Principal Licensing Engineer

Job Title:                     Principal Licensing Engineer

Location:                     Flexible, UK + Hybrid Working Arrangement

Compensation:            Attractive Salary + Benefits

Role Type:                   Full time / Permanent

Role ID:                       SF 72117

Shape The Future Of Nuclear Innovation And Regulation

At Cavendish Nuclear, we’re working to create a safe and secure world, together. If you join us, you can play your part as a Nuclear Licensing Lead at any of our main UK locations, near Bristol, Warrington, Leicester, Newbury, or Preston.

The role

The UK’s small and advanced modular reactor sector is entering a pivotal phase, with major programmes progressing and strong government backing.

Join us as a Principal Licensing Engineer at the centre of this momentum and build your career across the nuclear sector.

We’re seeking a Principal Licensing Engineer to join our Advanced Nuclear Technologies team, working in a fast‑moving, innovation‑led environment with real national impact. You’ll help shape the next generation of nuclear power through cutting‑edge design, accelerated deployment and projects that strengthen the UK’s long‑term energy resilience. If you want your work to matter at scale, this is the role for you.

This is a full-time role, based across any of our main UK locations. Flexible working patterns are available, and travel to other customer sites will be expected.

Day-to-day, you’ll be required to:

• Leading licensing and regulatory activities across nuclear projects
• Ensuring compliance with UK nuclear safety, environmental, and legal requirements
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with regulators and key stakeholders
• Supporting the development of licensing strategies and organisational readiness for approvals
• Representing projects in meetings with regulators and external partners

Essential experience of the Principal Licensing Engineer:

• Demonstrating deep knowledge of UK nuclear regulatory frameworks and site licensing requirements
• Applying strong experience in nuclear safety, environmental, and regulatory compliance
• Working across complex, high-value engineering or infrastructure projects
• Engaging and influencing a wide range of internal and external stakeholders
• Communicating complex regulatory concepts clearly and effectively

Qualifications for the Principal Licensing Engineer:

• Degree or equivalent experience in engineering, physics, or a related discipline
• Chartered status or working towards professional registration is desirable

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Standard (BPSS) security clearance for this role. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (

What we offer

• Generous holiday allowance
• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+
• Employee share scheme
• Employee shopping savings portal
• Payment of Professional Fees
• Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave
• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows UK Cavendish employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement. This Window opens February through to March annually.
• ‘Be Kind Day’ enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity
• Excellent development opportunities and benefits package including an employee assistance programme supporting physical, mental and financial wellbeing.

Cavendish

We’re Cavendish Nuclear — a team of c5,000 specialists and a core part of Babcock International Group.

Here, you’ll be part of something bigger. Across clean energy, defence, and civil decommissioning, your work will contribute to projects that are critical to energy security and national protection. Together, we’re shaping a future that lasts — not only through the impact we make, but through meaningful careers that respect your work-life balance.

Join us and discover how far we can go, together.

We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email View email address on jobs.babcockinternational.com with the subject header ‘Reasonable adjustments requirement’. We’re committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone’s free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working – please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.

Closing date:   23/10/2026

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