Q: What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

As the Professional Head of Function, you will provide strategic leadership across the entire UKFE and STEP portfolio. Your primary mission is to ensure that environmental protection and sustainability are integrated into the decision-making processes of the Executive Team and the Board. This involves defining the long-term environmental vision and creating the governance frameworks that will guide the programme from design through to eventual decommissioning. You will also be the primary lead for the environmental case , overseeing the complex process of obtaining necessary permits and consents. This includes managing environmental contributions to Development Consent Orders and ensuring that all regulatory submissions are technically robust. Additionally, you will be responsible for building a high-performing team of specialists to execute these strategies across the supply chain.

Q: How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?

The ideal candidate is a Chartered Environmentalist or Fellow of IEMA with extensive experience in senior leadership roles within major infrastructure or high-hazard industries. You should have a proven track record of influencing board-level decisions and managing relationships with high-profile regulators and government departments. Technical knowledge of environmental legislation and permitting regimes is essential, but equally important is your ability to lead multidisciplinary teams . You must be a credible ambassador who can communicate complex environmental risks and opportunities to a diverse range of stakeholders, from technical experts to public officials.

Q: What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?

The focus of this role is heavily weighted toward environmental stewardship and regulatory compliance for a major industrial site. You will look at the entire lifecycle of the fusion plant, from resource efficiency during construction to the long-term implications of decommissioning and waste management. There is also a significant focus on climate resilience and the circular economy. Because fusion is intended to be a zero-carbon energy source, your role is to ensure the process of creating that energy is as sustainable as the power it generates. This involves setting performance measures that track the programme's environmental impact beyond just carbon emissions.

Q: What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?

One of the primary challenges will be navigating regulatory uncertainty . As fusion is an emerging technology, the regulatory and permitting frameworks are often being developed in parallel with the project. You will need to provide stable leadership and clear strategic advice even when the 'rules' are still being defined. Additionally, balancing the urgent mission of the programme—to achieve first operations by 2040—with the meticulous requirements of environmental permitting can create tension. Managing the expectations of diverse stakeholders within a public-private alliance while maintaining high standards of environmental integrity will require exceptional diplomacy and resilience.

Q: How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?

A typical day might begin with a briefing for the Executive Team on upcoming environmental consenting milestones, followed by a series of meetings with technical leads to review how sustainability principles are being embedded into the latest plant designs. In the afternoon, you might shift to external engagement , representing the organisation in discussions with the Environment Agency or other government bodies to discuss permitting evidence. The day often concludes with internal team development, focusing on building the professional competence frameworks for your growing environmental function.

Q: The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

You will interact daily with the Director of Safety, Quality and Mission Assurance and the broader Executive Team. Your internal network will also include engineering leads, project managers, and the various partners within the public-private alliance delivering the STEP programme. Externally, you will be the face of environmental management for regulatory bodies , government departments (such as DESNZ), and local planning authorities. You will also engage with industry peers and sustainability experts across the fusion and wider renewable energy sectors to foster a collaborative approach to environmental excellence.

Question 1

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

Accepted Answer

As the Professional Head of Function, you will provide strategic leadership across the entire UKFE and STEP portfolio. Your primary mission is to ensure that environmental protection and sustainability are integrated into the decision-making processes of the Executive Team and the Board. This involves defining the long-term environmental vision and creating the governance frameworks that will guide the programme from design through to eventual decommissioning. You will also be the primary lead for the environmental case, overseeing the complex process of obtaining necessary permits and consents. This includes managing environmental contributions to Development Consent Orders and ensuring that all regulatory submissions are technically robust. Additionally, you will be responsible for building a high-performing team of specialists to execute these strategies across the supply chain.

Question 2

Key learning opportunities for this job

Accepted Answer

This role offers an unparalleled opportunity to work at the absolute cutting edge of energy technology. You will gain deep expertise in the environmental regulatory landscape for first-of-a-kind (FOAK) nuclear and fusion technologies, helping to shape the frameworks that will govern this emerging global industry for decades to come. Furthermore, you will be exposed to large-scale infrastructure planning and the unique challenges of applying circular economy principles to highly complex engineering projects. The cross-disciplinary nature of the STEP programme means you will collaborate with world-class scientists and engineers, broadening your technical understanding of future-green-energy systems and large-scale project management.

Question 3

How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?

Accepted Answer

The ideal candidate is a Chartered Environmentalist or Fellow of IEMA with extensive experience in senior leadership roles within major infrastructure or high-hazard industries. You should have a proven track record of influencing board-level decisions and managing relationships with high-profile regulators and government departments. Technical knowledge of environmental legislation and permitting regimes is essential, but equally important is your ability to lead multidisciplinary teams. You must be a credible ambassador who can communicate complex environmental risks and opportunities to a diverse range of stakeholders, from technical experts to public officials.

Question 4

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

Accepted Answer

To stand out, your application should demonstrate a specific interest in the fusion energy transition and an understanding of the unique environmental challenges posed by experimental energy plants. Move beyond generic sustainability experience; highlight times you have navigated 'regulatory uncertainty' or managed environmental cases for 'nationally significant infrastructure'. Quantify your leadership impact by showing how you have built sustainability functions from the ground up or transformed organisational culture in complex engineering environments. Align your profile with the STEP behaviours, specifically focusing on how you 'champion safety' and are 'pioneering' in your approach to environmental stewardship.

Question 5

What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?

Accepted Answer

The focus of this role is heavily weighted toward environmental stewardship and regulatory compliance for a major industrial site. You will look at the entire lifecycle of the fusion plant, from resource efficiency during construction to the long-term implications of decommissioning and waste management. There is also a significant focus on climate resilience and the circular economy. Because fusion is intended to be a zero-carbon energy source, your role is to ensure the process of creating that energy is as sustainable as the power it generates. This involves setting performance measures that track the programme's environmental impact beyond just carbon emissions.

Question 6

What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?

Accepted Answer

One of the primary challenges will be navigating regulatory uncertainty. As fusion is an emerging technology, the regulatory and permitting frameworks are often being developed in parallel with the project. You will need to provide stable leadership and clear strategic advice even when the 'rules' are still being defined. Additionally, balancing the urgent mission of the programme—to achieve first operations by 2040—with the meticulous requirements of environmental permitting can create tension. Managing the expectations of diverse stakeholders within a public-private alliance while maintaining high standards of environmental integrity will require exceptional diplomacy and resilience.

Question 7

How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?

Accepted Answer

A typical day might begin with a briefing for the Executive Team on upcoming environmental consenting milestones, followed by a series of meetings with technical leads to review how sustainability principles are being embedded into the latest plant designs. In the afternoon, you might shift to external engagement, representing the organisation in discussions with the Environment Agency or other government bodies to discuss permitting evidence. The day often concludes with internal team development, focusing on building the professional competence frameworks for your growing environmental function.

Question 8

What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?

Accepted Answer

Given the scale of the STEP programme and its global significance, this role offers significant high-visibility leadership opportunities. You will be at the forefront of a new industrial sector, positioning yourself as a global authority on fusion sustainability. Within the UKAEA group, there are paths for professional growth toward broader executive management or cross-functional leadership roles. As the programme moves from design into construction and operation, the scope and complexity of your function will naturally expand, offering long-term career progression in one of the UK’s most ambitious infrastructure projects.

Question 9

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

Accepted Answer

You will interact daily with the Director of Safety, Quality and Mission Assurance and the broader Executive Team. Your internal network will also include engineering leads, project managers, and the various partners within the public-private alliance delivering the STEP programme. Externally, you will be the face of environmental management for regulatory bodies, government departments (such as DESNZ), and local planning authorities. You will also engage with industry peers and sustainability experts across the fusion and wider renewable energy sectors to foster a collaborative approach to environmental excellence.

Head of Environment & Sustainability

Job FAQs

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

Key learning opportunities for this job

How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?

What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?

How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?

What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

Never miss the next opportunity

Want more relevant opportunities?

You are all set!