Band 3 Structural Integrity Nuclear Inspector

Job Purpose

As the UK’s independent nuclear regulator, our mission is to ensure safe nuclear for a secure and sustainable future. ONR is changing with the sector: nuclear is set to play a central role in economic growth, energy security, national defence, decommissioning and the development of new technologies. Our role is to enable innovation and growth through proportionate, enabling regulation, while maintaining public confidence that the highest standards of nuclear safety, civil nuclear security, safeguards, and conventional health and safety are met across nuclear facilities in Great Britain.

This is an exciting role at a pivotal time for the UK nuclear sector. You will help regulate work that supports decarbonisation, energy security, national defence, new reactor technologies, fuel manufacture, decommissioning and waste management. A career with ONR offers the opportunity to shape how nuclear technology is used safely and securely, while contributing to a regulator that is becoming more modern, agile and productive.

As a Structural Integrity Inspector your work will be varied and strategically important. You are likely to undertake a range of roles across the sector, from assessing new reactor designs and advanced nuclear technologies to regulating construction, operational and decommissioning sites. Some inspectors undertake planned and reactive inspections at operational facilities, while others assess submissions, manage discrete intervention projects, conduct investigations, commission research, or mentor and develop the next generation of inspectors.

Across these activities, you will help ONR deliver proportionate, enabling regulation that supports safe innovation and maintains public confidence.

As an ONR Structural Integrity Inspector, you will be concerned with the integrity of pressure vessels, pipework, tanks, and their supporting structures. For Light Water Reactors it includes the nuclear safety significant vessels including the reactor pressure vessel; associated pipework; and vessel internal structures. For chemical plants it includes the main processing vessels and pipework that contain radioactive materials. For advanced reactor technologies this will include molten salt and / or liquid metal cooled reactors.

We are looking for experts who not only have a specialism related to structural integrity, but those who have developed an understanding of the inter‑relationship between stresses, materials, defects and degradation in structural integrity; the different aspects that contribute to a structural integrity safety case.

As well as providing guidance and advice in your specialism, you would need to be able to take the lead on the technical assessment of structural integrity aspects of safety cases and in making judgements on the adequacy of the safety case and site‑based interventions.

Extensive training will be provided on the legal and regulatory aspects of the role, along with opportunities to continue to develop the expand and deepen knowledge in the specialist area and on a range of nuclear technologies.

None currently, however, there could be an expectation to manage staff in the future.

This post may be undertaken from the closest ONR office (Bootle, Cheltenham, or London).

You may be eligible for relocation package up to £15,000. This post requires some travel including overnight stays predominantly across the United Kingdom and occasionally abroad. The successful applicant requires a full driving licence which permits the holder to drive in the UK unless reasonable adjustments can be made under the Equality Act 2010.

ONR operates hybrid working (working in the office and or at home) as part of our flexible working policy. There is an expectation that everyone will spend time in the office on a regular basis, recognising that some work is better done face to face. Managers will work with their teams on what works best to meet individual, team, business and organisational needs to enable collaboration, as well as balancing personal choice and wellbeing.

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