Technical Delivery Manager

Job Introduction

Job Description for Technical Delivery Manager:

NNL is where you’ll experiment to help solve global challenges. As part of our Waste Management & Decommissioning capability, your work will impact the lives of generations. By finding new ways to avoid, reduce, store and treat nuclear waste, and drive down the cost of decommissioning, you’ll help to deliver cleaner energy and influence our nation’s energy future. You’ll face new challenges every day, working in unique locations on ground-breaking projects. Whichever area you specialise in this is a place to do great science for a good cause.

NNL is looking for a high calibre, motivated and experienced scientist to support two new exciting and growing areas within the Waste Management and Decommissioning Capability at Preston: Health and Nuclear Medicine and Decontamination Chemistry. 

WM&D delivers commercial R&D to help solve a wide range of challenges in the nuclear industry. The Decontamination chemistry team covers a broad range of laboratory-based projects and activities focussed on the development of innovative characterisation and decontamination technology and ideas that can be deployed within radioactive environments, while the H&NM team is focussed on developing techniques for the recovery of medically useful isotopes from nuclear wastes. Both teams are expected to grow in the coming years and there is the need to increase the number of personnel with the authority and accountability for management of experimental laboratory operations in these areas.

The role, which is a combination of laboratory and desk-based activities, will directly support the Capability Manager and Leader with the management and development of these areas, along with providing technical capability to support delivery of customer funded research projects. NNL is looking for a skilled scientist with experience of delivering work in a radioactive environment, but with an aptitude and enthusiasm for management and a willingness to learn a new skill set and gain experience in a management role, to join a growing team and deliver an exciting programme of work for our customers. The post holder will work closely with Technical Leads, to ensure the team are mobilised for effective project delivery whiles also actively delivering work in the laboratory. They will also produce the required safety and compliance documentation to support those activities, undertaking the required training to be able to work safely and effectively in our unique laboratories at the NNL Preston Laboratory, applying their knowledge to some key projects and programmes.

Main Responsibilities for Technical Delivery Manager:

• Carry out the day-to-day line management activities for a small number of the Technical Team (principally Performance Management and Development Reviews and training, etc.).
• Develop, define and carry out experimental work programmes in the laboratory to meet agreed objectives (dependent on experience).
• Work alongside Technical Leads to develop project scopes and estimates based on customer requirements.
• Provision of technical advice and guidance on issues appropriate to their working area.
• Support the Capability Manager / Leader in the delivery of the WM&D EHSS&Q Improvement and Assurance Plans and local Capability Strategy.
• Liaise with project managers to ensure effective planning and scheduling of team projects.
• Liaise with key internal and external stakeholders to ensure all enabling activities are planned and delivered effectively (including equipment maintenance, preparation of permissioning documentation, procurement of equipment and consumables).
• Lead the development and application of appropriate technical and managerial processes and systems in their working area.
• Oversee the work of others and provide coaching to develop the skills and abilities of others for the benefit of the company.
• Act as Area Owner for specific areas of the facility, taking “ownership” of those designated areas, ensuring that the “look and feel” lives up to NNL’s values and expectations and be the single point of contact for stewardship of that area.

Essential Criteria for Technical Delivery Manager:

• Minimum undergraduate degree in a relevant scientific subject; preferably Chemistry.
• Experience of working in a controlled radiochemistry laboratory. 
• Experience of developing the scope of technical development projects to meet customer requirements.
• Experience of taking a lead role in successfully delivering technical development projects to meet customer requirements.
• Experience of taking a customer focussed approach to project delivery, with a pro-active approach to troubleshooting and the ability to actively engage with stakeholders to identify solutions to operational issues.
• Excellent communicator with the ability to build relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience of supervising and supporting the development of junior team members.
• Experience of working in an operational environment (laboratory or plant).
• Demonstrable commitment to achieving high levels of safety and quality.
• Demonstrable commitment to own personal development and seeking out and sharing new knowledge.
• Demonstrable commitment to continuous improvement.
• Ability to obtain SC level security clearance (this includes but is not limited to identity, employment, financial and criminal record checks plus 5 years’ worth of UK residency).

Desirable Criteria for Technical Delivery Manager:

• Line management experience.

• Chartered membership of a relevant professional institute.

Why join us?

NNL isn’t just a place where you can do career-defining work that makes a real-world impact. It’s also a place where you’ll feel appreciated and valued. We’re creating an inclusive workplace where everyone is free to be themselves and feel like they belong. We put your wellbeing first, we push you to reach your potential, and we do everything possible to help you feel safe, supported and inspired.

We also offer a range of employee benefits:

• Sector leading Family-Focused Policies: celebrate life events, including enhanced maternity and paternity leave and a week off for your marriage.
• NNL offers attractive pension plans. If you contribute 5%, NNL contributes 15%. Alternatively, if you choose not to contribute (0%), NNL will still contribute 10%.
• Annual Leave: Benefit from 25.5 days of leave, plus 4 extra days to be taken during Christmas shutdown, plus Bank Holidays.
• Reduced gym membership with discounts of up to 25% from 3,700 gym and leisure providers across the UK
• Company Bonus: Be rewarded for your contributions.
• Learning Opportunities: Enhance your skills through excellent development programmes.
• Employee Assistance: Access support for personal and professional challenges.
• Cycle to Work: Stay active and eco-friendly.
• Life Assurance: Ensure peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
• Enhanced Sick Pay Benefits: Receive support during illness or injury.
• Access to ‘Mydiscounts’ which has a range of special offers and discounts from more than 200 suppliers, including medical insurance and dental insurance. 
• Health Care: Health savings plan which allows you to claim money back on visits to the dentist, optician and/or physiotherapist (limits apply).

About The Company

NNL is an incredible place to work. A place where people do things that have never been done before. A place where people push boundaries to further themselves, the business and society as a whole.

This is a place where personal and professional opportunities are limitless. If you want to change the world, if you want to tackle climate change, if you want to help advance medical science, if you want to help put things in space, if you want to answer the big questions, if you want to work with extraordinary materials, if you want to meet great people, learn new skills, challenge yourself, work flexibly, and build a long successful career with the power to make a real impact… you can do it all here.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

NNL has a vision for Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (ED&I) where NNL aims to be an inclusive workplace that attracts diverse talent through transparent and equal policies and procedures. We want you and the diverse mix of people that we employ, customers that we service and stakeholders that we influence to feel valued. We encourage a workplace culture where everyone can thrive with a sense of belonging.

Recruitment Agency Notice

We operate a strict Preferred Supplier List (PSL) for the provision of recruitment services. Only agencies on our PSL may provide CVs and only when the role is released to them by our recruitment team. We will not accept unsolicited CVs from suppliers not currently on our PSL. We explicitly reserve the right to add candidate details from unsolicited CVs from non-PSL agencies into our own candidate database and to pursue/hire such candidate(s) without any obligation, financial or otherwise, to the agency concerned.

United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory