We are seeking an exceptional Civil Manager to play a pivotal role in delivering the STEP Prototype Fusion Powerplant one of the most ambitious and transformative engineering programmes in the world.
This is a rare opportunity to contribute to pioneering fusion technology with the potential to transform the UK economy and redefine the future of global energy.
The Role
As Civil Manager, you will work alongside the STEP Chief Architect Engineer and senior leadership team to lead the civil engineering design of the programme.
You will define and govern the strategy, technical requirements, and architectural integration of all civil engineering, infrastructure, facilities, and enabling works supporting a £10bn capital asset portfolio.
Operating within the client’s Design Authority, you will hold delegated technical authority for civil engineering decisions, ensuring design integrity, managing risk, and guiding delivery across a complex, first-of-a-kind environment.
Key Responsibilities
1. Set & Drive Civil Design Vision
- Define and own the civil engineering strategy, design basis, and integration vision across all facilities and infrastructure
- Establish programme level objectives and architectural principles for a safe, sustainable, and constructable prototype
- Provide clear direction to ensure alignment with long-term programme goals
2. Ensure Integration & Design Integrity
- Resolve cross-disciplinary conflicts and manage trade-offs across engineering interfaces
- Develop strategies to address design gaps and varying levels of technical maturity
- Establish governance, standards, and assurance frameworks for civil design
- Manage impacts of design decisions on cost, schedule, constructability, and long-term performance
3. Own Technical Risk & Safety
- Identify, assess, and mitigate technical risks in a high-consequence environment
- Ensure designs balance safety, regulatory compliance, reliability, and performance
- Uphold the highest safety standards across all design and delivery stages
4. Define Early Design Concepts
- Lead early stage concept development in areas of low maturity
- Translate emerging ideas into structured requirements and viable design direction
- Shape the foundation of the plant’s long-term evolution
5. Lead Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration
- Drive integrated decision-making across engineering disciplines and partners
- Align diverse teams around a unified plant design strategy
- Ensure coherence across systems, infrastructure, materials, and operations
6. Ensure Compliance & Scalability
- Ensure designs meet all regulatory, statutory, and industry requirements
- Enable future scalability, operability, and lifecycle performance
- Support future commercial deployment pathways
7. Strengthen Organisational Effectiveness
- Provide technical leadership for prioritisation, value engineering, and key decisions
- Support the development of Design Authority capability, governance, and processes
- Drive continuous improvement and innovation across the programme
8. Lead with Impact
- Role model strong, values driven leadership aligned to UKFE principles
- Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing environment
- Promote curiosity, evidence based decision making, and continuous learning
About You
You are a visionary civil engineering leader with experience in complex, high value infrastructure or major programme delivery.
You bring:
- Expertise in civil engineering design, infrastructure, and facility integration
- Proven ability to operate within design authority or technical governance environments
- Strong track record managing interfaces, risks, and cross disciplinary integration
- Experience delivering large-scale, technically complex capital projects
- A passion for innovation and shaping first-of-a-kind engineering solutions
