Job Description

To act as the quality lead for the assigned business area, supporting delivery of the Sellafield Ltd (SL) Operating Plan through the provision of professional Quality advice and services. This role enables the effective implementation of the Sellafield Ltd Quality Policy, strategy, and standards, ensuring consistent application and continuous improvement of performance.

Principal Accountabilities

Providing strategic and operational focus for Quality:
• Support strategic direction for Quality, by helping shape goals and objectives and raising standards to enable safe, affordable and accelerated delivery.
• Embed quality standards into management systems, aligning to prevailing obligations and industry good practice, to enable the effective integration of quality in the conduct of operations and projects.

Creating a strong quality culture:
• Promote a strong quality culture, by building trusting relationships and ensuring visibility of quality in the field, to foster early engagement, collaboration and ownership of quality performance ‘in the line’.
• Deliver education and training programmes to build consistent understanding and leadership for quality.
• Lead stakeholder and regulator engagement on quality matters, to provide confidence, minimise risks and keep quality at the forefront of decision-making.

Mobilising Quality Advice and Services:
• Position Quality as a trusted partner to drive consistent practices and right-first-time delivery.
• Establish and deploy resource plans and quality services across SL and the supply chain to meet evolving needs.

Providing Oversight of Quality Performance:
• Provide oversight of quality performance through governance, assurance and management reviews.
• Enable informed decisions and actions, identifying and resolving quality issues and trends to mitigate risks and prevent recurrence.

Working collaboratively to improve quality performance:
• Create a lean-empowered environment and establish improvement programmes for quality, based on context, risks and opportunities, to deliver business benefits.
• Leverage lessons learned and industry insight, and influence industry networks to enhance quality outcomes.

Note: The accountabilities outlined in this job description are not exhaustive. Job holders may be required to undertake other work-related activities commensurate with their grade and skills which are necessary to fulfil the job purpose. This may include deputising for their Line Manager when required.

Authorities & Dimensions

Authorities:
• Hold team members accountable for adhering to commitments and performance of work according to applicable SL standards, procedures and arrangements.
• Authorise, delegate and approve expenditure of funds in line with the extent of delegated powers of financial authority in line with SL management system.

Dimensions:
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders, including regulators, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and industry focus groups, and represent SL on quality related matters, for their area(s) of responsibilities.
• Leads a team of materials/welding specialists who assure that plant and equipment meet specified technical and functional requirements with specific emphasis towards offsite build, maintenance and asset care programmes. Deploys technical services across Sellafield and supplier sites (UK and overseas) and NDA Group. Services include advice and intelligent customer capabilities for welding engineering, metallurgy and material science, and ownership of discipline-specific engineering standards.
• Provides strategic materials/welding focus for the business and extended supply chain to support quality performance improvements. Interacts with industry focus groups to influence improvements in performance/quality standards. Works closely with enabling and delivery groups within the business to establish arrangements and where appropriate initiate prompt proportionate interventions.

Essential Skills

• Degree qualified in materials or welding engineering and has membership of the relevant professional body.
• Seasoned professional with considerable welding/materials engineering experience, combined with in-depth/specialist knowledge in one or more specialist fields.
• Expert knowledge of prevailing industry standards and good practice, combined with awareness of SL regulatory and delivery context, providing the depth and breadth of knowledge required to act with credibility at a site and wider nuclear sector level.
• Experienced leader with a significant level of quality and nuclear industry experience, normally gained through experience in a front-line Quality or Operational leadership role, and the ability to maintain strong connection between the area of expertise and the wider business environment.
• Strong influencing and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to build effective relationships and influence with senior business leaders.
• Experience in leading interactions with external regulators and stakeholders at an operational and enterprise level.
• Experience in leading/participating in broader industry stakeholder groups resulting in efforts to benchmark and improve SL quality standards and capabilities.

Desirable Skills

• Robust track record in developing and delivering change programmes to improve quality performance and provide benefits for the business.
• Experience in creating lean, empowered capabilities to foster a learning and improvement mindset.

Additional Information

• Open VN
• Number of Vacancies: 2
• Contact: Dave Tomlinson

The interviews for this vacancy are expected to be 6th November 2026.

ASW’s may have the right to apply for internal Sellafield Ltd vacancies. Please note if you are an Agency Supplied Worker you are required to attach evidence of all qualifications obtained to support your application. We require a minimum of A*-C (9-4) GCSE in English Language, Maths & Science/IT or equivalent / higher qualification.

Contracted Supply Workers (CSWs) are not eligible to apply to internal vacancies. CSWs are welcome to apply to external vacancies advertised on our external vacancies board.

If you choose to apply for this role and your application is shortlisted by the hiring manager, you will be invited to a competency based interview. In the interview, you will be assessed against the below competencies:

Behavioural:
1.6 Collaboration and Teamwork
2.3 Coaching and Developing Others
3.1 Drive for Results
3.3 Adapting to and Leading Change

Technical:
Planning for quality
Driving continuous improvement

Please see link to the competency framework for further information:
https://slportal.ssa-intra.net/pub/SC001/00027/Competency%20Framework/Forms/AllItems.aspx

If your technical competency is not in the above framework, please refer to the profession’s share point page for further information.

Sellafield Ltd are recognised as a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3). Disability Confident employers offer an interview to disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for a vacancy. Sellafield Ltd define the minimum criteria as the ‘essential skills’ which are listed on the vacancy notice. Whilst completing your application form, you will be able to indicate if you wish to be considered under the disability confident scheme. If you would prefer to discuss this directly with us, please contact the GBS Recruitment team on recruitment@sellafieldcloud.co.uk

Please ensure that you save a copy of this advert for future reference if you make an application for this role.

The closing date for this vacancy is 19th October 2026.