UKIFS Executive Office Lead

For more information on UKIFS, visit: https://careers.ukaea.uk/wp-content/uploads/download/UKIFS_CandidateRecruitmentPack.pdf 

Employees of UKIFS for this role are based on our site; 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. 

The Role  

UKIFS has been established as a subsidiary of UKAEA in order to deliver the STEP programme. As such, UKIFS needs to build and maintain a suite of corporate mechanisms, ranging from the establishment of UKIFS board and sub committees to the data and management information to allow those boards effective oversight of UKIFS. The Executive Office plays a central role in shaping the future of the UKIFS organisation, supporting the Chair and CEO in all their organisation, STEP delivery programme, and governance duties.  

You will lead the Executive Office which focuses on working with the UKIFS Board, and leadership team across a broad range of topics. This role will lead on the delivery of the UKIFS governance and assurance framework via day-to-day activities including boards, committees, reviews, and reporting and will work across all aspects of the organisation.  

We are seeking a dynamic professional to join UKIFS as an Executive Office Lead. The role focuses on driving strategic initiatives, policy development, and team leadership to support organisational success.

Key Responsibilities:

• Policy & Strategy Development: Provide strategic advice to the CEO and Directors, lead cross-company initiatives, and manage critical projects.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including DESNZ, UKAEA, and STEP teams.
• Executive Office Leadership: Develop the Executive Office function, mentor team members, and manage direct reports.
• Governance & Secretariat: Facilitate Executive-level meetings, ensure efficient information flow, and manage governance processes.
• Strategic Problem Solving: Anticipate challenges, propose solutions, and oversee key initiatives to achieve organisational goals.
• Cultural Leadership: Foster a positive, inclusive team environment, embody organisational values, and lead by example.

Essential Requirements: 

• Ability to grasp and communicate big picture issues, to a variety of stakeholders and at the same time translate this into detailed plans and solutions 
• A degree or equivalent qualification and experience, complemented by a robust enthusiasm and interest in scientific and engineering fields 
• Ability to write and deliver strategy, business cases, policy, management, and other business documents. 
• Ability to implement plans and decisions made at executive level. including managing upwards and across the organisation 
• Effectively organise and prioritise the senior executive time to support them with delivering UKIFS objectives, managing the flow of information to the team and making judgements on priorities  
• Ability to influence at a range of levels in the organisation, ranging from senior levels to working level 
• A track record of securing decisions and approvals from senior colleagues in complex organisations 

Excellent experience of building relationships, demonstrating sensitivity, tact and an appreciation of other perspectives and viewpoints to find compromise, delivering through other people. 

Desirable:

• Experience of working with government and arms-length bodies.
• Experience of drafting, influencing and implementing public sector policy.
• Experience of stakeholder management with government, industry, and academia, preferably in the engineering sector.

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.