Fusion Skills - Foster International Fellow - 2 Year FTA

By 2050, the planet could be using twice as much electricity compared to today. Are you interested in contributing and helping to shape the future of the world’s energy? If so, read on.

Fusion, the process that powers the Sun and Stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs.

UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research for ground-breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid, supported by tomorrow's power stations. In pursuit of our mission, UKAEA embraces core values: Innovative, Committed, Trusted, and Collaborative.

As an employee of UKAEA 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 equality and being fully inclusive.

The salary for this role is £40,609 inclusive of a Scarcity Market Premium Payment (MPP), and onsite working is expected for 4 days a week, however, we actively support requests for Flexible Working.

This role is to be based at the following sites: Culham, Oxfordshire and 12 consecutive weeks onsite at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions and be eligible to obtain a Singaporean Training Employment Pass. If you are unsure on whether you will be eligible for the Employment Pass, please email [email protected] to find out more information.

The Role

The Fusion Opportunities in Skills, Training, Education and Research (FOSTER) programme is an ambitious new national fusion skills programme delivered by UKAEA on behalf of the UK fusion sector. FOSTER’s mission is to train over 2200 people in the next 5 years, ready to take roles within the fusion industry. The intention is to work with universities, businesses, and international partners to increase the number of apprentice and graduate, postgraduate and doctoral, and post-doctoral opportunities within the fusion skills ecosystem in the UK.

In order to deepen the talent pool available to the fusion industry, the FOSTER International Fellowships Scheme aims to create research opportunities at post-doctoral level, through partnerships between UK and international organisations, to enable post-doctoral candidates to develop their research skills (within a UK and international organisation) and support a pathway into either an industrial R&D role or an academic career with the potential to teach new generations of students.

This 2-year fellowship position will enable you to work in an area of shared scientific interest alongside a complimentary internationally-employed Fellow. Within this scientific area, the fellow will self-direct their research, developing research plans and executing them accordingly. Furthermore, they will undertake at least twelve weeks conducting research at the international partner location, immersing themselves in a culture different to the UK and building an international network of researchers

Key Accountabilities:

• Ensure that the safety, health, quality, and welfare of staff is maintained and adhered to in accordance with company policies and procedures.
• Actively promote UKAEA’s values, championing a culture of equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Identify, plan, design, develop, and undertake scientific research and experimental activities within the assigned area of scientific interest.
• Develop and maintain a research plan, with review input from an assigned UKAEA supervisor and partnered international fellow, conduct all practical work-based activities in a controlled manner in accordance with the plan set out.
• Testing, analysis, and evaluation of research to determine suitability and feasibility in complex and representative environments including compiling results and findings, impacts, safety, efficiency, controls, risks, limitations, and any other relevant detail.
• Prepare scientific reports/data and documentation and present research findings through appropriate meetings and forums. Produce a one-page summary of activity and progress (with an image) to the FOSTER programme at least every 6 months, and a final report and presentation at the end of the scheme.
• Liaise with internal and external parties to ensure effective collaboration across interfaces and competing demands.
• Coordinating timely and relevant procurement for equipment, components, and materials as and when appropriate, ensuring value for money and budget compliance.
• Carry out visits to the international partner location in support of the research being carried out, seek to learn about fusion presence in the international location and build a network of research contacts.
• Share knowledge and champion current best-practice, support the partnered international fellow in an advisory capacity.
• Work in accordance with UKAEA policy and undertake any other reasonable tasks or duties requested by Management.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Act as an ambassador for UKAEA and the FOSTER programme at all times, being mindful of cultural sensitivities in partnered locations and actively building constructive relationships.
• Support the marketing of the scheme through providing quotations/updates/images when reasonably requested.
• If any papers are published on the research carried out as fellow, UKAEA support must be acknowledged and a copy of the paper provided to UKAEA.
• Teaching guest-lectures in UK and international universities if appropriate.
• May be required to wear PPE/RPE if working within a controlled environment.

Essential:

• Post-graduate degree (PhD) or equivalent level in relevant STEM subject with demonstratable scientific experience.
• Ability to solve problems in a proactive manner and apply appropriate attention to detail.
• Practical experience of designing and carrying out experimental research projects.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills - able to articulate complex technical information to both specialist and non-specialist audiences as well as writing concise, impactful scientific reports/papers.
• Ability to constructively interact with a variety of stakeholders and escalate issues/deviations through the management chain.
• Good planning, organising and time management skills including the ability to prioritise workload.
• Demonstrably proficient in the Microsoft Office Suite, in particular Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Desirable:

• Chartered status with a professional body (or equivalent demonstrable endorsement from peers).
• Experience working within multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience of quality management or systems in a technical environment.
• Understanding of safety management systems, including hazard identification, risk assessments and hazard elimination and mitigation.

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

We welcome talented people from all backgrounds who want to help us achieve our mission. We encourage applications from under-represented groups, particularly from women in STEM, people from Black British Caribbean and African, Pakistani and Bangladeshi British, and other ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and neurotypical individuals. Our Executive team, supported by our 'Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) and Wellbeing and our EDI Networks actively promote Inclusion 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.

Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications. 

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.