Senior Engineer - Reactor Holistic Layout

Role:
Senior Engineer
- Reactor Island Holistic Layout

Locations:
Hybrid working with one of the following locations as primary:
Derby, Warrington or Manchester

Our mission is to deliver clean, affordable energy for all. Our Small Modular Reactor (SMR) provides a British solution to a global energy challenge. We are uniquely positioned to become a global leader in SMR technology and the UK's premier green energy export, helping to create a secure, sustainable and low‑carbon energy future. The Reactor Island Layout team is responsible for bringing together the many engineering disciplines that make up our power station design.

By balancing operational performance, constructability, safety, maintainability and modularisation requirements, the team plays a critical role in transforming engineering concepts into an integrated and deliverable reactor design.

In this context, we are looking for a Senior Engineer
- Reactor Island Holistic Layout to support our Reactor Island Holistic Layout Manager. Acting as a design leader across the Reactor Island programme, you’ll coordinate multidisciplinary teams, guide the development of integrated layout solutions and help shape one of the most important areas of our SMR design. Leading a team of approximately 10–15 engineers through influence rather than direct line management, you’ll play a central role in delivering safe, efficient and buildable reactor layouts.

We’ll need you to:

• Leading the development and delivery of the Reactor Island Holistic Layout, ensuring design solutions meet programme, safety, quality and commercial objectives.
• Coordinating multidisciplinary engineering teams to develop integrated, optimised and buildable reactor layouts across key programme milestones.
• Driving stakeholder alignment across engineering disciplines, creating collaborative solutions that balance technical, operational and construction requirements.
• Supporting engineers within the team through technical leadership, coaching and governance, helping to develop a high‑performing and engaged engineering community.

More specifically, we’ll look to you for:

• Developing and maintaining the overall Reactor Island layout strategy, ensuring alignment with programme objectives, delivery plans and design maturity targets.
• Leading multidisciplinary Integrated Project Teams (IPTs) comprising specialists from Civils, Architecture, Systems, Mechanical Handling, Components, CAD, Human Factors, Operations, E3S, Supply Chain and Build Certainty functions.
• Driving the development of holistic layout solutions through all phases of the gated design lifecycle, from concept development through to detailed design definition.
• Supporting the optimisation of plant layouts through robust engineering decision‑making, trade studies, DfX methodologies and cross‑functional collaboration.
• Managing technical interfaces between systems, structures, components and operational requirements to ensure a fully integrated Reactor Island design.
• Developing delivery strategies that balance buildability, maintainability, operability and programme delivery requirements.
• Planning and coordinating layout activities to ensure delivery against cost, quality and schedule commitments.
• Leading technical reviews, design assessments and governance activities, presenting solutions and resolving technical challenges as they arise.
• Monitoring programme risks, lessons learned and engineering assumptions, ensuring these are captured, communicated and managed effectively.
• Providing technical checking, assurance and approval activities where appropriate.
• Supporting the development of standards, processes and best practices that improve the quality and efficiency of Reactor Island design activities.
• Building a collaborative and inclusive working environment where engineers are empowered to contribute ideas, challenge assumptions and continuously improve outcomes.

As you can see, this is a highly visible role at the heart of our reactor design programme. You’ll combine technical leadership, strategic thinking and stakeholder influence to help define how our future power stations are designed, built and operated, whilst contributing to one of the…