Head of Tritium Facility Operations

The salary for this role is £94,758 (inclusive of a Specialist Allowance).

Onsite working is expected for 4 days each week. 

This role is based at the following site: 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

As Head of Tritium Facility Operations, you will provide strategic and visible leadership for the safe, effective, and reliable operation of Tritium Fuel Cycle Division’s specialist facilities. You will be accountable for operational performance, regulatory compliance, and facility availability, while shaping the long‑term operational strategy for current and next‑generation tritium facilities including workforce capability, asset maintenance, and readiness for future facilities.

This is a senior leadership role with end‑to‑end responsibility for:

• Tritium user facilities and waste operations
• Commercial exploitation of operational capabilities
• The transition of major new facilities into operation, including the UKAEA‑Eni H3AT Tritium Loop Facility

A central part of the role is ensuring the capacity and development of the highly skilled teams who operate these complex and safety‑critical facilities, fostering a culture of excellence, learning, and continuous improvement.

The safety, availability, and accessibility of Tritium Fuel Cycle Division's facilities are fundamental to UKAEA’s ability to deliver sustainable fusion energy. Your leadership will directly enable pioneering research, industrial collaboration, and future fusion power plants, making this role critical to the organisation’s long‑term success.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure regulatory compliance and maintain the safety, health, and welfare of staff in line with company policies and UKAEA standards.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing workforce, driving succession planning, capability growth, and future organisational readiness.
• Develop, implement, and maintain facility operations strategies, schedules, and transition plans, ensuring smooth integration of operations, maintenance, and project delivery.
• Drive continuous improvement and operational excellence, benchmarking against external organisations and maximising facility availability.
• Oversee safe and efficient operation of Tritium Fuel Cycle Division Facilities for internal and external users.
• Manage the operational budget (~£10m), track costs, delegate programme budgets, and provide timely financial reporting.
• Lead complex, high-value projects within the facilities, providing strategic direction, technical guidance, and governance.
• Align Tritium Fuel Cycle Division operations with organisational objectives, foster strategic partnerships, and identify commercial opportunities.
• Champion UKAEA’s values, promoting equality, diversity, inclusion, safety, and best practice standards across the organisation.