Plasma Core Team Leader

Fusion Energy Base; Culham; On-site; GBP 71,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading energy organization in Culham is seeking a Plasma Core Team Leader to guide high-quality research in plasma core physics essential for future fusion projects. Responsibilities include managing staff, promoting collaboration, and ensuring timely delivery of research objectives. The role demands a strong background with a PhD in plasma physics and proven leadership skills. Join us in shaping the future of energy, with opportunities for flexible working arrangements and an outstanding benefits package.

Benefits

Defined benefit pension scheme

Corporate bonus scheme up to 7%

Flexible working options

Generous annual leave starting with 25 days

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• PhD (or equivalent experience) in plasma physics.
• In depth knowledge and passion for understanding plasma core physics.
• Experience of scientific leadership and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Plasma Core Team to ensure delivery of high quality research.
• Manage staff development and recruitment, and set team priorities.
• Conduct own research in line with the programme goals.

Skills

Leadership skills

Research experience in plasma core physics

Excellent communication

Collaboration with partners

Education

PhD in plasma physics or equivalent experience

Job description

The salary for this role is £70,505(inclusive of aSpecialist Allowance) . Onsite working is expected for 3days each week, however, we actively support requests for flexible working.

This role can be based at any of the following sites; 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 looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference? Join our team and contribute to the future of fusion energy. As Plasma Core Team Leader , you will play a pivotal role is to ensure the team delivers high quality research in plasma core physics for the broader UKAEA scientific programme, with applications to tokamaks including JET, MAST-U, STEP, and ITER. Line manage staff (including their development and recruitment), ensure objectives are met promptly, and set Team’s priorities in consultation with stakeholders.

The Plasma Core Team’s activities span: development of plasma core physics models and their integration into integrated modelling codes; application of the models to predict, validate, and analyse tokamak experiments; application of the models to study next step fusion devices.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Lead the Plasma Core Team. The Team has diverse and multidisciplinary staff, mostly with PhDs and at a range of levels. Ensure there work this fully supports the scientific aims of UKAEA programmes, including STEP.
• Provide clear and positive leadership to ensure delivery of high quality and high impact outputs that are disseminated internally and externally, including in journal publications.
• Be responsible for all aspects of staff management and development in the Team: agree personal development plans; set objectives; provide feedback on job performance; complete annual appraisals; and ensure relevant training is identified and completed.
• Identify capability gaps within the Team, and lead selection and recruitment of new staff ensuring vacancies are filled promptly.
• Provide input to the programme leadership on staff skills and availability.
• Escalate line management issues and risks to upper management and communicate messages from them to the Team.
• Conduct their own research in line with the goals agreed by the programme leadership.

£70,505 (inclusive of Specialist Allowance) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension

• PhD (or equivalent experience) in plasma physics
• In depth knowledge and passion for understanding plasma core physics
• High level of research experience in plasma core physics with strong publications.
• Experience of scientific leadership:
  • leading collaborative projects with external or internal partners
  • supervision of PhDs and/or PDRAs
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.
• Currently active in scientific research directly relevant to the post: e.g. development of plasma core models; or plasma core theory, modelling, or experiment
• Experience of working with UKAEA’s collaborators in plasma core research and application.
• Enthusiasm for engaging with stakeholders

UKAEA's mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds who want to help us achieve our mission. We are under-represented from some groups and so want to encourage applications in particular from women in STEM, people from Black British Caribbean and African backgrounds and from Pakistani and Bangladeshi British backgrounds. 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 organization. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.

UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email [e-mail] 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.

As an employee of UKAEA you will benefit from:

• Outstandingdefined benefit pension scheme,details of which can be found at the end of this advert.
• Corporatebonus schemeup to7%and aRelocationallowance (if eligible).
• Flexible working optionsincluding family friendly policies.
• Employee Assistance Programmeand trained Mental Health First Aiders,
• Generous annual leaveallowance starting with 25 days, plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays
• A vibrantculturecommitted to equality and being fullyinclusive

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What can I expect from the application process at UKAEA?

Once you have submitted a formal application via our website, all CVs will be reviewed shortly after the closing date of the advert.

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 realising fusion energy, partnering with industry and research for groundbreaking 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: Innovation, Commitment, Trust, and Collaboration.

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