Senior Research Chemist (Team Leader)

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference? Join our team and contribute to the future of fusion energy. As Senior Research Chemist and Team Leader, you will work in the Tritium Fuel Cycle (TFC) Division who are responsible for delivering tritium capabilities in support of:   

• Fusion fuel cycle research in support of the JET, ITER, DEMO & STEP programmes.  
• Tritium technology R&D.  
• Commercial activities involving tritium and other active gasses.  

This role will play a vital part in supporting the delivery of high-impact research and development programmes, as well as developing productive collaborations and growing a community of experts. The role has two focuses:  

• Deliver research which supports the realisation of a commercially viable fusion tritium lifecycle by demonstrating deep understanding of scientific processes, providing technical leadership, and acting as Scientific Project Lead in experimental design and delivery. 
• Line management of a team of up to eight scientists, setting resource allocation and objectives, providing performance management and professional development, and ensuring welfare is maintained. 

Please note this role is largely desk based. 

Additional Responsibilities:

• Senior chemist with research experience. 
• Plan a test programme, managing the team's work and analysing results. 
• Use and knowledge of gas analysis methods, in particular hydrogen, to support tritium research experiments. 
• Maintain accurate records of experimental data while preparing and delivering concise and clear technical reports, presentations, and publications that effectively communicate research results and their implications. 
• Stay up to date with the latest advancements in the field and apply this knowledge to effectively support the research and development of tritium science and technology. 
• Ensure suitably qualified and experienced staff are in place to meet both current and future organisational needs. 

Qualifications 

• Degree or equivalent level in relevant STEM subject. 

Essential Requirements

• Experience of working on projects as a technical lead.  
• Experience line managing and coaching technical individuals.  
• Experience in building and leading technical teams.  
• Mentoring engineers and scientists. 

Desirable 

• Experience with design of experiments. 
• Experience with securing funding. 
• Experience with building collaborations. 
• Experience with gas Raman and mass spectrometry. 
• Experience managing a project budget. 
• Experience of procurement in support of project work. 

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

We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly individuals from black and other ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and women. Our Executive team, supported by our 'Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) Partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, actively promotes EDI and takes steps to increase diversity within our organization. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.

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

For applicants applying from outside the United Kingdom or those who have spent time outside the UK in the last five years, please visit the following link for information on criminal records checks: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants If your country of residence or previous residence is not listed on the website or if the UK Government does not have information on obtaining a criminal records check from that state, we regret to inform you that we cannot process your application.