STEP Business Case & Investment Lead

Overview of Responsibilities

For more information on UKIFS, visit: https://careers.ukaea.uk/wp-content/uploads/download/UKIFS_CandidateRecruitmentPack.pdf 

Employees of UKIFS can be based at this site; Culham, Oxfordshire and West Burton, Nottinghamshire.

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  

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference on a global scale? Join our team and contribute to the future of fusion energy as STEP Business Case & Investment Lead in the field of fusion energy. In this role you will lead  the Business Case development for funding of the multibillion-pound STEP programme through to its completion targeted for 2040. 

You will work closely with the sponsoring government department and wider UKIFS organisation in developing the Business Cases,  peer reviewing the work of others, presenting their work both within the programme, to senior government officials and at a range of external fora. 

You will also lead on wider strategic work exploring long term investment opportunities  in the programme.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Developing Business Cases and strategy documents.
• Lead the scoping of cross cutting project work, including the development and maintenance of cross cutting plans, that secure support from Whitehall stakeholders.
• Draft and present delivery plans that take into account changing context; covering both internal and external processes.
• Supporting governance arrangements for the programme including shepherding papers and key questions through internal and external governance.
• Performing project management functions, planning for cross-government boards, and working with key partners, writing agendas, minutes and keeping actions logs.
• Drafting briefing for senior officials, communicating complex arguments clearly and concisely to a senior audience, in both written and oral form.
• Contribute in a flexible way to the setting up of an ambitious new Government led programme.
• Document and report project status including managing risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Preparing, checking and advising on correspondence, Parliamentary Questions, Freedom of Information requests, and responses to other ad hoc requests.
• Provide training, coaching and mentoring to ensure the continued growth of skills and capabilities within the organisation.
• Commission and oversee studies in support of the commercial pathway (internally and externally).
• Contract manage external studies.
• Work effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Produce and peer review reports, presentations and journal / conference papers.
• Perform reporting of progress against milestones, changes, exceptions, budgets and other key performance indicators as agreed with project manager.
• Liaison within the STEP programme and other UKAEA Departments to ensure effective co-ordination and collaboration across interfaces and competing demands.

Qualifications

Essential Requirements: 

• Understanding of, or interest in, working in R&D, innovation, energy, science, or technology policy.
• An ability to grasp issues quickly and understand the big picture for DESNZ, the wider fusion sector, and government.
• Comfortable working closely with a range of technical disciplines ranging from engineering to legal issues.
• Able to quickly grasp new technical information, and credibly distil and communicate this to non-technical audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and confidence forging relationships across teams and government.
• Clear examples of advanced influencing skills.
• Ability to plan and prioritise alongside good problem-solving skills with an eye for detail.
• Ability to quickly respond to changing demands and priorities, with the confidence to take quick decisions without comprising the quality of work.
• Knowledge and demonstrable experience of successfully delivering projects.
• Actively contribute to creating a positive and inclusive team.

Desirable Requirements: 

• Experience of working in new and challenging subject areas where you have had to learn on your feet and work in a flexible manner.
• Experience of leading policy/strategy/ delivery in a fast-paced complex and often ambiguous environments.
• Experience of working with Government stakeholders on large scale complex transformative programmes.
• Understanding of project management approaches, with an ability to develop a plan and keen various teams and organisations to the timetable.
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary environment collaboratively with colleagues in finance, policy, engineering, scientific, commercial, project delivery, legal and senior leadership teams.
• Demonstrable ability to deal with ambiguity, presenting a clear and coherent vision.
• Experience of emerging or disruptive technologies.
• Ability to train, coach and develop indirect reports.