Senior R&D Engineer - Sensors

• Salary: £57,117 (inclusive of Specialist Allowance) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension
• Division:
  Fusion Technology

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, details of which can be found at the end of this advert.
• Corporate bonus scheme up to 7% and a Relocation allowance (if eligible).
• Flexible working options including family friendly policies and the right to request flexible working from the start of your employment.
• 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.
• 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.

• 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…