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 ground breaking 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
• Wide range of career development opportunities
• A vibrant culture committed to equality and being fully inclusive

What to expect in our recruitment process:
For a step-by-step overview of how we hire from application to offer please see our Recruitment Process page: careers.ukaea.uk/join-us/recruitment-process

The salary for this role is £43,702 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance) . Onsite working is expected for 4 days a week, however, we actively support requests for flexible working. 

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. 

The Role

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference? Join our team and contribute to the future of fusion energy. As Plasma Operations Physicist, you will play a pivotal role in plasma operations activities in present and future fusion devices, including fusion power plants. You will join a world class team and support MAST-U operations, contribute to the operations of future machines such as STEP, and travel to other plasma machines around the world to learn and share operational knowledge.

The job holder is expected to develop an area of expertise with tokamak and plasma operations while also developing a general understanding of how future machines will operate in their full life cycle. Experience in areas such (but not restricted to) plasma control, diagnostics, auxiliary heating, plasma physics, modelling or other operational areas (e.g. accelerators, intense lasers) would be ideal candidates for this role."

Job Responsibilities:

• Conduct research in plasma operations and plasma physics in the experimental campaigns in UKAEA programmes, such as MAST-U or international facilities.
• Support the Responsible Officers of control or protection systems in present or future devices, as required.
• Attend appropriate forums, as an expert in plasma operations.
• Learn and perform operational control room roles.
• Work together with UKAEA specialists in the design and development activities for existing and new devices, such as STEP.
• Support experts in providing advice on plasma operations that influences UKAEA’s corporate strategy.
• Support plasma operations activities led by the plasma operations experts and internal UKAEA committees and panels.
• Take part in external collaborations where appropriate.
• Participate in experimental programmes (e.g. WPTE EURO fusion) as appropriate, as part of experimental teams.

Essential Requirements:

• PhD (or equivalent experience) in physics or fusion-related engineering field.
• Desire to develop skills in fusion operations.
• Understanding of fusion physics.
• Readiness to conduct research and take part in research teams.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• A good team player ready to work in national and international teams.

A full list of our benefits can be found here https://careers.ukaea.uk/life-at-ukaea/employee-benefits/

UKAEA’s mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal. We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, while ensuring all appointments are made on merit.

UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions or require help or adjustments to compete on a fair basis, for example, changes to the way we interview or share information.  

Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications.