Environmental Testing and Degradation Mitigations Manager

Company Description

The UK Government has established UK Fusion Energy (UKFE) Ltd , a subsidiary of UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), to lead the charge in delivering fusion energy through design and delivery of the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) prototype fusion plant. UKFE is establishing itself, setting up the company, attracting talent, engaging with industry, developing a supply chain, and planning and constructing of the STEP prototype.

Fusion energy, crucial for combating climate change and ensuring energy independence, is expected to be commercially viable by mid-century. The UK, led by UKFE, aims for a prototype fusion plant, targeting first operations around 2040. UK Fusion Energy Ltd. will lead delivery, collaborating with industrial partners and building a fusion supply chain with an estimated global sector value of £7tn per year. Join UKFE and the STEP programme to be involved in this ground breaking journey.

As an employee of UKFE, 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 being fully inclusive

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

The salary for this role is £73,190 plus a Specialist Allowance of £7,900 which is non-contractual and non-pensionable + excellent benefits including outstanding pension

This position is based at West Burton, Nottinghamshire. You’ll spend a proportion of your time at our West Burton site, alongside occasional visits to our Culham site.

For more information on UKFE, visit: https://careers.ukaea.uk/wp-content/uploads/download/UKIFS_CandidateRecruitmentPack.pdf

The closing date for this advert is set for the 9th September 2026.

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced and innovative Environmental Testing & Degradation Mitigation (ETDM) Manager to lead a high-profile environmental qualification and degradation mitigation programme valued at approximately £6 million over three years. This strategic leadership role will play a pivotal part in ensuring that materials, components and systems can withstand the demanding environments encountered within a fusion power plant.

Working closely with the Fusion Partner (UKAEA), universities, research organisations and industrial partners, you will drive the generation of the environmental performance evidence needed to support design substantiation, regulatory compliance, inspection and maintenance strategies, and long-term plant reliability.

The Opportunity

As the recognised subject matter expert for environmental durability and degradation risks, you will sit at the intersection of materials science, reliability engineering, systems engineering and experimental validation.

You will lead multidisciplinary teams to develop environmental testing programmes, identify degradation mechanisms, assess risks to plant performance, and implement mitigation strategies that support the successful delivery of the STEP Prototype Plant and future commercial fusion facilities.

This role focuses on non-irradiated environmental degradation and qualification, working in close partnership with irradiation science and materials modelling teams to ensure a joined-up approach to materials qualification.

Key Responsibilities

Environmental Testing Strategy & Programme Leadership

• Develop and own the environmental testing and degradation qualification strategy for critical STEP systems, materials and components.
• Define testing roadmaps aligned with product development milestones, design maturity and regulatory requirements.
• Lead the planning, prioritisation and execution of component and system-level environmental test campaigns.
• Work closely with the Design Authority to ensure evidence generation supports key engineering and qualification decisions.

Degradation Assessment & Mitigation

• Lead investigations into degradation and failure mechanisms including:
  • Thermal fatigue and ratcheting
  • Creep and creep-fatigue interaction
  • Embrittlement
  • Corrosion, oxidation and stress corrosion cracking
  • Erosion and sputtering
  • Hydrogen and tritium-related effects
  • Electrical insulation ageing and breakdown
  • Seal, coating and joining degradation
• Develop practical mitigation strategies through:
  • Material selection and qualification
  • Surface engineering and coatings
  • Design improvements
  • Environmental controls
  • Inspection, maintenance and replacement planning
• Ensure test findings are translated into design requirements, materials databases and lifecycle models.

Programme Delivery & Resource Management

• Develop and maintain a long-term ETDM strategy aligned with programme objectives, timescales and funding profiles.
• Manage programme budgets and forecasts, ensuring delivery against technical, schedule and cost targets.
• Provide robust justification for future investment and resource requirements.
• Ensure all activities remain focused on supporting STEP materials qualification and design substantiation objectives.

Innovation & Economic Impact

• Foster a culture of technical excellence and innovation.
• Identify opportunities to apply novel qualification approaches beyond the fusion sector.
• Promote effective management of intellectual property, inventions and patents.
• Encourage publication and dissemination of research where appropriate.

Stakeholder Engagement & Reporting

• Build strong communication pathways across the STEP programme and wider stakeholder community.
• Present technical progress and strategic updates to senior leadership and programme boards.
• Contribute to technical reviews, advisory groups, business planning activities and government reporting.
• Represent the programme at conferences, industry forums and technical collaborations.

Leadership

• Create an inclusive, collaborative and high-performing team culture.
• Provide leadership across multidisciplinary technical teams and external partnerships.
• Champion organisational values and act as a role model for professional excellence.
• Make sound, risk-informed decisions that support programme success.

About You

We are seeking a recognised technical leader with a strong track record in environmental qualification, materials degradation, reliability engineering or a related discipline.

You will bring:

• Degree qualification in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry or a related field (PhD desirable).
• Significant experience leading complex R&D, testing or qualification programmes within highly regulated or safety-critical industries.
• Strong understanding of material degradation mechanisms and lifetime assessment methodologies.
• Experience developing and delivering environmental testing strategies and qualification programmes.
• Expertise in one or more sectors such as fusion, nuclear, aerospace, energy, oil & gas, defence or advanced manufacturing.
• Proven ability to influence technical direction and support engineering decision-making.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams, budgets and external collaborations.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable Experience

• Knowledge of fusion energy systems and extreme operating environments.
• Familiarity with high heat flux systems, vacuum environments, cryogenic systems, corrosive coolants or tritium-related challenges.
• Experience supporting design reviews, FMEA/FMECA activities and safety assessments.
• Understanding of irradiation-assisted degradation and materials modelling approaches.
• Track record of publishing technical research, securing patents or managing intellectual property.

Why Join Us?

This is a rare opportunity to influence one of the most ambitious engineering programmes in the world. You'll help solve some of the toughest materials and reliability challenges in fusion energy while working alongside leading experts from industry, academia and government.

Join us and help deliver the technologies that could power a sustainable future.

Qualifications

Essential:

• PhD in a relevant discipline (or equivalent experience).
• World class expertise related to environmental testing and proven track record of implementing successful prevention measures.
• An understanding of the various approaches to environmental test experiments, modelling, and model validation.
• An international track record in materials and metallurgy science (e.g. corrosion, plasma-materials interactions, hydrogen embrittlement in metals and alloys).
• Experience and research excellence in collaborative R&D teams (eg evidenced through publications and other research outputs), delivering under technical and time constraints.
• Demonstrable ability to set strategic direction, inspire and motivate.
• Demonstrable capability to initiate and develop a technical programme.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrable commitment to your team, respecting their views and expertise.
• Proven ability to anticipate, manage, and resolve conflict while fostering collaboration to achieve programme-wide goals.
• Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels; formulate a coherent argument; articulate ideas clearly; listen actively and respond appropriately.
• Demonstrable commitment to responsible and ethical innovation.
• Demonstrable experience of working in compliance with modern safety, health, environment and quality insurance standards.

Beneficial:

• Demonstrated understanding of nuclear materials science issues, especially in fusion (e.g. irradiation effects, testing methodologies).
• Expertise in materials modelling.
• Experience of a wide range of experimental materials science (e.g. microstructural characterisation, corrosion testing, advanced micro-mechanical testing, digital image correlation, etc).
• Working with diverse stakeholders.
• Background in intellectual property generation and its management (writing patents, technology disclosures, etc).
• Familiarity of approaches related to Design for multiple attributes (e.g. reliability, maintainability, manufacture, disposal, cost, etc)
• Experience in the development or interpretation of design codes for novel materials in harsh environments.

Additional Information

We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly women in STEM and individuals from British black and ethnic minority backgrounds, and individuals with disabilities. Our Executive team, supported by our 'Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) Partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, actively promotes EDI and takes steps to increase diversity within our organisation. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.
UKFE 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.
This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions. Whilst not required at this time, there is a possibility of an SC Clearance being required in the future. If a candidate already holds an SC clearance, that clearance can be transferred to UKFE.

As we work towards our mission and goals, guided by our principles, STEP has six behaviours that are intended to capture the spirit of how we work:

• We champion safety
• We all matter
• We act as one
• We embrace change
• We are pioneering
• We deliver

For applicants applying from outside the United Kingdom or those who have spent time outside the UK in the last five years, please visit the following link for information on criminal records checks: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants If your country of residence or previous residence is not listed on the website or if the UK Government does not have information on obtaining a criminal records check from that state, we regret to inform you that we cannot process your application.