Current Opportunities

We currently have opportunities in the following areas. For more information on these opportunities and to apply click on the links below:

• Structural Integrity

  What does Structural Integrity mean in ONR?

  Within the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), our Structural Integrity Inspectors don't deal with the integrity of steel framed or concrete structures, that's the job of our Civil Engineers. As an ONR Structural Integrity Inspector you will be concerned with pressure vessels, pipes and their supporting structures.

  With Advanced gas-cooled reactors (AGRs) this includes the boilers within the concrete pressure vessel and the steam, feed and other pipework that sit outside the pressure vessels. For Pressurised Water Reactors (PWRs) it includes all the primary and secondary pressure vessels and associated pipework and for chemical plants it includes all the main processing vessels and pipework that contain radioactive materials.

  Who do we need?

  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 and defects 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 lead on the technical assessment of structural integrity aspects of safety cases (with occasional support from other specialist inspectors). Is that something you could take on? If so, send us your application.

  Which areas are we interested in?

  We are looking for people with a specialist knowledge of one (or more) of the following areas; specialists who can also take the lead on the overall assessment of a safety case; a case that could include aspects of several of the areas outlined below.

  • Pressure vessel design codes such as ASME III and RCCM;
  • Fracture mechanics assessments using R6 or similar assessment codes;
  • Materials behaviour such as irradiation embrittlement, stress corrosion cracking, creep and other ageing and degradation phenomen;
  • Non destructive testing and inspection qualification processes such as ENIQ;
  • Welding and fabrication including the production of high integrity pressure vessels, dissimilar metal joints etc. for nuclear or high hazard applications.

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• Civil Engineering

  What is Civil Engineering in ONR?

  Civil engineering in ONR is concerned with the regulation of the design, construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of steel-framed buildings, crane columns, concrete structures, masonry, foundations, embankments, slopes, river and coastal defences. It also includes some of the infrastructure of a nuclear site, such as roads, bridges, ducts beneath roadways, and contaminated land.

  The majority of civil engineering structures on nuclear sites are one-off designs being based primarily on good practice, typically as set out in design standards, material specifications and construction practice. Some design standards are specifically for the design of nuclear safety-related structures, dealing with the structural forms most commonly encountered in the nuclear industry and with issues peculiar to the nuclear industry. Other design standards may be for the design of structures in general.

  Civil engineering in ONR includes the concrete pressure vessels and the closure of their penetrations on AGR power stations. For PWRs civil engineering includes the containment vessel if, as is usual, it is of concrete. For chemical plant it may include all the main processing cells. Dry dock structures are key civil engineering structures at sites servicing nuclear submarines.

  Who do we need?

  We are looking for people who have not only started out with a specialism related to civil engineering but have a developed a broader understanding of the different aspects that contribute to a civil engineering safety case. Inspectors would not only need to be able to provide guidance and advice in their specialism but would also be able to lead on the technical assessment of the civil engineering aspects of safety. Most of our civil engineering staff has a good knowledge of at least one external hazard and the design of structures to withstand that hazard.

  Which areas are we interested in?

  An essential requirement is knowledge of structural design codes for the nuclear industry such as ACI 349, and other structural design codes such as BSI and Eurocodes. We are looking for people who can lead on the overall assessment of a civil engineering safety case and inspect its implementation, and who have an additional specialist knowledge of one or more of the following areas:

  • Structural impact assessments using R3 or similar assessment procedures;
  • Seismic analysis;
  • Materials behaviour such as stress corrosion cracking and concrete degradation, creep and other ageing and degradation phenomena;
  • Construction methods and testing procedures, including the welding and weld test procedures for high integrity steel connections;
  • Geotechnical engineering including soil dynamics;
  • Lifetime management covering maintenance, inspection and testing of structures and associated systems important to safety;
  • Management of design and construction. Role of intelligent customer and design authority.

  Our inspectors work both individually and in teams. We are looking for individuals with strong team working and good communication skills to help us achieve our objectives.

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• External Hazards

  What is External Hazards Assessment?

  Our definition of an External hazard is a natural or man-made danger to a facility that originates outside the boundaries of the site, and outside of the processes conducted on the site. That is to say, unlike an Internal hazard, the nuclear site operator may have little or no control over the initiating event. External hazards include earthquakes, aircraft impact, extreme weather, electromagnetic interference, flooding, missiles from adjacent facilities to name just a few. In this day and age, we also have to assess terrorist or other malicious acts as external hazards. The assessment of external hazards considers how they have been defined and mitigated in a holistic manner within a safety case environment.

  Who do we need?

  We do not expect individuals with capabilities across all external hazards. We are looking for specialists with an in depth knowledge of at least one external hazard and the ability to act as an informed customer to procure external advice concerning other external hazards. Specialists will have made their own external hazard determinations or critically reviewed those produced by others. Most of our external hazards specialists have a core discipline in another subject such as civil or mechanical engineering, but an applied science background is also relevant.

  Which areas are we interested in?

  We are looking for people with specialist knowledge of one or more of the following areas:

  • Statistics;
  • The derivation from near-raw data of hazard level/frequency relationships;
  • An appreciation of the uncertainty in the estimation of infrequent events from limited data;
  • Cataclysmic natural events such as surface faulting;
  • The mitigation by engineering measures of the risk from terrorism.

  Having defined hazards, the hierarchy of controls and their suitability to mitigate ensuring risks also needs considered by our specialists.

  Our inspectors work both individually and in teams. We are looking for individuals with strong team working and good communications skills to help us achieve our objectives.

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• Quality Assurance

  What is Quality Assurance applied to ONR?

  Quality Assurance is an essential element in the effective management of all phases on nuclear plant life cycle from design through to decommissioning. The application of quality management principles provides the framework for the organisational and procedural arrangements that by which licensees and others, including contractors, can identify and comply with legal and regulatory requirements. A major element of this is the application of critical monitoring and review processes such that arrangements are tested for adequacy and level of implementation, which can provide, along with other devices, the basis for continual improvement. A requirement of the Nuclear Site Licence is that the licensee develops QA arrangements for all activities that affect safety both on and off the site and as such the condition has a wide application and is seen as one which impacts on a significant number of a licensee's activities that are relevant to nuclear safety.

  Who do we need?

  Can you see the 'bigger picture' and recognise the potential underlying causes of problems identified by a licensee or a regulator? We are looking for people with a good understanding of how quality assurance principles are applied to and influence the organisational and procedural arrangements developed and operated by licensees to manage their activities safely. Our QA Inspectors need to be capable of assisting or leading inspections, and conducting assessments of safety submissions, to provide reasoned judgements on the adequacy of the licensee's arrangements to deliver and sustain nuclear safety during all stages of the plant life cycle. Of particular importance is the ability to prioritise issues based on their impact on nuclear safety and to be able to work in dynamic environments. Our QA Inspectors also provide advice and practical guidance within ONR, both verbal and written, so good communication skills are a necessity.

  Which areas are we interested in?

  We are looking for people with knowledge and experience in some or all of the following areas:

  • The application of QA principles to Major capital project within the nuclear or other high hazard industries;
  • Management systems particularly relating to design, procurement and construction;
  • Safety related activities where significant activities are performed by contractors;
  • The development of National and international codes and standards relating to quality management;
  • Generic lessons from major world-wide events (not just nuclear) regarding quality failures and related corrective actions;
  • Management of external inspection and audit programmes applied to the nuclear or other high hazard industries;
  • Broad knowledge of recognised international standards, guidance and approaches on safety management (e.g. IAEA, WANO/INPO, other regulators) and experience in their application;
  • Awareness of the ONR principles on Leadership and Management for Safety.

  The broad scope of work is embodied in the ONR principles on Leadership and Management for Safety published in the HSE document "Safety Assessment Principles for Nuclear Facilities".

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• Control and Instrumentation

  What does Control and Instrumentation mean in ONR?

  Within the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), our focus on control and instrumentation systems are SILs 1 - 4 systems as classified by BS IEC 61508 or Classes 1 - 3 systems as described in BS IEC 61226. Safety and safety related C&I play a significant role in the safety of many nuclear facilities and therefore ONR requires experts with good experience in the design (essential), installation and/or commissioning of safety and safety related control and instrumentation systems. An understanding of modern analysis techniques specified in BS IEC 61508 is required as is an ability to communicate the challenges of complex C&I based safety systems to a wider group of nuclear inspectors from other disciplines.

  Who do we need?

  We are looking for experts who have experience in the design and safety analysis of either the hardware and/or software aspects of SILs 1 - 4 safety systems for nuclear chemical processing facilities or defence facilities and Class 1 - 3 systems for nuclear power plant. Similar experience on high hazard plant would also be considered. For applicants with software expertise we require a good understanding of modern static and dynamic analysis software techniques. For applicants with hardware expertise we require a good understanding of concepts such as safe failure fraction and the role of diagnostics. It would be an advantage for applicants to have some understanding of probabilistic analysis techniques such as reliability block diagrams, fault trees, event trees and FMEA techniques. Experience in the installation, commissioning and/or maintenance of safety systems used in nuclear or high hazard facilities is also an area of expertise that we are seeking.

  As well as providing guidance and advice in your specialism, you would need to be able lead on the technical assessment of safety system aspects of safety cases (with occasional support from other specialist inspectors). Is that something you could take on? If so, send us your application.

  Which areas are we interested in?

  We are looking for people with specialist knowledge of one (or more) of the following areas; specialists who can also take the lead on the overall assessment of a safety case; a case that could include aspects of several of the areas outlined below:

  • Experience in a nuclear and/or other high hazard industry in the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of C&I based safety systems as defined in BS IEC 61508 or BS IEC 61226;
  • Industrial experience similar to the above, in the application and use of software based systems or ones based on complex programmable logic devices requiring good experience in software and/or hardware based techniques;
  • Knowledge of safety issues associated with nuclear reactors' Class 1 - 3 safety systems, of safety engineering principles and their practical application and of demonstrating a chain of reasoning going from claims to arguments to evidence in a safety case;
  • Knowledge of the special problems associated with achieving and demonstrating specified safety integrity levels for computer-based systems and in particular experience in the application of techniques to overcome the problems of justifying the safety of complex systems;
  • Knowledge of codes and standards applicable to the above bullet points.

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• Human Factors

  What is Human Factors in ONR?

  Human Factors make a significant contribution to nuclear safety throughout a facility's lifecycle, and we are looking for experienced people with a strong knowledge and understanding of how individual, team and organisational performance can impact upon nuclear safety. The scope of work is reflected in HSE's Safety Assessment Principles for Nuclear Facilities on Human Factors.

  Who do we need?

  We require credible people with experience of the assessment and/or production of human factors safety cases for the nuclear industry and the relationship between human factors and other technical disciplines; an ability to make sound judgements on the significance of human factors issues as they relate to overall risk; and a capability to influence licensees and other stakeholders. The key aspects of our work include assessing nuclear safety cases, undertaking compliance inspections at our licensed sites and providing advice on human factors issues both internally and to licensees.

  Which areas are we interested in?

  We are looking for people with knowledge and experience in some or all of the following areas:

  • Experience of the assessment and/or production of human factors safety cases for the nuclear industry;
  • Allocation of function between automated and human system components;
  • Task and job design;
  • Human Reliability Analysis;
  • Human factors integration;
  • User Interface design;
  • Procedure specification, design and presentation;
  • Training and competence;
  • Workload, fatigue, shift systems;
  • Staffing levels;
  • Treatment of human factors in operational experience feedback systems;
  • Communication systems; and
  • Workplace design (including ergonomics associated with thermal, light, access issues etc.).

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• Fault Studies

  What does Reactor Faults Studies mean in ONR?

  Within the Office for Nuclear Regulation, Fault Studies is the application of design basis, probabilistic safety and severe accident analysis techniques to Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and other nuclear facilities. In some cases inspectors may specialise in some of these types of analysis and/or focus on a particular type of nuclear facility; for instance some inspectors specialise in design basis analysis of gas-cooled NPP.

  A typical accident fault sequence analysed might be a loss of coolant accident on a Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR). To understand this accident requires good knowledge of reactor kinetics, heat transfer and fluid dynamics and how major system components behave and interact with one another under severe changes of pressure and temperature. The challenge here is to understand the behaviour of a plant under a wide range of fault conditions using deterministic safety analysis techniques, most of which require the application of complex computer codes. Therefore fault studies specialists need to have a very good understanding of the underlying science (in this case neutronics, fluid dynamics and head transfer) and how the science is used through the application of computer codes to predict the plant's behaviour in extreme accident conditions. For nuclear facilities other than NPP, experience in Chemical Process Engineering, nuclear or Tier 1 COMAH, would normally be a pre-requisite, with a considerable part of that experience having been applied to analysis of high hazard facilities under fault conditions.

  Who do we need?

  For NPP fault studies we are looking for experts who have a good understanding of plant behaviour of NPP under a wide range of fault conditions. Familiarity with the use of one or more analytical Design Basis Analysis codes (PANTHER, MACE, NOTRUMP, WCOBRATRAC, RELAP etc.) would be an advantage.

  For other nuclear facilities experience in the analysis of complex behaviour of a wide range of processes (nuclear or Tier 1 COMAH) under fault conditions using e.g. HAZAN/HAZOP techniques is essential. A good understanding on quantitative techniques such as fault trees, event trees, reliability block diagrams etc. would be an advantage.

  As well as providing guidance and advice in your specialism, you would need to be able to lead on the technical assessment of fault studies aspects of safety cases liaising with other specialist inspectors. Is that something you could take on? If so, send us your application.

  Which areas are we interested in?

  We are looking for people with a specialist knowledge of one (or more) of the following areas; specialists who can also take the lead on the overall assessment of a safety case; a case that could include aspects of several of the areas outlined below:

  • Knowledge of either light water moderated or graphite moderated reactors from either the design or operational background;
  • Experience in developing or assessing nuclear reactor fault studies, in terms of reactor transient behaviour, to establish operational limits and conditions associated with them;
  • Experience in defining the conditions and conducting predictive studies associated with core follow methods or carrying out the day-to-day monitoring associated with such activities;
  • Experience in providing numerical analysis of NPP transient analysis using an approved suite of computer codes;
  • Experience in the lifecycle of reactor fuel from design through to safe disposal;
  • Experience in providing probalistic safety analysis as part of an NPP safety case.

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• Mechanical Engineering

  What do Mechanical Engineers do in ONR?

  From power stations to fuel production facilities, from decommissioning plants to new reactor builds, all these facilities require significant mechanical engineering involvement from ONR. Our mechanical engineers assess and regulate safety cases ranging across all types of mechanical plant, from glove boxes to heavy cranes to intricate reactor mechanisms and associated systems.

  Whilst our mechanical engineers are employed initially in technical assessment work, there are great career opportunities within ONR. You may choose to stay in a mechanical engineering role, but you might like to combine the regulatory expertise you will develop with ONR and your engineering skills to manage larger cross-discipline projects. Alternatively you could go on to become a Site Inspector, providing the focus for interaction with our licensees.

  Who do we need?

  No matter which career path you choose, you will be supported by colleagues as you develop and explore new and interesting avenues. The type of work we handle requires experienced individuals who are self-motivated, can think for themselves and can articulate complex technical issues with licensees and other stakeholders.

  Which areas are we interested in?

  We are looking for individuals who are flexible and prepared to tackle a wide range of mechanical engineering topics. You are likely to have experience in one or more of the following areas, preferably within the nuclear industry:

  • Ventilation;
  • Lifting;
  • Fuel route;
  • Design and analysis of mechanical equipment or systems;
  • Safety case production, including hazards and systems analysis.

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• Project Inspector

  What is the role of a Project Inspector in ONR?

  In order to secure the efficient and timely delivery of its regulatory and other functions, much of ONRs work is delivered through the application of programme management practices. In cases where ONRs regulatory activities are significant and/or complex (e.g. the licensing and permissioning of new nuclear reactors, the regulation of major decommissioning projects, the Generic Design Assessment process etc) ONR appoints Project Inspectors to:

  • Facilitate and support the engagement of a range of ONR managers, specialist inspectors and other staff with the project;
  • Support regulatory decision making by interfacing with project work stream specialist leads to maintain a technical project overview, with site inspectors where appropriate, with the licensee or prospective licensee to secure effective interactions and relationships, and with other regulatory bodies and stakeholders as appropriate;
  • Develop, coordinate and implement planned ONR inspections within the scope of the project;
  • In conjunction with specialist inspectors, provide advice to actual or prospective licensees, and influence the adoption by the actual or prospective licensee of relevant good nuclear safety practices; and
  • To support the relevant ONR Programme Manager (where one is appointed) to enable technical project risks, and issues to be controlled and managed.

  Who do we need?

  We require people with a breadth of technical experience gained within the UK nuclear safety regulatory framework, who will be credible with actual or prospective licensees, with the ONR regulatory specialist community, and with other regulators and stakeholders. Incumbents will also be effective communicators with strong interpersonal and influencing skills, and will be effective team players (with both leadership and followership skills) who are familiar with programme working.

  Which areas are we dealing with?

  We are looking for people with knowledge and experience in some or all of the following areas:

  • The assessment and/or production of complex nuclear safety cases;
  • Experience of operating nuclear plants;
  • A sound knowledge of the UK nuclear regulatory regime, its requirements and its practical application;
  • Experience of interfacing with regulators and/or operators in the context of nuclear licensing or pemissioning;
  • The delivery of effective safety assurance in the context of the UK nuclear industry;
  • The coordination and successful delivery of technically complex projects;
  • Leading and working within high performing teams.

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• Chemical Engineering

  What does chemical engineering mean in ONR?

  Chemical engineers fulfil a number of roles in addition to the technical aspects covered below:

  • Understanding of intrinsic/inherent/passive safety and the need to keep things simple;
  • Ability to carry out process optioneering linking science and engineering;
  • Understanding of relevant unit processes, their strengths and weaknesses in the nuclear environment;
  • Understanding of flow sheets (heat, mass and activity balances) and their relevance to safety;
  • Understanding of relevant fault identification techniques and their application;
  • Understanding and application of computer codes and modelling techniques relevant to the industry.

  Who do we need?

  We seek chemical engineers with a sound understanding of the nuclear or comparable high hazard industries (preferably both) who can apply their skills to the safety aspects of the industry. We would be particularly interested in someone with design office and / or (de)commissioning experience.

  Which areas are we dealing with?

  Much of our work is involved with decommissioning plant and if you have a background in decommissioning, its planning or execution, we would like to hear from you.

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• Site Inspector

  What does Site Inspection mean in ONR?

  Site inspectors are primary points of contact at a site level for the organisations we regulate. They are responsible for undertaking many of the compliance and enforcement activities associated with regulation of operations undertaken on those sites and for liaising with other regulators who undertake similar work in areas other than nuclear safety and security, such as the Environment Agency (EA) or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

  The work involves:

  • Creating intervention plans, undertaking the associated activities aimed at delivering assurance that site operators have adequate arrangements for complying with conditions attached to the nuclear site licence and other relevant legislation and that they are working within these.
  • Influencing and persuading site operators to maintain and improve nuclear safety.
  • The investigation of incidents and events arising on the site, the preparation of reports on these and the initiation of any resulting enforcement action.
  • The management of projects associated with delivering compliance or balanced regulatory permissioning decisions.
  • Leading and managing the work of small teams of inspectors undertaking compliance or permissioning activities.
  • Attending site stakeholder meetings to represent ONR.

  Who do we need:

  Self-motivated, outcome-driven engineers or scientists with significant experience in the operation or maintenance of civil or defence nuclear facilities who are able to engage at all levels within organisations. They will have the ability to work independently to represent ONR's interests on the nuclear sites we regulate, but, will also provide leadership and management within teams of inspectors.

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• Management for Safety

  What is Safety Management in ONR?

  Managing for Safety (MfS) is a combination of the 'process' and 'people' aspects of nuclear safety; our SM roles deal with organisational and cultural factors that impact on safety at nuclear facilities. Continual development of the regulatory approach on managing for safety is required: not just what to do but how to do it more effectively. Consequently, a key part of the role involves searching out lessons for regulators and licensees from diverse sources wider than the nuclear sector and understanding how to interpret these and take them forward.

  Who do we need?

  Can you see the 'bigger picture' and recognise the potential underlying causes of problems identified by a licensee or a regulator? We are looking for people with a good understanding of how organisational and cultural factors can impact on nuclear safety. Our MfS Inspectors need to be capable of assisting or leading inspections, and conducting assessments of safety submissions, to provide reasoned judgments on the adequacy of the licensee's organisational capability and management arrangements to deliver and sustain nuclear safety. Of particular importance is the ability to prioritise issues based on their impact on nuclear safety and to be able to work in dynamic environments. Our MfS Inspectors also provide advice and practical guidance within ONR, both verbal and written, so good communication skills are a necessity.

  Which areas are we interested in?

  We are looking for people with knowledge and experience in some or all of the following areas:

  • The impact of organisational and cultural factors on nuclear safety;
  • Generic lessons from major world-wide events (not just nuclear) regarding underlying organisational and cultural factors;
  • Management of organisational change;
  • Management systems and organisational design principles;
  • Broad knowledge of recognised international standards, guidance and approaches on safety management (e.g. IAEA, WANO/INPO, other regulators) and experience in their application;
  • Understanding of related areas (e.g. high reliability organisations, learning organisations, resilience engineering);
  • Awareness of the ONR principles on Leadership and Management for Safety and associated technical assessment guidance.

  The broad scope of work is embodied in the ONR principles on Leadership and Management for Safety published in the HSE document "Safety Assessment Principles for Nuclear Facilities".

  Apply for this job