, complex initiatives, often without precedent, shaping organisational direction and supporting external collaboration. It involves defining and delivering large-scale projects, leading multidisciplinary teams, and acting as a technical authority, advising on designs, solutions, and critical operational issues.

The role holder is expected to take full ownership of significant work packages, fault resolution, and the delivery of robust technical outcomes ensuring compliance with current legislation and standards to enable successful development, delivery, operation, maintenance, and enhancement of control and instrumentation systems at UKAEA’s South Yorkshire site.

If you are able to identify and solve complex technical challenges and have strong communication and influencing skills to work effectively with interdisciplinary teams including engineers, scientists, technicians and external stakeholders, we would like to hear from you.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Lead major fusion engineering projects from concept to detailed design, including critical plant systems with site-wide or international impact.
• Act as a technical authority, setting direction, advising on design and operational issues, and developing standards and procedures in emerging technology areas.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality outcomes while ensuring compliance with safety, environmental, and quality requirements.
• Apply advanced engineering analysis to solve complex problems, identify opportunities, support business development, and build strong external partnerships while representing UKAEA in technical forums.
• Take full ownership of work packages, ensuring safe, cost-effective delivery across design, procurement, installation, commissioning, and maintenance, while supporting knowledge transfer and capability development.

Essential: 

• An honours degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, or related discipline, and relevant professional experience in an E,C&I engineering role. Or an HND in Electrical/Electronic discipline, or equivalent qualification level, with a greater breadth and depth of experience/knowledge. 
• A strong track record of delivering complex EC&I projects to time and budget. 
• Good working knowledge of PLC and SCADA systems 
• Good understanding of EC&I documents (SLDs, P&IDs, C&Es, schematics etc.) 
• Must demonstrate a high level of experience in design, installation and testing of Control and Instrumentation software and hardware systems. 
• A broad and deep understanding of design and related engineering processes, practices, current standards and industry best-practice. 
• A good understanding and willingness to work to modern standards in health, safety, environment, and quality assurance. 
• Strong interpersonal, collaboration, communication, and technical writing skills, with the ability to effectively manage time and workload to meet agreed targets.

Desirable:

• Chartered Engineer status or fellowship with a suitable professional institution. 
• Functional Safety qualifications (e.g. TÜV Rheinland FSEng) 
• Experience using Siemens TIA portal 
• Experience of LabVIEW Data Acquisition systems 
• A track record of research publications in peer reviewed journals and presentations at conferences.  
• A background in the nuclear industry.  

A full list of our benefits can be found here https://careers.ukaea.uk/life-at-ukaea/employee-benefits/

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.  

Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications.