Design & Engineering Lead

RESPONSIBILITIES

Design & Engineering Lead – Nuclear Defence

Sector: Nuclear Defence
Discipline: Engineering Leadership / Design Assurance
Working Pattern: Hybrid

Westlakes Recruit are currently recruiting for an experienced Design & Engineering Lead to support a major nuclear defence programme.

This is a senior engineering leadership role responsible for maintaining engineering governance, technical assurance and consistent design standards across complex programmes.

The successful candidate will lead the Design and Engineering pillar of the Management Arrangements, providing technical leadership, challenge and assurance across multidisciplinary engineering activity.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Design and Engineering pillar of the Management Arrangements.

• Maintain engineering standards, technical guidance, governance and assurance expectations across programmes.

• Provide engineering leadership, support, challenge and assurance.

• Oversee design reviews, technical changes, configuration control and engineering deliverables.

• Review technical outputs and supporting evidence to ensure safety, quality and assurance requirements are met.

• Identify engineering risks, technical issues, capability gaps and areas for improvement.

• Support technical assurance activities, design reviews, gateways and readiness assessments.

• Coordinate engineering resources, specialist input and technical assurance across programmes.

• Support the development of engineering capability, technical guidance and consistent working practices.

• Provide technical advice to programme teams, Design Authorities, customers and supply chain partners.

• Support the interpretation of customer, operational, regulatory and technical requirements.

• Contribute to supplier assessments, tender evaluations and technical discussions.

• Provide reports and recommendations on engineering risks, assurance findings and improvement opportunities.

• Promote knowledge sharing, mentoring and continuous improvement across engineering teams.

Essential Experience

• Strong experience in engineering governance, design assurance and technical review.

• Experience reviewing multidisciplinary engineering outputs and managing technical risk.

• Experience working with programme teams, senior stakeholders and supply chain partners.

• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills.

• Degree qualified in an engineering or relevant technical discipline.

• Chartered Engineer status or actively working towards chartership.

• Strong understanding of:

  • engineering standards

  • requirements management

  • configuration control

  • technical assurance

• Ability to review and challenge technical information, identify risks and support effective engineering decisions.

Desirable Experience

• Experience supporting nuclear or other safety-critical infrastructure programmes.

• Experience in requirements management, configuration control, systems engineering or design assurance.

• Relevant engineering-assurance or configuration-management training.

• Lead Auditor qualification or equivalent assurance experience.

• Experience supporting design reviews, technical assessments, gateway assurance or Technical Authority arrangements.

The Opportunity

This is a senior technical leadership opportunity within a complex nuclear defence environment, with responsibility for driving engineering consistency, technical assurance and effective governance across multiple programmes.

The role would suit an experienced Engineering Manager, Design Authority, Technical Authority, Design Assurance Lead or Engineering Governance Lead from a nuclear, defence or other safety-critical engineering environment.

Westlakes Recruit are a specialist engineering recruitment consultancy supporting the UK nuclear and defence sectors.

To discuss the role in confidence, apply directly or contact the Westlakes Recruit team for further information.