Job Description
UKAEA currently manages around 60 active secondments, with an ongoing pipeline of new international collaborations. At least 30 additional arrangements are expected each year across a wide range of partner countries, including USA, France, Japan and Germany and secondments across UK industry, government, universities, and research institutions. Each arrangement is complex and resource-intensive, particularly overseas, and the function also supports the immigration of hundreds of international visitors annually across all programmes
Core responsibilities
* Lead the strategic approach to organisational collaborations and international postings, aligning with ExCo, senior leaders, and external partners.
* Ensure Global Mobility is embedded early in planning, advising on compliant frameworks that protect organisational and IP interests.
* Approve and oversee international assignment allowances, expenses, and policy frameworks, supported by tax and finance expertise.
* Negotiate and finalise secondment and partnership agreements with third parties in collaboration with Legal and IP stakeholders.
* Procure and manage outsourced global mobility services, ensuring quality, compliance, and value for money.
* Develop scalable self-service policies, tools, and shared-service capability to improve efficiency and consistency.
* Build and manage the resources, funding, and structure required to deliver an expanding global mobility function.
* Lead and develop a high-performing, flexible team and contribute to operational leadership forums.
* Provide senior escalation support and cost modelling to programme leaders on complex mobility scenarios.
* Champion EDI and GDPR best practice across global mobility operations and supplier relationships.
Qualifications
* Chartered CIPD with management-level expertise.
* Proven experience leading and scaling teams to deliver complex operational services.
* Strategic capability to operate in complex, evolving organisational contexts.
* Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to design pragmatic solutions to non-standard issues.
* Numerate and commercially aware, able to model allowances, costs, and tax implications.
* Ability to interpret and apply complex legal, immigration, and contractual frameworks.
Additional Information
A full list of our benefits can be found here but highlights include:
* £50,311 base salary
* Final salary defined benefit scheme with an equivalent of 21.5% employer pension contribution
* 25 days annual leave, plus 3 days Christmas closure, 2.5 privilege day and 8 Bank holidays
* Flexible and hybrid working options
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. Further information can be found here .