STRIDE - Senior Computational Scientist

About us  

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 organisations to achieve ground-breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid by developing the power stations of tomorrow and the skilled workforce to deliver them.  

About the job 

UKAEA is seeking a senior numerical methods specialist to help establish and grow our capability in advanced numerical methods for fusion science and engineering.

We are looking for someone with deep expertise in one or more areas of computational mathematics. 

Relevant areas could include high-order finite element methods, advanced linear and nonlinear solvers and preconditioning, structure-preserving methods or statistical and particle-based numerical methods.

This list is deliberately not exhaustive: we are particularly interested in candidates who can bring new mathematical and computational approaches to challenging problems across UKAEA.

Background knowledge of plasma physics or fusion energy generally is desirable but not essential.

The successful candidate will work across UKAEA to identify scientific and engineering problems where advanced numerical methods can make a significant difference, develop and demonstrate new approaches, and help translate methodological research into practical simulation capability. They will need to act with a high degree of independence. They will also build strong relationships with universities and the wider numerical mathematics community, establishing collaborations that connect UKAEA problems with leading research in computational mathematics. 

We are therefore looking for someone who combines deep technical expertise with intellectual curiosity, initiative and the motivation to build a new capability from the ground up. 

What You’ll Be Doing

• Develop and apply advanced numerical, statistical and computational methods to address complex scientific challenges.
• Lead significant computational projects and work packages, delivering high-quality scientific outcomes.
• Provide specialist expertise in a defined area of computational science and help shape research priorities.
• Design, develop and enhance simulation tools, models and computational workflows.
• Ensure scientific quality, reproducibility and technical rigour across research activities.
• Identify, assess and mitigate technical and scientific risks within projects and modelling approaches.
• Evaluate and adopt emerging computing technologies and numerical methods to advance research capability.
• Guide technical approaches and research direction in collaboration with scientific and technical specialists.
• Mentor computational scientists, researchers and doctoral students within your area of expertise.
• Contribute to external collaborations, technical review activities, publications and conference presentations.

What You’ll Bring

• Degree in a scientific, engineering or technical discipline, plus a PhD or equivalent experience in an academic or industrial research environment.
• Demonstrable expertise in at least one compiled language (such as C++, Fortran, C or Rust) or an advanced scripting language (such as Python, Julia or R).
• Strong knowledge of modern software engineering practices and advanced computational science, including expertise in simulation development, high-performance computing, numerical methods, or data-driven simulation techniques.
• Experience leading computational research projects and delivering robust research software and high-quality scientific publications.
• Proven experience applying advanced computational methods to solve complex scientific problems with a high degree of technical responsibility.

UKAEA is an onsite organisation, and this role requires regular onsite presence (usually between 3-5 days in any given week) in line with business needs. We actively support flexible working arrangements where this is compatible with the role.

Benefits 

We have a generous range of benefits (see the full list here) and highlights include:   

• A salary of £64,820 (inclusive of a £6,500 specialist allowance)  
• Up to 7% corporate performance bonus
• Final salary defined benefits pension scheme with an equivalent of 21.5% employer pension contribution  
• 25 days annual leave plus 2.5 'privilege' days; 8 Bank Holidays
• Additional 3 days of site closure over Christmas break  
• Flexible working options plus family-friendly leave provisions  

Our commitment to ED&I 

UKAEA's mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal. We are committed to equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. 

Please email [email protected] if you have any questions or require adjustments to help you participate fairly in our recruitment process, for example changes to the way we interview or share information. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment experience for all candidates. 

We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and people from diverse ethnic backgrounds. All appointments are made on merit and further information can be found here.