Senior / Principal Mechanical Engineer – Nuclear (Civil & Defence)

Overview

Are you an experienced Mechanical Engineer who is passionate about making the world a better place? Would you be excited to play a part in supporting the fight against climate change? Do you thrive in collaborative, creative environments? Are you looking for a challenging role that allows flexible working and work‑life balance? If this sounds like you, then we'd love to hear from you. We are looking for Senior / Principal Mechanical Engineers to expand and grow our Derby office to meet increasing client demand in the region. As a senior member of our team, you will be responsible for leading engineering teams working on a diverse and challenging range of complex projects for our clients, with opportunities to work within AtkinsRéalis design teams or directly with our clients by being embedded into their major programmes.

Whether you possess a breadth of experience from working across different markets or industries, or you are a Subject Matter Expert, we have the pipeline of opportunities to ignite your career and take your skills and experience to the next level. The variety and scale of projects we work on means that there is something for everybody, and we work hard to make sure that all of our staff have fulfilling and rewarding careers. Whatever our individual roles, we approach everything we do with a sense of curiosity, care, courage and community.

You will have the opportunity to apply your existing skills and develop new skills across a wide range projects across the full UK nuclear industry. In Reactor Operations, your core work will involve leading the design and substantiation of mechanical equipment to the highest standards of safety, quality, and efficiency, to enable the continued operation and life extension of our UK fleet of nuclear power stations and nuclear‑powered submarines. Our team also work closely with our Power New Build business, supporting Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C, and the development of Small Modular Reactors and Fusion Energy reactors, as well as our Decommissioning business, supporting the safe dismantling, processing and packaging of nuclear waste at the UK's nuclear estate at Sellafield and across the UK's decommissioning power stations and nuclear‑powered submarines.

Your role

• As a senior member of the team, you will be the person who keeps things moving, bringing structure and clarity to fast‑paced projects.
• You’ll work closely with engineers, delivery teams, and clients in both our offices and client sides, to lead delivery of a wide range of complex and exciting mechanical engineering and multi‑disciplinary projects.
• Whether it's managing timescales, solving problems, or providing guidance to junior engineers, you'll bring energy and focus – helping teams stay calm, connected and focused on delivering outstanding outcomes for our clients.
• You will enjoy drawing upon your strengths to deliver design and substantiation projects at all stages of the lifecycle, from providing technical input to bids, budgets and schedules, working with clients to explore feasibility and optioneer engineering solutions, to detailed design and construction.
• You will be able to confidently liaise with, present to, and influence stakeholders at all levels both internally and externally, in understanding their issues, goals, and processes and to build strong, lasting relationships.

About You

• You are someone who brings calm to complexity.
• You enjoy working in fast‑paced environments and get a real sense of satisfaction from helping people stay organised and focused.
• You're naturally collaborative – someone who builds strong relationships and keeps communication flowing.
• You're comfortable juggling priorities, solving problems as they arise, and keeping things moving.
• You've worked with a range of engineering tools to design and substantiate mechanical equipment such as mechanical handling systems, machinery, test rigs, or mechanical components.
• You will understand how to deliver complex engineering projects through a structured design process, ensuring we deliver right‑first‑time solutions to our clients to time, cost and quality.
• You will have experience working in the UK nuclear defence industry and be motivated to continuously develop your skills, whilst making a positive contribution to critical UK nuclear (civil and defence) programmes.

Rewards & benefits

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards and a brilliant range of benefits you can tailor to suit your own health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle choices. Make the most of a myriad of opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And combine our hybrid working culture and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and fulfilling personal life.

Security clearance

This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of 5 years or longer. If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.

Equal Opportunities & Accessibility

We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they belong - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop to be the best we can be. So, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee resource groups to support all employees. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to offering an interview to all applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria. If you would like to be considered under this commitment, please let us know at the application stage.

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