Head of Contract – Construction

Overview of Responsibilities

As an employee of UKAEA 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.
• 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
• Wide range of career development opportunities
• A vibrant culture committed to equality and being fully inclusive

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions.

The Role

Join our team and be the Head of Contract (Construction) to shape the future of fusion energy. In this role, you will lead a team of external consultants and subject matter experts, overseeing their work and ensuring the active participation of internal stakeholders in technical functions. Reporting to the Commercial and Supply Chain Director, your responsibilities include managing the intensive procurement process for Whole Plant Partners, utilizing high-grade commercial skills to achieve the best business outcome. Your pivotal role extends to recommending long-term, major contract awards and presenting a compelling commercial case to Central Government stakeholders.

Once contracts are awarded, you will lead the construction contract, managing the Construction Partner and their supply chains on a Commercial basis as a senior member of the UKIFS Commercial organization. Oversight for initial procurement scope at the West Burton site, including site clearance and characterisation activities, falls under your purview. As procurement activity increases, your role ensures alignment of procurement strategies for site-based work with the overall commercial strategy for the Construction partner and maintains alignment with the partner selection process. The role is part of the ambitious STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) program, the UK’s flagship initiative targeting a prototype fusion energy plant by 2040, seeking individuals with relevant experience and a commitment to this world-changing endeavor.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Commercial Strategy and Strategic Decision Making – ensure commercial decisions are made in a strategic manner. 
• Managing the Competitive Dialogue and Contract Award process 
• Developing Supply Chain Strategies – form working groups to better understand key issues and how to address them. 
• Team Leadership and Development – guide, coach and develop your team.
• Embody a Leadership Mindset – contribute to a respectful and collaborative workplace. 

Qualifications

Essential Requirements:

• Proven experience as a Commercial or Procurement leader, in similar Construction or Engineering environments. 
• Demonstrable experience in managing large Procurement or Commercial teams leading to strategic outcomes. 
• Demonstrable experience of managing large-scale procurement exercises, ideally (but not exclusively) in the Public Sector. 
• In-depth understanding of Commercial strategies, pricing models, legal frameworks, and demonstrable experience of writing business cases for internal and external stakeholders.