About the Role
Our Research & Technology (R&T) team has been leading the way in supporting some of the world’s most complex engineering challenges and ensuring the continued safe delivery of the UK’s Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programme for over 15 years. This role is central to establishing our position in supporting the future technology demands of the nuclear propulsion programme.

The Future Technology Lead will work as part of the NPRT management team, developing, guiding, and delivering the strategy for future technology based on the concept of “neutron to thrust.” This involves close collaboration with senior stakeholders across the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Tier 1 contractors within the Submarine Enterprise, academia, and key technology partners.

The position requires strong technical expertise in nuclear and reactor technologies, propulsion systems, and awareness of trends and advancements across relevant sectors. You’ll also need an understanding of nuclear propulsion requirements to deliver competitive military technology into the future, and how to support this through research and technology activities.

You will foster collaboration across multiple technical disciplines, contribute to senior committees, and help shape the future of nuclear technology within Defence. Success in this role demands excellent communication skills, technical and programme understanding, and a creative mindset to identify new opportunities that deliver value to both the customer and the business.

We welcome individuals who are passionate about R&T and the NNPP, with a desire to work on one of the most complex, challenging, and important projects within the UK.

What you will be doing

• Provide innovative thinking and insights that influence positive change and advancement in the industry.

• Apply broad and comprehensive expertise in leading-edge theories, techniques, and technologies within your field.

• Influence business strategy to address internal or external challenges, vendor relationships, and regulatory requirements.

• Proactively identify and solve complex problems that impact the management and direction of the business.

• Work as part of the R&T management team to establish and deliver a strong research programme on future technologies.

• Use knowledge of wider NNPP requirements, challenges, and future direction to develop, lead, and deliver the future strategy.

• Engage with MoD DNO, MoD SDA, Tier 1 industry partners, academia, and technology partners to inform and define future direction.

• Anticipate internal and external business challenges and wider programme issues; recommend process, product, or service improvements.

• Make unbiased technical decisions in the best interests of the Naval Nuclear Submarine Propulsion Research Programmes while sustaining and developing technology capability.

• Collaborate across technical areas and the broader organisation to drive growth and enhance customer offerings.

• Maintain a strong understanding of submarine nuclear propulsion technology, using the concept of “neutron to thrust” to guide future research and technology strategy.

• Ensure compliance with health, safety, environment, security, and quality standards.

Benefits:
We’ll inspire and empower you to deliver your best work so you can evolve, grow and succeed – today and into tomorrow.  We offer an exciting range of opportunities to develop your career within a supportive and diverse team who always strive to do the right thing for our people, clients and communities. People are our greatest asset, and we offer a competitive package to retain and attract the best talent.

In addition to the benefits you’d expect, UK employees also receive free single medical cover and digital GP service, family-friendly benefits such as enhanced parental leave pay and free membership of employee assistance and parental programmes, plus reimbursement towards relevant professional development and memberships. We also give back to our communities through our Collectively program which incorporates matched-funding, paid volunteering time and charitable donations.
Work-life balance and flexibility is a key focus area for us. We’re happy to discuss hybrid, part-time and flexible working hours, patterns and locations to suit you and our business.

Our Culture:
Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and diversity. We put people at the heart of our business, and we genuinely believe that we all succeed by supporting one another through our culture of caring. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees.  
We aim to embed inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we’re more connected, and if we are diverse, we’re more creative. We accept people for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, mental health, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. This is reflected in our wide range of Global Employee Networks centered on inclusion and diversity.

We partner with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain diverse talent. For greater online accessibility, please visit www.vercida.com to view and access our roles. As a Disability Confident employer, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a vacancy. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.