NSSS Lead Engineer (Nuclear Steam Supply System)
2 days ago
Warrington
Originally named Great British Nuclear, Great British Energy - Nuclear is an arm’s length body of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, dedicated to supporting the development and deployment of new nuclear technologies in Great Britain. We play a crucial role in advancing nuclear new build, ensuring the UK’s energy security, and achieving net-zero carbon emissions. Great British Energy - Nuclear focuses on fostering innovation, facilitating investment, and coordinating efforts across the nuclear industry to build a resilient and sustainable energy future. Great British Energy - Nuclear’s first step was to start the technology selection process for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in 2023. SMRs can potentially be quicker to deploy and less expensive to build than traditional nuclear power plants because they are smaller, have factory based modular manufacturing and more flexible deployment options. In June 2025, Great British Energy - Nuclear announced that Rolls-Royce SMR had been selected as the preferred bidder to build the UK’s first SMRs, following a technology selection process that began in 2023. Great British Energy - Nuclear is aiming to deliver fast, based on a supportive and collaborative culture which values equality and diversity and creates an inclusive workplace. We draw on deep nuclear expertise – our Executive Committee has over 100 years of nuclear experience at home and abroad. GBN-E will unlock billions of pounds of private and public investment from design to operation, helping to get sites ready for development, and working to grow manufacturing capacity and skills capability. Our activities will be driven by our values, which are: Trust - We prioritise safety, we act responsibly and with integrity. Collaboration - We work as a team; we value diversity and expertise. Challenge - We are curious and courageous in the way we think and act. Care - We are thoughtful, inclusive and respectful of others. Drive - We get things done and we make a difference. If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format or would like us to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at recruitment@greatbritishnuclear.uk and we will talk to you about how we can assist. Job Profile We have an exciting and challenging opportunity for an experience Nuclear Steam Supply System Lead Engineer to join the Power Plant Team within Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE‑N), as part of the technical engineering function. This role offers the opportunity to act as Principal Engineer on GBE‑N’s first project, supporting the project from early Concept Studies through to Detailed Design. This is a hybrid role, combining remote working with office‑ and site based activities. Occasional attendance will be required for site visits, design reviews, and client meetings, primarily within the Northwest England region. In this role, you will provide technical leadership and system ownership for the Nuclear Steam Supply System, ensuring the NSSS design is safe, licensable, constructable, operable, maintainable, and capable of replication across the fleet. This role will also support and mentor junior team members and proactively challenge design solutions to deliver robust and value led outcomes. You will be expected to engage confidently and assertively with clients and stakeholders, providing clear technical leadership and constructive challenge where appropriate. Key Responsibilities: The role will include, but not be limited to, the following key responsibilities: • Act as the technical authority and system lead for the Nuclear Steam Supply System and components, ensuring the NSSS design satisfies safety, performance, quality, operability, maintainability, and constructability requirements., • Lead the development, review, and approval of NSSS engineering requirements, design deliverables, technical specifications, calculations, analyses, and system documentation., • Own technical integration of NSSS equipment and interfaces, including reactor coolant system, steam generators, pressurizer, reactor coolant pumps, reactor internals, primary pipework, main coolant lines, and associated safety and auxiliary systems., • Provide engineering input to the nuclear safety case, licensing basis and regulatory submissions, and support as technical lead on the requirements to enable Long Lead Item (LLI) procurement during Phase 1 of the project., • Support responses to regulator, independent assurance, and internal review comments., • Act as an intelligent customer to reactor vendor, responsible designer, and key suppliers, ensuring robust technical oversight of design, manufacture, testing, and non-conformance resolution., • Lead or support design reviews, hazard reviews, constructability reviews, operability reviews, and commissioning readiness reviews for NSSS scope., • Identify, assess, and manage technical risks, assumptions, open points, and design changes affecting NSSS performance or nuclear safety., • Support procurement by defining technical requirements, evaluating bids, assessing concessions / deviations, and ensuring supplier deliverables meet code and project requirements., • Provide technical support during manufacture, installation, commissioning, and handover, including resolution of site queries and incorporation of lessons learned into the design baseline., • Promote standardisation and replication across units by supporting design freeze, fleet configuration control, and FOAK-to-NOAK learning., • Mentor and develop engineers within the NSSS discipline, promote high standards of nuclear professionalism, and foster a strong nuclear safety culture., • Work collaboratively with safety case, reactor physics, mechanical, piping, I&C, civil/layout, commissioning, operations, quality, procurement, and project controls teams to deliver integrated outcomes. Knowledge, Skills, and Experience required: • Considerable experience in nuclear or another highly regulated industry, with substantial time in system design, equipment engineering, design authority, safety case, commissioning, or plant engineering roles., • Deep understanding of NSSS architecture and major components in PWR or relevant reactor technology, such as EPR, AP1000, SMR or equivalent NSSS platforms., • Strong grounding in thermal hydraulics, mechanical design, pressure boundary integrity, equipment qualification, and plant transients / system behaviour., • Experience working of design, manufacturing, inspection, testing, and operational issues associated with major nuclear mechanical equipment such as steam generators, reactor coolant pumps, valves, and pressure vessels., • Experience working with nuclear codes, standards, and quality requirements such as ASME Section III, RCC-M, and nuclear QA / configuration control arrangements., • Ability to translate top-level plant requirements into system requirements and deliverable engineering packages., • Capability to assess the impact of design changes across safety, layout, manufacture, commissioning, and operations., • Experience with safety case production, engineering substantiation and nuclear licensing interactions., • Strong understanding of nuclear safety culture, conservative decision-making, and leadership for safety., • Demonstrable intelligent customer capability when working with external designers and contractors., • Familiar with design reviews and can challenge assumptions and resolve complex engineering issues., • Planning, prioritisation, and ability to operate in a matrix project environment., • Coaching and mentoring capability.