Systems Engineering Lead

Job Title:                    Modular Reactor Systems Engineering Lead

Location:                   Flexible, UK

Compensation          Attractive Salary + Benefits

Role Type:                 Full time / Permanent

Role ID:                      SF72108

Shape The Future of Clean, Secure Energy at The Heart of UK Nuclear Innovation

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 Modular Reactor Systems Engineering Lead at the centre of this momentum and build your career across the nuclear and defence sector.

The role

We’re seeking a Modular Reactor Systems Engineering Lead 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 working 37 hours per week. The role is based flexibly across our UK locations, with ad hoc travel to the North West, including Warrington and Manchester, as required. Hybrid working patterns are available, balancing flexibility with the needs of a highly collaborative engineering programme.

Day-to-day, you’ll be required to:

• Leading systems engineering activities across complex modular reactor and nuclear design programmes
• Providing technical leadership and decision‑making authority across the full engineering lifecycle
• Delivering and assuring high‑quality designs, analyses, calculations and technical documentation
• Leading engineering assurance activities including validation, verification and technical reviews
• Coaching and mentoring engineers while working collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams

Essential experience of the Modular Reactor Systems Engineering Lead:

• Extensive experience across the full systems engineering lifecycle
• Proven ability to lead, influence and make sound technical decisions in complex environments
• Experience delivering engineering assurance, validation and verification activities
• Background working in highly regulated industries
• Experience engaging with multiple stakeholders across interdisciplinary engineering teams

Qualifications for the Modular Reactor Systems Engineering Lead:

• Chartered Engineer status, or working towards this, or equivalent experience
• Degree‑level qualification in engineering or a relevant technical discipline
• Strong practical knowledge of systems engineering principles
• Experience leading technical reviews and assurance activities
• Ability to communicate complex technical information clearly and effectively

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:         15/06/2026

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