The salary for this role is £71,815 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance) Onsite working is expected for 5 days each week.
This role will be based at Culham, Oxfordshire.
This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions and possibly a search of open source data.
The Role
Are you an experienced Welding Engineer looking to apply your expertise to complex, first-of-a-kind engineering challenges at the forefront of fusion technology?
UKAEA is seeking a Welding Engineer to provide specialist technical leadership across welding, materials joining and associated manufacturing technologies. Working across research, development and engineering programmes, you will help define and develop the joining technologies required for some of UKAEA’s most technically demanding applications, including work involving novel materials, challenging joint configurations and first-of-a-kind solutions.
This is a highly specialist role extending beyond conventional welding engineering. You will provide expertise across welding, brazing, soldering and additive manufacturing, supporting the development and qualification of processes from initial concept through to implementation. You will have the opportunity to influence technical decisions, develop welding and joining procedures, solve complex engineering problems and work with leading engineers, researchers, suppliers and external partners.
As a recognised technical expert, you will play an important role in ensuring welding and materials joining activities achieve the required levels of integrity, quality and compliance while helping UKAEA develop the engineering and industrial capability required to advance fusion energy.
Key Responsibilities
Welding Engineering and Technology Development
- Develop, review and approve welding and materials joining procedures and specifications, including first-of-a-kind solutions, in accordance with contractual, technical and code requirements.
- Lead and support the development and qualification of welding procedures and welders in accordance with relevant national and international standards, including ASME IX, ISO 9606-1 and BS EN ISO 15614.
- Provide specialist technical advice across welding, brazing, soldering, additive manufacturing, materials joining, heat treatment and material selection.
- Support product and process development from initial concept through to implementation, including the development of novel and first-of-a-kind joint technologies.
- Review engineering and welding specifications and provide technical recommendations on appropriate joining processes, materials and consumables.
- Review and verify welding consumable and material certification to ensure technical and quality requirements are achieved.
- Conduct or support failure investigations, metallurgical analysis and technical investigations into welding and materials joining issues, developing appropriate engineering solutions.
- Make technical recommendations regarding new or improved welding engineering methods, processes and techniques.
Technical Assurance, Compliance and Quality
- Ensure welding engineering activities comply with applicable national and international codes, standards, contractual requirements and UKAEA quality management systems.
- Maintain appropriate technical documentation, records and audit trails to demonstrate compliance and provide effective quality control.
- Liaise with inspection authorities, clients and other stakeholders regarding welding, joining and heat treatment procedures.
- Support and participate in technical reviews, contract reviews, audits and engineering meetings.
- Provide technical oversight of welder qualification and training regimes, ensuring the technical accuracy and integrity of welder qualification certification.
- Check, review and approve work completed by others within the area of specialism to maintain technical quality and consistency.
- Set and monitor appropriate technical standards, supporting the establishment and maintenance of best practice across welding and joining activities.
- Ensure engineering risk and safety requirements are appropriately considered and managed within the scope of welding engineering activities.
Technical Leadership and Capability Development
- Act as a specialist technical authority, providing expert welding and materials joining advice to engineers, projects and programmes.
- Lead, coordinate and review technical activities undertaken by engineers, apprentices and other colleagues where required.
- Coach and support less experienced colleagues, sharing specialist knowledge and contributing to the development of UKAEA’s wider welding and materials joining capability.
- Identify opportunities for technical and process improvement and develop solutions that improve quality, efficiency and engineering capability.
- Influence the development and application of welding and joining technologies across multidisciplinary engineering programmes.
- Support the development of engineering capability through collaboration with professional networks, universities, suppliers and external partners.
Project Delivery and Stakeholder Engagement
- Lead or support assigned projects and significant technical work packages, delivering required outcomes within agreed specification, time and cost parameters.
- Contribute to project definition and scope, helping take engineering solutions from innovation and development through to implementation.
- Work across multidisciplinary and cross-discipline projects, including design studies and technical activities undertaken for external customers.
- Make and influence technical and project decisions, selecting appropriate engineering methodologies and recommending solutions to complex technical challenges.
- Communicate the implications of technical decisions clearly to internal and external stakeholders.
- Build effective relationships with customers, suppliers, inspection authorities, collaborators and other external organisations.
- Represent UKAEA during supplier visits, technical meetings, professional forums and conferences in the UK and internationally.
- Contribute to technical papers, reports and other publications where appropriate.
- Maintain the high professional and technical standards expected when representing UKAEA with high-value customers, partners and stakeholders.
- Occasional national and international travel may be required
