About us  

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 organisations to achieve ground-breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid by developing the power stations of tomorrow and the skilled workforce to deliver them.  

About the job 

Play a key role in enabling safe, compliant handling of radioactive and potentially contaminated materials to support the development of sustainable fusion energy. As a Waste Innovation Material Technician at UKAEA, you'll help advance tritium fuel cycle research by coordinating material handling, waste management and operational activities across specialist facilities. This is an opportunity to apply your technical experience in a pioneering research environment, contributing to the development of technologies that could make fusion energy a practical reality. 

What You’ll Be Doing

• Coordinate the safe handling, movement and management of hazardous, radioactive and potentially contaminated materials across Tritium Fuel Cycle facilities.
• Ensure waste characterisation, consignment and handling activities comply with relevant regulations, standards and UKAEA procedures.
• Apply safety management processes, including hazard identification, risk assessments and the implementation of appropriate control measures.
• Coordinate with internal teams and external laboratories to support material research, testing and handling requirements.
• Supervise operational activities and allocate day-to-day tasks to support safe, efficient facility operations.
• Procure equipment, components and materials to meet experimental and research requirements while ensuring value for money.
• Maintain effective working interfaces with research programmes and projects to support delivery of divisional objectives.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of operational processes, sharing knowledge and identifying opportunities to improve current practices.
• Produce and maintain technical documentation, risk assessments and method statements as required.
• Support the development of early-career colleagues and undertake relevant safety appointments as required.

What You’ll Bring

• Practical experience handling radioactive or potentially contaminated materials in a radioactive environment, with a sound understanding of contamination control and associated processes.
• Knowledge of safety management systems, including hazard identification, risk assessment and the implementation of hazard elimination and mitigation measures.
• Experience of working in a regulated technical or operational environment, applying relevant safety procedures and compliance requirements.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• A recognised technical or mechanical engineering qualification, formal apprenticeship or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience of quality management systems in a technical environment, or an IOSH Managing Safely certificate or equivalent recognised occupational health and safety qualification.

UKAEA is an onsite organisation, and this role requires regular onsite presence (usually between 3-5 days in any given week) in line with business needs. We actively support flexible working arrangements where this is compatible with the role.

Benefits 

We have a generous range of benefits (see the full list here) and highlights include:   

• A salary of £35,003 (inclusive of a 2,100 specialist allowance)   
• Up to 7% corporate performance bonus
• Final salary defined benefits pension scheme with an equivalent of 21.5% employer pension contribution  
• 25 days annual leave plus 2.5 'privilege' days; 8 Bank Holidays
• Additional 3 days of site closure over Christmas break  
• Flexible working options plus family-friendly leave provisions  

Our commitment to ED&I 

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, inclusion and accessibility, and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. 

Please email [email protected] if you have any questions or require adjustments to help you participate fairly in our recruitment process, for example changes to the way we interview or share information. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment experience for all candidates. 

We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and people from diverse ethnic backgrounds. All appointments are made on merit and further information can be found here.