Lead Civil Engineer
The UK’s nuclear sector has entered a renaissance, with Nuclear Energy now a vital component as the country moves towards a target of Net Zero.
Assystem provides critical support to this mission, accelerating the decommissioning and remediation of our legacy assets with a view to enabling a swifter energy transition, in parallel overcoming some of the largest engineering and environmental challenges of our generation.
As a Global top 3 independent nuclear engineering organisation, Assystem is active across the full decommissioning lifecycle. In the UK, we work across the Civil and Defence nuclear estates, pioneering agile and fit-for purpose, customer-focused solutions, drawing on our established pedigree for delivery engineering excellence. Assystem have a proud heritage gained over decades both in the UK and overseas, (delivering, supporting, managing) some of the most complex engineering projects in decommissioning, repurposing legacy assets and key new build projects such as Hinkley Point C.
Position Overview: The Lead Civil/Structural Engineer will be working as part of our client team to deliver a range of major infrastructure projects.
Drive complex engineering projects from concept to completion in a high-assurance environment. This role is hands-on, stakeholder-facing, and central to safe, compliant delivery.
What you’ll do:
Lead and manage contractor engineering support across the project lifecycle
Review, approve, and assure designs, drawings, and technical documentation
Shape functional requirements and support optioneering and design decisions
Deliver safety-critical outputs, including Periodic Review of Safety reports
Chair and contribute to design reviews, HAZID workshops, and stakeholder forums
Provide independent technical appraisal and peer review (ITA/IPR)
Oversee detailed design, construction, commissioning, and decommissioning activities
Ensure full compliance with EHS, Security, Quality, and site standards
Act as a trusted technical advisor to internal teams and external partners
Contribute to capability building and specialist training within your discipline
Essential
Proven experience delivering civil / structural engineering on complex, high-hazard projects
Strong background in design assessment of structures and equipment to withstand safety and hazard conditions
Demonstrated experience developing and applying design assurance frameworks for complex engineering programmes
Theoretical and practical expertise across the full engineering lifecycle, ideally within industrial and/or maritime environments
Confident stakeholder engagement across multidisciplinary engineering teams
Experience contributing to multi-discipline projects, including provision of electrical engineering input (ideally defence and/or nuclear)
Desirable
Experience working within a comparable high-risk, regulated environment
Familiarity with safety case development, including HAZID / HAZOP studies
Experience within the UK nuclear sector (energy or defence), particularly safety-related structures and components
Working knowledge of UK and US nuclear regulation, codes, and standards
Experience across nuclear, civil, and defence sectors
Proven experience in engineering lifecycle management
QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING
Essential
Accredited Degree in Civil or Structural Engineering (or equivalent qualification and experience)
Relevant qualifications and experience in marine and mechanical engineering
Chartered Engineer (CEng) status
Desirable
Master’s-level accredited degree or equivalent advanced qualification
Why Join the Switchers Community?
A dynamic career management policy to enable our employees to progress through our five business lines: operations, project, technical, sales and support functions
Provide opportunities to work on exciting, global projects
Access to an employee assistance programme with free mindfulness, health, wellbeing resources and a confidential support line available 24/7 via phone or text
Discount vouchers for days out and restaurants, eye test and glasses vouchers, cycle to work scheme, free flu jabs
Enhanced sick pay
Limited travel to the main Client operational bases site near Helensburgh may be required, for example for Facility Walkdowns, however, the role would typically be expected to be conducted in a hybrid arrangement from Glasgow City Centre (weekly, 3 days office, 2 days WFH).
Staff or umbrella contractor.
Security clearance:
Due to the nature of work to be undertaken applicants will be required to meet certain residency criteria in order to attain a minimum level of UK security clearance if not already security cleared to a minimum SC level.
We are committed to equal treatment of candidates and promote, as well as foster all forms of diversity within our company. We believe that bringing together people with different backgrounds and perspectives is essential for creating innovative and impactful solutions. Skills, talent, and our people’s ability to dare are the only things that matter !. Bring your unique contributions and help us shape the future.