Head of Assurance, Management Systems & Audit
* Full-time
* Salary: £86,758 + excellent benefits including outstanding pension
* Division: UKFE - Risk Assurance and Regulation
* Site Location: West Burton, Nottinghamshire
* Department: UKFE - Risk and Assurance
The UK Government has established UK Fusion Energy (UKFE) Ltd., a subsidiary of UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), to lead the charge in delivering fusion energy through design and delivery of the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) prototype fusion plant. UKFE is establishing itself, setting up the company, attracting talent, engaging with industry, developing a supply chain, and planning and constructing of the STEP prototype.
Fusion energy, crucial for combating climate change and ensuring energy independence, is expected to be commercially viable by mid-century. The UK, led by UKFE, aims for a prototype fusion plant, targeting first operations around 2040. UK Fusion Energy Ltd. will lead delivery, collaborating with industrial partners and building a fusion supply chain with an estimated global sector value of £7tn per year. Join UKFE and the STEP programme to be involved in this ground-breaking journey.
Onsite working is expected for 3 days each week, however, we actively support requests for Flexible Working.
As an employee of UKFE, you will benefit from:
* Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme, details of which can be found at the end of this advert.
* Corporate bonus scheme up to 7% and a relocation allowance (if eligible).
* Flexible working options including family-friendly policies and the right to request flexible working from the start of your employment.
* Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders.
* Generous annual leave allowance starting with 25 days, plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays.
* A vibrant culture committed to being fully inclusive.
The salary for this role is £86,758 + excellent benefits including outstanding pension.
Fusion energy offers the potential for significant quantities of low‑carbon, inherently safe, abundantly fuelled, baseload energy, supporting sustainable climate action and energy independence. While the technical challenge remains high, confidence is increasing, and the rewards of realising fusion are almost incalculable. Anticipated to come online for commercial purposes in the middle of this century, fusion offers a viable means to sustainable net zero in the UK and globally, as well as to increased energy security. The UK is currently a world leader in fusion research and development and in the drive to realise commercially viable energy from fusion, a sector with an estimated value of £tns per year.
STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) is the UK’s flagship national programme to deliver a prototype fusion energy plant, targeting 2040, and a path to commercial viability of fusion. STEP is deliberately bold and ambitious and seeks people who want to be part of a world-changing endeavour and who have credible and relevant experience.
STEP is supported by the UK Atomic Energy Authority, which has breadth and depth of expertise in fusion science, engineering and operations built over decades. UK Fusion Energy Ltd. (UKFE) Is a relatively new organisation established to focus on the delivery of the prototype and, in so doing, the development of a fusion supply chain. UKFE will lead a collaborative team of industrial Whole Plant Partners who bring expertise in engineering and construction, plus UKAEA who will remain as strategic Partner providing fusion expertise.
The Role
As Head of Assurance, Management Systems & Audit, you will provide strategic leadership and single‑point accountability for UKFE’s end‑to‑end assurance framework.
Reporting directly to the Director of Safety, Quality & Mission Assurance, you will own the Integrated Management System (IMS), lead the Internal Audit function, and oversee assurance across programmes, functions, and the supply chain. Your work will ensure UKFE operates with confidence inside its governance arrangements, regulatory obligations, and risk appetite — now and as the programme scales towards construction.
You will act as a trusted, independent voice at Executive Board and Audit & Risk Committee level, translating complex assurance evidence into clear insight that supports critical decision‑making.
What You’ll Be Responsible For
* Owning and evolving UKFE’s Enterprise Assurance Strategy, integrating first, second, and third lines of defence.
* Providing independent challenge where assurance coverage, depth, or resourcing is insufficient.
* Anticipating future risk as the programme matures, partners onboard, and delivery models evolve.
* Representing assurance maturity and systemic risk at Board, committee and sponsor level.
Integrated Management System (IMS)
* Acting as guardian and final authority on the IMS and its fitness for purpose.
* Ensuring alignment with ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 27001 and nuclear regulatory expectations.
* Integrating partner and supplier management systems as delivery models mature.
* Balancing pace, cost, and control while maintaining regulatory confidence.
Internal Audit
* Leading a credible, independent, risk‑based Internal Audit function.
* Setting multi‑year audit strategy aligned to enterprise risk, not cyclical coverage.
* Escalating systemic control issues and behavioural risks when evidence demands it.
* Ensuring audit insight directly informs executive and Board decisions.
* Providing assurance that UKFE discharges its Intelligent Customer responsibilities across complex, multi‑tier supply chains.
* Integrating supply chain intelligence into enterprise risk and audit planning.
* Supporting strategic conversations on supply chain resilience and long‑term capability.
* Owning systemic learning and corrective action across the enterprise.
* Driving root‑cause resolution rather than symptom‑level fixes.
* Acting as an independent barometer of organisational and nuclear safety culture.
* Championing digital assurance tools that improve insight while respecting professional judgement.
What you’ll need
If you’re a senior assurance leader who thrives on complexity, independence, and purpose — and you want your work to contribute to something truly transformational — we’d love to hear from you.
Essential Skills and Experience
* Significant experience in highly regulated, high‑hazard environments.
* Senior leadership experience across assurance, audit, management systems or technical governance.
* Strong understanding of Integrated Management Systems across quality, safety, environment and information security.
* Expertise in risk‑based assurance and audit methodologies.
* Ability to influence confidently at Executive, Board, regulator and sponsor level.
* Degree in Engineering, Quality, Business, Law or a related discipline.
* Experience in nuclear or similarly safety‑critical sectors.
* Professional accreditation (e.g. CQI/IRCA Lead Auditor, CEng, MCQI, MCIPS).
* Experience applying digital solutions to assurance and governance.
* Experience representing organisations to external auditors and government bodies.
We welcome applications from under‑represented groups, particularly women in STEM and individuals from British black and ethnic minority backgrounds, and individuals with disabilities. Our Executive team, supported by our ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’ (EDI) Partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, actively promotes EDI and takes steps to increase diversity within our organisation. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.
UKFE is committed to being accessible. 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 contact talent@ukfe.uk.
This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions. Whilst not required at this time, there is a possibility of an SC Clearance being required in the future. If a candidate already holds an SC clearance, that clearance can be transferred to UKFE.
STEP Behaviours
* We champion safety.
* We all matter.
* We act as one.
* We are pioneering.
* We deliver.
If your country of residence or previous residence is not listed on the government website for criminal record checks, or the UK Government does not have information on obtaining a criminal records check from that state, we cannot process your application.
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