RESPONSIBILITIES

Senior Project Manager – Nuclear UK

Location: Greater Manchester, Warrington or London
Travel: UK & Europe – up to approximately 40%
Security Clearance: Ability to obtain SC/DV clearance where required
Sector: Nuclear / Major Projects / Infrastructure
Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience

About the Opportunity

Westlakes Recruit is supporting a leading global infrastructure, engineering and construction organisation with the appointment of a Senior Project Manager – Nuclear UK.

Our client is an established international organisation with significant experience delivering complex infrastructure, engineering and construction projects across highly regulated and safety-critical sectors.

As part of an ambitious growth strategy, the organisation is developing its UK nuclear capability, creating a growing platform to support major programmes across the nuclear sector.

The business will support opportunities across:

• Large-scale nuclear new build
• Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
• Defence nuclear infrastructure
• Decommissioning and waste management
• Life extension and asset management
• Advanced nuclear technologies
• Major nuclear infrastructure
• EPC and EPCM programme delivery
• Engineering and technical services
• Construction and specialist nuclear delivery

The UK represents a key growth market, creating an exciting opportunity for experienced project professionals to join the organisation at an important stage of its development.

The Role

As Senior Project Manager – Nuclear UK, you will be responsible for the safe, high-quality and efficient delivery of assigned nuclear projects, contracts or major work packages within the United Kingdom.

You will provide day-to-day leadership across project execution activities, including engineering, procurement, construction management, commissioning, project controls and stakeholder coordination.

The role carries accountability for the successful delivery of assigned project objectives, ensuring that safety, quality, schedule, cost and client requirements are achieved.

Assignments may include EPC/EPCM services contracts, major infrastructure projects, decommissioning programmes, defence nuclear projects, new nuclear developments or significant work packages within larger programmes.

You will lead multidisciplinary project teams, coordinate internal and external stakeholders, manage delivery risks and opportunities and ensure compliance with applicable regulatory, contractual and company requirements.

Working closely with senior project leadership and wider delivery teams, you will contribute to the successful execution of complex nuclear projects while helping to develop a high-performing project delivery capability within a growing nuclear business.

Ultimately, the role exists to deliver safe, predictable and successful project outcomes while supporting the long-term growth of the organisation's nuclear capability.

Key Responsibilities

Project & Programme Delivery

• Lead the delivery of assigned nuclear projects, contracts or major work packages.
• Successfully mobilise project teams and delivery arrangements.
• Develop and implement effective project execution plans.
• Coordinate activities across engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning.
• Establish effective risk, opportunity and performance management processes.
• Drive delivery against agreed safety, quality, schedule and commercial objectives.
• Monitor project performance and implement corrective action where required.

Project Governance & Controls

• Establish and maintain effective project governance arrangements.
• Ensure appropriate project controls are implemented throughout the project lifecycle.
• Monitor programme, cost, risk and performance against agreed objectives.
• Identify emerging risks, opportunities, constraints and delivery issues.
• Develop and implement appropriate mitigation and recovery strategies.
• Provide accurate and timely project reporting to senior leadership.

Nuclear Safety & Quality

• Champion a strong nuclear safety culture across project activities.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory, contractual and company requirements.
• Promote a culture where safety is recognised as the overriding priority.
• Maintain high standards of quality throughout project delivery.
• Ensure appropriate assurance arrangements are embedded within the project.
• Promote the principle of Safety First, Quality Always.

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Build effective relationships with senior client representatives and project stakeholders.
• Coordinate interfaces across alliance, JV and delivery partner environments.
• Maintain strong relationships with contractors, suppliers and delivery partners.
• Support engagement with regulators and relevant industry stakeholders.
• Promote a collaborative and solutions-focused approach to project delivery.

Commercial & Financial Management

• Deliver project scope within approved budgets and schedules.
• Support achievement of project commercial objectives.
• Monitor and manage project risks, opportunities and change.
• Support effective contract and change management.
• Identify opportunities to improve project performance and value.
• Contribute to the successful financial performance of assigned projects.

People Leadership

• Lead and develop multidisciplinary project teams.
• Establish a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Support the development of project professionals and technical specialists.
• Promote high standards of performance and professional behaviour.
• Contribute to the development of future project leaders.

About You

We are looking for a highly capable project delivery professional with significant experience managing major projects, contracts or work packages within the nuclear, defence, infrastructure, energy or another highly regulated sector.

You will have a strong track record of leading multidisciplinary teams and delivering complex projects safely, efficiently and in accordance with demanding regulatory, contractual and stakeholder requirements.

You will combine strong project management capability with a visible commitment to nuclear safety, quality, delivery excellence and continuous improvement.

Essential Experience

• Minimum 10 years' experience within nuclear, defence, infrastructure, energy or another highly regulated sector.
• Significant experience managing major capital projects or complex work packages.
• Experience working within EPC, EPCM, alliance, framework or programme delivery environments.
• Demonstrable accountability for safety, quality, schedule and delivery performance.
• Experience coordinating engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning activities.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary project teams.
• Good commercial and contract management experience.
• Experience applying project governance, risk and project controls processes.
• Experience operating within highly regulated and safety-critical environments.
• Experience managing relationships with clients, contractors and delivery partners.

Desirable Experience

Experience across one or more of the following would be advantageous:

• Major UK nuclear projects or programmes.
• Civil or defence nuclear infrastructure.
• Nuclear new build.
• Nuclear decommissioning and waste management.
• Small Modular Reactor programmes.
• Major infrastructure or energy projects.
• EPC/EPCM delivery.
• NEC, FIDIC or alliance contracting models.
• Integrated Delivery Partner or long-term framework environments.
• Experience working with UK nuclear regulatory requirements and licence conditions.
• Experience operating within complex joint venture, alliance or collaborative delivery environments.

Qualifications

You will ideally hold:

• A degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Nuclear Engineering, Project Management, Quantity Surveying, Science or a related technical discipline.
• Chartered status such as CEng, ChPP or MRICS, or the ability to demonstrate an equivalent level of professional standing.
• Relevant project, programme, commercial, construction management or engineering qualifications appropriate to the seniority of the role.

Additional qualifications in project or programme management, engineering management, commercial management or nuclear engineering would be advantageous.

Leadership Profile

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Visible and authentic nuclear safety leadership.
• Strong delivery focus with a commitment to achieving results.
• High levels of resilience and personal accountability.
• The ability to remain calm and effective under pressure.
• Strong decision-making capability.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• A collaborative and inclusive leadership style.
• High levels of integrity and professionalism.
• The ability to operate effectively within complex matrix organisations.
• A genuine commitment to developing people and organisational capability.

Why This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to join a growing nuclear business at a pivotal stage of its development.

You will have the opportunity to influence how major nuclear projects are mobilised and delivered, contribute to the development of new project delivery capabilities and help establish a high-performing organisation within the UK nuclear sector.

The role offers significant responsibility and visibility, with the opportunity to contribute to major nuclear programmes across the UK while working within an organisation with substantial international infrastructure and engineering capability.

For an experienced Senior Project Manager, this represents an opportunity to take a leading role in delivering complex nuclear projects while helping shape the growth and future capability of a developing nuclear business.

Deliver critical projects. Lead exceptional teams. Make a lasting impact.

Location & Travel

The preferred locations for this role are:

• Greater Manchester
• Warrington
• London

Regular travel across the UK and Europe will be required. The role is expected to involve up to approximately 40% travel on average, with potentially higher levels of travel during key project or business-critical periods.

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be eligible to obtain and maintain the appropriate level of UK security clearance, including SC or DV, depending on project and programme requirements.