Vacuum and gas technician

The salary for this role is £43,702 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance). Onsite working is expected for 5 days a week, however, we actively support requests for flexible working. 

This role can be based at any of the following sites: Culham, Oxfordshire.

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions and possibly a search of open source data. 

The Role

MAST-U is currently the largest operating spherical tokamak in the world, providing a facility on which to perform experiments to provide the answer to key questions for fusion power to be delivered to the grid.

We are looking for a Vacuum and Gas Technician, a dual role supporting the vacuum and gas systems of the MAST-U tokamak as well as co-ordinating all bottled gases procurement & deployment activities across UKAEA. The job holder will work within a team of engineers and technicians under the management of the Cryogenics & Services Team Leader.

The role may occasionally include participation in a rostered on-call system , with fault-finding and maintenance of vacuum systems often carried out outside normal working hours due to access restrictions during operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Carrying out fault-fining, repairs, maintenance, commissioning and enhancements to the existing vacuum and gas systems. Leading small vacuum and gas projects.
• Improving the reliability & efficiency of the existing vacuum systems. Procurement of new mechanical equipment and spares for the vacuum and gas systems.
• Authoring, production and maintenance of operating procedures, commissioning procedures, reports, drawings, manuals and other such technical documentation. Carrying out risk assessments, writing operating procedures and other safety documentation.
• Supervising contractors and apprentices, when required.
• Co-ordinating all safety related activities and training concerning the usage of bottled gases across UKAEA. Leading the activities of the 18 Authorised Persons Bottled Gases with respect to safety, legal and regulatory requirements. Developing and implementing best practices in the management and use of bottled gases.
• Deputy contract manager for the bottled gas contract, responsible for coordinating the ordering, delivery and forecasting demand for bottled gas across site.
• Undertaking quarterly audits of all gas storage facilities on site and instigate the improvement of existing gas procurement and delivery systems.

Essential Requirements:

• HNC in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent.
• Demonstrable experience of vacuum systems.
• Knowledge of the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations (PSSR) and the BCGA Codes of Practice for the transport, storage, handling and usage of bottled gases.
• Practical experience of high pressure gas cylinders and systems.
• Proven experience of helium trace gas and other such forms of vacuum leak detection and the ability to understand and interpret RGA data.

Desirable Requirements: 

• Demonstrable expertise in vessel conditioning of large vacuum vessels.
 

A full list of our benefits can be found here

UKAEA’s mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal. We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, while ensuring all appointments are made on merit.

UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email if you have any questions or require help or adjustments to compete on a fair basis, for example, changes to the way we interview or share information.  

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