Skip to content

Nuclear Safety Inspectors – Civil Engineering

Civil engineering in ONR is concerned with the regulation of the design, construction, testing, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of a wide range of manmade and natural structures. Civil engineering structures on nuclear sites provide important safety functions including containment, radiological shielding, protection from fire, weather and other natural hazards and ensuring the primary cooling demand is satisfied. Some civil engineering structures also provide a security function. If successful, your primary role will be to consider the ability of civil structures to reliably satisfy these functions.

The majority of existing civil engineering structures on nuclear sites are unique and many are of considerable age. Future nuclear developments may propose new construction techniques or for materials to be used in innovative ways to meet safety and security functions.

Experience

We are looking for people who have both specialist knowledge and experience related to civil engineering and have developed a broader understanding of the aspects that contribute to a civil engineering safety case. Inspectors need to be able to provide guidance and advice within their area of expertise and, following appropriate training, lead on the technical assessment of the civil engineering aspects of safety. Our civil engineering staff need have a knowledge of natural and man-made hazards and how structures are designed to withstand such hazards.

Specific technical skills we are seeking are listed below. We do not expect candidates to be able to demonstrate experience in all these areas, and candidates with additional related skills may wish to highlight these within their application.

  • Application of seismic, American and French design standards and guidance relating to nuclear structures;
  • Experience of considering the dynamic behaviour of structures;
  • Understanding of the intelligent customer role and design management processes;
  • Consideration of construction quality assurance and design change control processes;
  • Understanding of structural ageing and degradation effects and material testing;
  • Experience of water retaining or excluding structures;
  • Methods for modelling the complex behaviour of structures;
  • Consideration of structures and common construction materials subject to accidental or extreme conditions;
  • Application of Building Information Management/Models and related technologies;
  • Geotechnical engineering, including soil dynamics;
  • Degree level qualification or equivalent in civil and/or structural engineering, or a directly related discipline, or the ability to demonstrate performance and experience at an equivalent professional level; and
  • Chartered membership of a relevant professional institution, or the ability to demonstrate performance and/or experience at an equivalent professional level.

Civil Engineering Inspectors have an important role in the regulation of the design, construction and commissioning of new structures, designed to the latest standards and construction techniques, but also in regulating the adequacy of ageing assets. Inspectors need to be able to reach and clearly express a decision upon whether a new or existing asset satisfies the requirement to reduce health and safety risks so far as is reasonably practicable. Inspectors need to be able to influence duty holders whenever, in the inspector’s opinion, this position has not been achieved.

Inspectors typically work in multi-disciplinary teams, where you are likely to be the only civil engineering specialist. While specialist inspectors work with the support of the technical specialism, your day to day deliverables will be agreed with your multi-disciplinary team lead. We are looking for individuals with strong team working and good communication skills to help us achieve our objectives.

How to apply

Please visit our recruitment portal.