Great British Energy - Nuclear is an arm’s length body of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, dedicated to supporting the development and deployment of new nuclear technologies in Great Britain. We play a crucial role in advancing nuclear new build, ensuring the UK’s energy security and achieving net-zero carbon emissions. Great British Energy - Nuclear focuses on fostering innovation, facilitating investment, and coordinating efforts across the nuclear industry to build a resilient and sustainable energy future.
Great British Energy - Nuclear’s first step was to start the technology selection process for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in 2023. In June 2025, Great British Energy - Nuclear announced that Rolls-Royce SMR had been selected as the preferred bidder to build the UK’s first SMRs and in November 2025 the first build site was confirmed as Wylfa in Anglesey.
Great British Energy - Nuclear is aiming to deliver fast, based on a supportive and collaborative culture which values equality and diversity and creates an inclusive workplace. We draw on deep nuclear expertise – our Executive Committee has over 100 years of nuclear experience at home and abroad. GBN-E will unlock billions of pounds of private and public investment from design to operation, helping to get sites ready for development, and working to grow manufacturing capacity and skills capability.
Our activities will be driven by our values, which are:
Trust - We prioritise safety, we act responsibly and with integrity.
Collaboration - We work as a team; we value diversity and expertise.
Challenge - We are curious and courageous in the way we think and act.
Care - We are thoughtful, inclusive and respectful of others.
Drive - We get things done and we make a difference.
If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format or would like us to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at recruitment@greatbritishnuclear.uk and we will talk to you about how we can assist.
Job Profile:
The Nuclear Site Licence (NSL) Lead will be part of the Safety, Licensing and Assurance (SLA) function, reporting to the Head of Licensing, Permissions and Compliance, who is responsible for all aspects of nuclear site licensing, permissions and compliance. The SLA function sets the standards and strategies needed to meet GBE‑N’s HSSSEQ policies, covering risk and assurance, regulatory, consents, licensing, permitting and quality.
This role will lead the delivery of nuclear site licensing activities for GBE‑N’s SMR project, owning the NSL plan, NSL application and dossier pack, NSL assessment demonstration and the pathway to NSL grant up to start of commercial operations. They will shape and implement the NSL strategy, coordinate organisation‑wide contributions, and ensure that the NSL programme interfaces effectively with the Long Lead Item (LLI), Permissioning & Compliance workstreams.
They will provide authoritative advice, guidance and coaching on the development of Licence Conditions, requirements capture and alignment, and the organisational capability and management arrangements required for a future Nuclear Site Licensee. They will act as an Intelligent Customer, guiding and managing supply chain support to deliver high‑quality licensing artefacts and evidence.
This role will be required to engage with regulatory bodies (e.g. ONR, NRW, etc.), the licensing team and will collaborate closely with the Regulatory Engagement Office (REO) to coordinate formal regulatory interactions and ensure a consistent, strategic approach across the programme.
The role will involve extensive liaison with internal and external stakeholders and forms part of the establishment of a major programme, contributing to the successful delivery of a First of a Kind (FOAK) UK SMR project. The role requires comfort with uncertainty, ambiguity and change in a fast‑moving environment.
Responsibilities:
- Accountable for planning and delivering the Nuclear Site Licence (NSL) and follow‑on applications for Licence Instruments.
- Lead implementation of the NSL plan, NSL application, dossier pack and NSL assessment demonstrations in line with the agreed NSL strategy.
- Coordinate organisation‑wide inputs to meet NSL evidence requirements and regulatory readiness.
- Ensure NSL activities are integrated with the overall project schedule and wider regulatory workstreams.
- Lead and manage the NSL regulatory workstreams, including the Licensing regulatory workstream, and prepare NSL technical inputs to Level 4 regulatory meetings.
- Provide technical leadership for NSL‑related content supporting regulatory engagements and act as the technical point of contact for NSL‑related matters with ONR.
- Oversee preparation of NSL artefacts, submissions, regulatory responses and supporting evidence to the required quality.
- Act as Intelligent Customer (IC) and Manages NSL related supply‑chain technical support and deliverables.
- Work across the project delivery organisation, including supply chain and enabling functions, to ensure licensee requirements and expectations are reflected in delivery.
- Ensure alignment between NSL delivery, Licensing activities and Licence Condition compliance arrangements.
- Prepare NSL planning, progress, risk and dependency inputs to support programme reporting.
- Provide advice, guidance and coaching on NSL delivery as a technical expert in NSL matters.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience required:
- Demonstrable experience in nuclear site licensing, regulatory engagement support, and compliance delivery within highly regulated industries.
- Experience delivering complex licensing programmes, including nuclear site licensing, planning, evidence development, change management and assessment readiness.
- Strong understanding of nuclear safety, security, safeguards, environmental and quality requirements as they relate to NSL, Licence Conditions and compliance.
- Experience preparing, integrating and reviewing safety cases, environmental assessments and supporting regulatory submissions.
- Ability to provide technical leadership, advice and coaching across multidisciplinary teams to support organisational capability development.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex licensing requirements and compliance expectation to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
- Ability to work effectively in conditions of uncertainty, ambiguity and change within evolving project and regulatory contexts, typical of FOAK and early‑stage nuclear programmes.
- Proven ability to work collaboratively across multiple organisations, multidisciplinary functions and supply‑chain partners in a fast‑paced, multi‑party environment.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s (preferred) degree in a STEM or equivalent business/management level discipline.
- Chartered status with a recognised engineering or regulatory institute (e.g., CEng, CSci or equivalent).