Principal Testing Rigs & Labs Technician

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 

We are recruiting a Principal Testing Rigs & Labs Technician to provide senior‑level technical leadership within our experimental laboratories. 

This is a highly practical role, drawing on extensive mechanical and electrical experience, it  combines deep hands‑on expertise with day‑to‑day operational responsibility for testing rigs, laboratory equipment and experimental activities. You will be the principal technical  lead for laboratory operations, ensuring experiments are built, commissioned and run safely, efficiently and to a high technical standard. 

Working closely with engineers, scientists and programme teams, you will translate experimental designs into robust, real‑world test setups, mentor technicians and apprentices, and help evolve laboratory capability to meet the needs of novel and emerging technologies. 

What You’ll Be Doing

• Take day‑to‑day ownership of the safe and effective operation of testing rigs and laboratory facilities 
• Act as the technical lead for experimental build, commissioning, operation and decommissioning activities 
• Translate experimental designs into safe, buildable and high‑quality physical test setups 
• Provide hands‑on leadership during complex or novel experimental work, troubleshooting issues and reducing technical risk 
• Ensure laboratory assets, tooling and equipment are maintained, organised, calibrated and fit for purpose 
• Lead risk assessment, safe systems of work and incident investigation within laboratory environments 
• Generate and maintain technical procedures, experimental documentation and high‑quality test data records 
• Support continuous improvement of laboratory processes, workflows, tooling and instrumentation 
• Supervise, mentor and develop technicians and apprentices, setting high standards of professionalism and safety 
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to clarify requirements, provide expert guidance and manage expectations 
• Deputise for the Testing Rigs and Labs Operations Manager when required 

What You’ll Bring

• A relevant technical qualification in a STEM discipline, or equivalent practical experience 
• Extensive hands‑on experience in laboratory, prototype or experimental test environments 
• Strong mechanical and/or electrical technical capability 
• Experience delivering and operating complex experimental setups (e.g. pressure, vacuum, cryogenic or high‑voltage systems) 
• Proven ability to take ownership of laboratory operations and experimental delivery 
• Ability to interpret and produce engineering and technical documentation 
• Experience supervising, mentoring or coaching technical staff or apprentices 
• Strong organisational and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to work autonomously 
• Manual or CNC lathe & Mill experience 

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 £57,117 (inclusive of a 5,800 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 talent@ukaea.uk 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.