Head of Directorate Finance - Robotics, Repurposing and DecommissioningBy 2050, the planet could be using twice as much electricity compared to today. Are you interested in contributing and helping to shape the future of the world's energy? If so, read on.

Fusion, the process that powers the Sun and Stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs.

UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research for groundbreaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid, supported by tomorrow's power stations. In pursuit of our mission, UKAEA embraces core values: Innovative, Committed, Trusted, and Collaborative."

As an employee of UKAEA you will benefit from:

- Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme, details of which can be found at the end of this advert.

- Corporate bonus scheme up to 7% and a Relocation allowance (if eligible).

- Flexible working options including family friendly policies.

- Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders,

- Emergency paid leave, Generous annual leave allowance (30.5 days) increased with length of service,

- Wide range of career development opportunities

- A vibrant culture committed to equality and being fully inclusive

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions.

Job Description

The Role

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference? Join our team and contribute to the future of fusion energy.

As Head of Directorate Finance - Robotics, Repurposing and Decommissioning, you will be the trusted senior business partner to a major Directorate (RRDD) within UK Atomic Energy Authority, ensuring excellence in all commercial matters including control and planning of expenditure, providing financial advice and insight, driving financially sound decision making and future planning.

Each Directorate is focussed on a key enabler for Fusion, with responsibility for research delivery, facility operations and major technology or infrastructure programmes.

Robotics, Repurposing and Decommissioning:

RRDD comprises three parts; RACE the world's leading centre for fusion robotics; RAICo, the robotics and AI collaboration in Cumbria; and the GBP1B JET decommissioning and repurposing programme.

As part of the leadership team of RRDD, you will have responsibility for an overall budget of c.GBP100m per annum and have approximately 400 FTE's within the business area. With two facilities (Whitehaven and Culham) encompassing complex multi funding environments including grants, collaborations and commercial contracts.

As business partner to the Executive Director and working collaboratively with the senior team and wider finance function, you will support a broad remit including major programmes, developing and implementing commercial strategies and optimising funding for maximum impact in a complex multi-funding environment.

This role is a matrix role within the finance function, reporting jointly to the RRDD Executive Director and the Director of Finance - both of whom are member of the UKAEA Executive Committee (leadership team).

In this role you will:

- Ensure excellence in planning, control and reporting of income and expenditure providing financial management as part of the Directorate senior leadership team, advice and insight, driving financially sound decision making and future planning.

- Ensure the Directorate maximises funding and impact through accurate and taut forecasting.

- Support future strategy development though insightful analysis, modelling and understanding of both the capabilities of the Directorate and the opportunities externally.

- Lead finance aspect of business plans, business case development, commercial and grants bids.

- Balance financial reporting with insight of benefits and impact, to support investment decisions and demonstrate value for money and financial efficiency.

Please note: This role is likely to require some occasional travel to Cumbria.

Qualifications

Essential Requirements:

- Fully qualified accountant, with significant post qualification experience in a senior role. Ideally with extensive experience as a business partner, dealing with technical and/or scientific customers.

- Highly motivated with capability to lead & develop direct reports and support overall development of the finance team.

- Ability to establish strong working rapport with internal and external customers representing a variety of professional disciplines.

- Experience of working with and advising programme leadership teams

- Experience in business case development and analysis

- Understand the principles of revenue recognition and accounting for grant funding, appreciation of multi-funding control requirements.

Additional information

A full list of our benefits can be found on our website.

We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly individuals from black and other ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and women. Our Executive team, supported by our 'Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) Partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, actively promotes EDI and takes steps to increase diversity within our organization. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.

Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications.