Welding Engineer

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 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

What to expect in our recruitment process:

For a step-by-step overview of how we hire from application to offer please see our Recruitment Process page: careers.ukaea.uk/join-us/recruitment-process

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

You will be an experienced welding or materials joining professional with the technical depth to operate as a specialist within a complex engineering and research environment. You will be comfortable moving between established engineering practice and the development of solutions where existing approaches may not be sufficient.

You will bring:

• A degree in Welding Engineering, Metallurgy or a related discipline, or an equivalent level of experience gained within a structured R&D or first-of-a-kind engineering environment.
• Experience working within a commercial technology and research environment.
• Demonstrable welding engineering experience gained within fabrication, construction or an industrial engineering environment.
• Experience developing and qualifying welding procedures and welders.
• Knowledge and practical application of relevant national and international welding codes and standards, including ASME, ISO and BS EN requirements.
• Knowledge of welding processes, materials joining, heat treatment, material selection and welding consumables.
• A thorough understanding of quality management systems, technical assurance and documentation control.
• The ability to undertake technical and failure investigations, analyse complex welding-related issues and develop appropriate engineering solutions.
• The ability to exercise technical judgement and make recommendations within a specialist engineering environment.
• The communication and influencing skills required to work effectively with engineers, researchers, customers, suppliers, inspection authorities and external collaborators.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.

This is an opportunity to take a leading technical role in an environment where welding and materials joining are fundamental to solving some of fusion engineering's most complex challenges. You will have the scope to develop new approaches, influence engineering decisions and help translate emerging joining technologies from research and first-of-a-kind development into practical engineering solutions.

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

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, and inclusion and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, while ensuring all appointments are made on merit.

UK Atomic Energy Authority 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.  

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