Head of Engineering

NSG Environmental Ltd; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 70,000 - GBP 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading environmental engineering firm in the UK is seeking a Head of Engineering to oversee engineering functions, ensure compliance, and drive strategic objectives. The ideal candidate will have a degree in Engineering, over 5 years in a senior role within a regulated industry, and experience leading multi-disciplinary teams. Responsibilities include stakeholder engagement, process optimisation, and promoting innovation. A competitive benefits package is offered, alongside a commitment to professional development.

Benefits

Life Assurance 3x Salary

Pension contribution

Discretionary bonus

Professional memberships covered

Large Training and Development budget

Qualifications

• 5+ years in a senior role within a regulated industry.
• Proven experience in leading multi-disciplinary engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of engineering principles and emerging technologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering function and manage key stakeholder relationships.
• Promote innovation and process optimisation within engineering.
• Ensure compliance with regulations and manage engineering risks.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Risk management

Technical knowledge

Business development

Education

Degree in Engineering/Technical discipline

Job description

No clearance is required for this position; candidates should be eligible to obtain it if necessary.

Working at NSG

NSG Environmental Ltd has been delivering work programmes in the nuclear industry for over 40 years. Traditionally in the areas of decommissioning and waste management, NSG now has a broad customer base and provides a wide spectrum of services across the nuclear project lifecycle, ranging from expert consultancy support, R&D and engineering design to rekit and refurbishment, site installation services and high-hazard physical decommissioning works, amongst others. This work is delivered at NSG’s own offices and purpose-built facilities and nuclear sites across the UK. The delivery and management of these projects and programmes of work is carried out by a skilled workforce composed of both white-collar and blue-collar personnel in technical, administrative, and physical roles.

Our core values of Passion, Integrity, Challenge and Collaboration drive performance and ensure we add significant value. If joining us as a member of staff, we will support your professional development in an exciting and challenging work environment that will enable you to use, develop and hone your technical expertise in a supportive and collaborative working environment.

The Role

The Head of Engineering is a member of the NSG Leadership Team (NLT), and as such will work with other NLT members to foster the NSG culture and collaborative environment to enable successful and sustainable delivery.

The Head of Engineering leads the engineering function and acts as the focal point with clients, partner companies and Directors to ensure all key stakeholders are engaged and managed accordingly. The role focuses on enhancing cross-functional integration, ensuring compliance, maintaining capability and capacity to service project demands, and ensuring that engineering initiatives are aligned with the overarching strategic goals of the business.

Key Objectives

Specific Areas of Responsibility

Business Leadership:

• Act as a key member of the NSG Leadership Team, promoting effective cross-company collaboration to support engineering delivery and wider business objectives.
• Support company strategic meetings as required, and champion agreed company-wide initiatives.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of the business plan and strategic objectives, working closely with Directors, the NSG Leadership Team and key stakeholders as required.
• Develop, maintain and deliver an engineering plan aligned to and supportive of the company’s strategic goals.
• Contribute engineering updates, achievements and priorities to the Line Managers’ Pack.
• Ensure alignment of the engineering plan with other business functions to deliver integrated outcomes.
• Promote diversity, equity and inclusion and uphold high standards of professional integrity and ethical conduct.

Engineering Leadership:

• Provide leadership and direction across all engineering disciplines and business units.
• Mentor and support engineering leaders and teams, promoting high standards of performance, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Support leadership development initiatives to build future engineering and business leaders.
• Chair Engineering team meetings to communicate key business and project information.

Innovation and Technological Advancement:

• Support the Ideas Factory Working Group by evaluating and determining the viability of engineering ideas, ensuring that selected ideas are consistent with the business strategy, and cost‑effective.
• Promote a culture of innovation within engineering, encouraging practical and value‑focused solutions aligned to business and market needs.
• Act as custodian of engineering software, ensuring consistency, value for money and effective use.

Resource Management and Talent Development:

• Maintain NSG’s engineering capability, including core expertise and Subject Matter Experts.
• Own and maintain:
  • the Engineering Training Plan.
  • the Engineering Recruitment Plan.
  • the Engineering Position Descriptions.
  • the Engineers SQEP process.
  • the Engineers Skills and Competency framework.
• Oversee the allocation and deployment of engineering resources to project activities.
• Develop and implement succession planning to ensure continuity of engineering capability.
• Establish and oversee apprentice and graduate programmes to develop future engineering talent.

Process optimisation:

• Own and oversee QSHEW engineering processes.
• Lead the development and continuous improvement of the engineering processes, standards and templates to improve quality, efficiency and delivery.

Risk Management and Compliance:

• Ensure engineering activities comply with all applicable regulations, directives, standards and QSHEW requirements.
• Establish and maintain processes to ensure engineering risks are proactively identified, assessed, and managed.
• Undertake scenario planning to manage and reduce exposure to high‑risk events.
• Maintain the Engineering Risk Register and contribute to the wider business risk register, escalating significant risks where appropriate.

Business Winning and Marketing:

• Act as the NSG engineering point of contact for business winning activities and key client relationships.
• Build and maintain relationships with key clients and industry partners to support business growth.
• Provide technical input into opportunity reviews to support bid/no‑bid decisions.
• Support bid preparation through authorship, review and approval as required.
• Act as Framework Lead where required.
• Work closely with the Business Winning team to promote NSG’s engineering capability and secure new opportunities.
• Support the development of technical proposals and client‑facing materials.
• Professionally represent NSG in client meetings, industry events and conferences to promote NSG’s engineering capability.
• Support marketing and sales activities through the development of case studies and presentations.

Technical and Professional Competence

• Strong communication and influencing skills at all organisational levels.
• Demonstrate strong engineering leadership capability, including management of multi‑disciplinary teams across multiple business areas.
• Broad knowledge of engineering principles, emerging technologies and industry standards.
• In‑depth understanding of NSG’s core capabilities, including site operations, waste management and decommissioning, research and development, radiation protection and consultancy services.
• Ability to provide clear, relevant and prioritised information, advice and briefings to the Director responsible.

We all have a role to play in our future success. It is vitally important we each live our values and adhere to the principles outlined in the NSG Behavioural Charter, found on QSHEW.

It is incumbent on us all to observe and implement all four of our values in providing the highest levels of support to our colleagues and in the delivery of customer service excellence.

Core Values

Our values guide us in everything we do, serving as a compass for being positive role models and leading by example. By living these values, we inspire others to meet our high standards and expectations.

Passion – perform with enthusiasm and commitment to achieve our objectives and aspire to be the best at what we do with a right first‑time attitude.

Integrity – be open and honest, act ethically and be accountable for our actions.

Challenge – question the way we do things and look to improve on processes and techniques to deliver value to our stakeholders.

Collaboration – work together with all stakeholders and share best practice to provide the highest level of customer satisfaction.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Educ to degree level or equivalent in an Engineering/Technical discipline. – Essential
• 5 years + senior role in a highly regulated industry. – Essential
• 5 years + engineering management or managing engineering projects experience. – Essential

Experience, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Business Leadership

• Senior leadership experience within an engineering or technical organisation. – Essential
• Ability to align departmental priorities with wider business objectives. – Essential
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills at senior level. – Essential
• Demonstrated integrity and inclusive leadership approach. – Essential

Engineering Leadership

• Proven experience leading multi‑disciplinary engineering teams. – Essential
• Strong people leadership, performance management and mentoring capability. – Essential
• Ability to set direction and communicate priorities clearly. – Essential

Collaboration and Integration

• Experience working collaboratively across business functions. – Essential
• Ability to build and maintain strong client, partner and stakeholder relationships. – Essential

Risk Management and Compliance

• Experience managing engineering and project risks in regulated environments. – Essential
• Knowledge of governance, assurance and escalation processes. – Essential
• Ability to analyse risk scenarios and support informed decision‑making. – Essential

Business Winning and Marketing

• Experience supporting business development and bid activities. – Essential
• Ability to build strong client and partner relationships. – Essential
• Strong written and verbal communication for proposals and presentations. – Essential

Technical and Professional Competence

• Experience in complex, multi‑disciplinary engineering projects. – Essential
• Strong communication and influencing capability at all levels. – Essential
• Broad engineering knowledge. – Essential
• Understanding of NSG core capability areas. – Essential
• Ability to provide clear, concise and prioritised advice to senior leaders. – Essential

Package

Life Assurance 3x Salary

Pension – Company contributes 5% Individual contributes 4%

Discretionary bonus

187.5 hours per year holiday allowance

Professional memberships covered

Large Training and Development budget available.

NSG Environmental are a Disability Confident Committed Employer