About the job

Job summary

The Office for Nuclear Regulation is the UK’s independent nuclear regulator, with the legal authority to regulate nuclear safety, security and nuclear site health and safety (conventional health and safety) at 36 licensed nuclear sites in Great Britain (GB). This includes the existing fleet of operating reactors, fuel cycle facilities, waste management and decommissioning sites, as well as licensed defence sites, together with the regulation of the design and construction of new nuclear facilities.

 

ONR also regulates the transport of nuclear and radioactive materials by road, rail, and inland waterways, and as of January 2021 operates the UK’s State System of Accountancy for and Control of Nuclear Materials (SSAC) and a domestic safeguards regime.

As part of its 2025 strategy ONR is committed to being a modern and transparent regulator, delivering trusted outcomes and value. We are making substantial investments in new digital technologies and skills to enhance our regulatory processes and management of information.

About The Role 

A vacancy has arisen in the Nuclear Internal Hazards and Site Safety specialism regulating fire safety. Working in close cooperation with colleagues across the full range of ONR's Divisions and core purposes (including site health and safety, nuclear safety, transport, safeguards, and security), this provides an opportunity to gain the broadest possible insight and to make valuable contributions to the work of ONR across its regulatory functions.

 

Principal Responsibilities

 

The post holder will have a key role in delivering ONR's strategy and mission in the following areas of responsibility:

Working within the ONR divisional structure, undertake the regulation of site health and safety at nuclear licensed and associated sites which fall to ONR, in accordance with ONR’s Regulatory Strategy and divisional intervention plans.

• Contribute to delivering ONR Divisions’ proactive inspection workplan, by leading and participating in multi-disciplinary interventions.
• Provide specialist technical/regulatory advice to ONR Divisions on fire safety topics.
• Undertake assessment of fire safety arrangements and risk controls at ONR enforced nuclear sites.
• Investigation of selected incidents and reported workplace concerns, liaising with other ONR inspectors as appropriate.
• Considering and recommending proportionate regulatory action to secure compliance with the law.
• Review and assess plans and designs for new nuclear construction, modifications to existing facilities or examining arrangements during decommissioning.
• Liaising and collaborating with HSE and other statutory authorities as required on matters of mutual interest.
• Provide support and advice for other ONR inspectors and managers on fire safety matters including investigation and enforcement matters where
• Engage with licensees/duty holders at all levels, including corporately and maintain and improve links with industry groups/bodies, developing ONR's corporate knowledge of nuclear duty holders.
• Contribute to regulatory support work which ranges from maintenance of specialism governance arrangements including knowledge management to the development and maintenance of operational policy, operating instructions, processes, and procedures.
• Mentoring and support of colleagues, sharing and developing knowledge and skills within the specialism.

 

Line Management Responsibilities

• None currently, however, at this level there could be an expectation to manage staff in the future.

Job description

Location / Travel 

This post may be undertaken from a base at any one of ONR’s office locations (Bootle, Cheltenham, or London).

ONR operates hybrid working (working in the office and or at home) as part of our flexible working policy. There is an expectation that everyone will spend time in the office on a regular basis, recognising that some work is better done face to face. Managers will collaborate with their teams on what works best to meet individual, team, business and organisational needs to enable collaboration, as well as balancing personal choice and wellbeing.

The successful applicant requires a full driving licence which permits the holder to drive in the UK unless reasonable adjustments can be made under the Equality Act 2010.

This post requires some travel including overnight stays predominantly across the United Kingdom and occasionally abroad.

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must hold or can achieve and retain National Security Vetting clearance at SC level.

Person specification

Essential Qualifications

 

We expect Fire Safety inspectors to have:

 

• A good honours degree (or equivalent), in an appropriate scientific or engineering subject (STEM subject, including fire engineering) or experience at an equivalent professional level.
• Chartered membership of a relevant professional institution, or the ability to demonstrate performance and/or experience at an equivalent professional level.
• A full driving licence that permits you to drive in the UK. However, ONR is willing to consider any proposals put forward by disabled applicants that would allow them to do the job by any other means.

 

Essential Job-Related Expertise

• Experience of implementing fire safety solutions in a hazardous industry.
• Extensive knowledge of national fire safety standards and the application of fire engineering principles.
• A proven track record of improving fire safety outcomes in large organisations.
• Experience of working with architects and fire engineers in the design of major developments.
• The ability to assess unfamiliar scenarios by applying first principles derived from a sound technical/regulatory background to identify appropriate and proportionate risk control measures.
• A proven track record of self-starting and working to a consistently high standard with minimal supervision.

 

In addition to the technical experience, candidates should have:

 

• Proven effective judgement and decision-making skills, applying logical reasoning, understanding strategic impact, and making effective and proportionate risk-based recommendations.
• Good team working and communication skills to help us achieve our objectives.
• Demonstrable strong influencing skills and an ability to persuade by working collaboratively and flexibly with all stakeholders, showing appropriate interpersonal sensitivity, self-awareness, and assertiveness.
• Proven experience of balancing challenging and conflicting priorities, with resilience to flex in order to meet business needs.
• Evidence of effective and professional behaviours throughout delivery of roles.
• Confidence in the use of modern Microsoft based IT tools and applications.

 

 

ADDITIONAL Essential Skills and Experience required for a Nuclear Safety role.

 

• Previous experience in fire safety within the nuclear industry gained by direct employment by a Licensee or by support to the nuclear industry.
• Demonstrable background in nuclear fire safety i.e., background and experience in the consideration of fire hazard challenges in nuclear safety cases and their implementation.

 

This is a role at the heart of which is the ability to forge and maintain effective working relationships with large duty holders, other regulators, and staff in ONR's regulatory division and permissioning regime.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Level 4 Diploma in Fire Safety.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £55,019, Office for Nuclear Regulation contributes £27 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

For further information about this vacancy please contact Diego Lisbona (Professional Lead – Nuclear Internal Hazards and Site Safety)

diego.lisbona@onr.gov.uk

How to Apply 

Please submit your application through the recruitment portal.

This advert will remain open until we have filled the advertised role. We reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any time.

Your application should include: 

• CV to include a full record of your education and professional qualifications and a full employment history.
• A suitability statement highlighting the ‘essential skills and experience’ (please provide specific evidence/examples where possible up to a maximum of 350 words relating to each essential criteria) – you will be prompted to copy and paste your statement into our online portal.
• If you have any experience under ‘desirable skills and experience,’ please also highlight these within your statement.

Throughout our selection process, we will make decisions about your capability to do the job, based on evidence you provide against the essential criteria for the role which are detailed on the job description, if you are shortlisted you will be invited to a technical and competency-based interview. We will offer an interview to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the role.

 Please note.

• if using special characters such as (‘; “- _ *) when entering data into our portal as the system will currently generate these to symbols. The application is still readable however, the symbols will show once applications submitted (this will not affect your application at shortlisting)
• When providing CV’s – please upload text-based CVs with no graphics or pictures to ensure the anonymisation function words correctly.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission. The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.