Head of Engineering
Job Introduction
An exciting opportunity has arisen with our Laboratory Operations Division. This role involves the organisation and leadership of the NNL Engineering Business Area.
This will encompass technical/engineering evaluation, engineering project design, the investigations of any technical problems encountered and provision of economical and viable solutions.
Role Responsibility
ACCOUNTABILTIES (inc. responsibilities, authority, decisions)
Accountable for the delivery of the NNL engineering support function, develop and ensure that engineering strategies and processes are in place to meet business objectives and operational needs
Take ownership of the engineering policy, guidelines and any associated documents. Ability to understand legislative requirements and/or customer standards and specifications.
Ensure engineering department output requirements are delivered to project timescales (such as technical papers, functional specifications, preliminary/detailed designs)
Develop engineering work delivery plans, ensuring efficient and effective use of people and resources to achieve business goals. Ensure that adequate capacity plans are in place to deliver engineering business requirements. Monitor team/individual key performance indicators and deal with poor performance through issue of performance improvement plans.
Provide clear leadership and vision, inspire and motivate staff to achieve excellence
Act as the engineering subject matter expert within a Nuclear laboratory environment ensuring business leaders are fully supported in providing customer advice/services
Work collaboratively, negotiate and engage with key stakeholders to facilitate delivery and compliance with the engineering strategy. Work with other departments to deliver the business need, not work in isolation as a function
Accountable for attention to critical paths, customer urgency – analysing fixed and variable task durations – identifying risks or issues and seeking solutions to deliver and delight customers with timely execution.
Establish, monitor and drive key performance indicators across the function to provide visible measurement of performance. Drive continuous improvement across the engineering business area
Ensure Health & Safety is prioritised and that NNL EHSS&Q policies and procedures are fully complied with
Report on Engineering activities on a regular basis to the Senior Management team, ensuring accurate and timely reporting of the relevant Key Performance Indicators
Be appointed as Chief Engineer
To be appointed as Convening Authority
Maintaining the standards of security expected of their personnel, and the implementation of the NNL Security Policy, which covers physical, personnel and information security.
Ensure that all engineering department activities conform to nuclear site licence conditions, ensure management systems are in place to ensure continued adherence.
Responsible for delivery of all activities within budget, accountable for delivery of financial targets set. Assist Operations Director in budgeting and forecasting for areas of responsibility
The Ideal Candidate
EXPERIENCE & SKILLS – e.g. technical skills
Degree qualified in an engineering discipline
Chartered membership of a relevant engineering institution
Previous engineering managerial experience within a highly regulated complex environment, managing engineering service delivery in heavy industrial/nuclear industries. Proven track record in strategic engineering leadership delivering effective engineering strategies, policies, processes and systems
Previous engineering experience within a heavy industrial/nuclear environment
Experience of operating and influencing at a strategic level
Ability to accurately articulate, develop and justify functional design specifications
Ability to challenge over complicated solutions where appropriate
Conversely, the ability to recognise when higher level focus of is required and stakeholder review may be merited.
Ability to recognise personal or departmental limitations and when to consider outsourcing
Proven leadership & management skills with the ability to optimise team performance and development. Demonstrable experience of delivering to project timescales
Excellent relationship management skills with the ability to engage negotiate and manage key stakeholders and suppliers
Previous experience of leading change and implementing continuous improvement
Ability to be become SC/DV Security Cleared
About the Company
Grounded in robust science and decades of experience, National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) is the authoritative voice in the UK and beyond for technological development within the nuclear power sector.
Our unparalleled understanding of the science, challenges and opportunities makes us an unrivalled authority and partner in the field, providing experts, technologies, and access to cutting-edge facilities to organisations around the world.
Harnessing potential technologies and translating them into to industry-ready solutions means our pioneering approach spearheads international improvement and technological progress.
We work on projects as small as drilling a hole to analyse underground wastes with our integrated micro drilling technology, or as large as developing state-of-the-art power systems for spacecraft, based on radioactive materials
National Nuclear Laboratory