Head of Major Equipment at Rolls-Royce

The Head of Major Equipment is accountable for development of fully integrated technical solutions, ways of working, and technical governance across the Major Equipment scope, inclusive of:  

• Major Reactor Island Equipment – RPV, Closure Assembly, IHP, Pressuriser, SG etc. 
• Nuclear Equipment – Core Components, RPVI, Fuel Handling Equipment etc.   
• The role covers the senior technical and programme leadership of a large department of design engineers, as well as the management of significant design contracts in the supply chain.  This includes: the overall direction and governance of the programmes of work under their scope; accepting the validity of the technical solutions developed under their direction; the delivery of a robust design and safety justification, supported by detailed underpinning assessment; ensuring outputs comply with environment, safety, security and safeguards (E3S) objectives; developing the team capabilities and resilience; and resolving emergent issues. 
• The candidate will hold in-depth domain knowledge as well as a broad understanding of other nuclear design and cross functional teams and shall have a proven record of delivery of complex product development programmes.    
• This role is a senior leadership figure within Engineering. It requires domain knowledge and expertise, excellent leadership skills, the ability to inspire and motivate others, and the ability to influence business and strategic direction. They will use their experience and abilities to steer and influence at all levels, displaying a positive and collaborative leadership style, to ensure successful department management.  
• Success will demand engagement with a wide range of senior internal and external stakeholders, inclusive of industry bodies and regulators, to ensure the analysis programme and safety case are progressed in accordance with broader business and legislative requirements.  

Key Selection Criteria: 

• Experience of the whole product lifecycle of components and mechanical equipment is needed to enable an ability to lead.  Ideally the candidate has multiple examples of product development experience and experience of leading and developing the product development programmes at various stages of the project maturity stages. 
• Experience of leading large technical teams at a Senior level.  Strong leadership is vital to have a big impact and improve the organisations technical direction but also if building and developing a fast-growing business.   The candidate will have exceptional communication skills, be comfortable in a senior leadership position, and have experience leading in a complex, uncertain and ambiguous environment, being comfortable with change and leading positively despite the challenges.   The candidate will be able to lead across the entire business without organisational control.  
• Strong and well-rounded understanding of the broader business landscape, with the ability to align engineering strategies and technical decisions with overarching organisational goals. Applies commercial awareness and strategic thinking to influence outcomes beyond the immediate scope of engineering, contributing to sustainable business success. 
• The role requires the ability to influence, motivate and inspire all levels of the business both up and down the organisation and across in all interfacing functions.  The role will be key in strategic relationship building so business can be effectively conducted with the department and teams both internally and within the global community.   This role is a key position that will be pivotal in engaging the business effectively to achieve the delivery demands for the power station build programme and will play a crucial role in driving business alignment.

The candidate will be: 

• Degree-qualified in a relevant engineering discipline (Mechanical, Nuclear, or related). 
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) or working towards equivalent professional status. 
• Significant experience in mechanical/component design within a highly regulated industry.