By 2050, the planet could be using twice as much electricity compared to today. Are you interested in contributing and helping to shape the future of the world’s energy? If so, read on.

Fusion, the process that powers the Sun and Stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs.

UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research for ground-breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid, supported by tomorrow's power stations. In pursuit of our mission, UKAEA embraces core values: Innovative, Committed, Trusted, and Collaborative.

MAST-U is the UK’s largest operating magnetic confinement fusion experiment, producing scientific results which contribute to the development of the next generation of fusion power plant, STEP. MAST-U requires a wide range of planning needs, from planning for maintenance, integrating several upgrades to the machine over the next few years and responding to day-to-day operational planning needs to keep MAST-U running experiments. The planning work required includes design, installation and commissioning for projects using a wide range of skills from electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, civils, and other installation work all to meet key project milestones and deliver new capabilities.

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 and the right to request flexible working from the start of your employment.
• 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 is based at the following sites; Culham, Oxfordshire.

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions and possibly a search of open source data.

The Role

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference? Join our team and contribute to the future of fusion energy. As Assistant Planner, you will play a pivotal role in working with stakeholders to ensure all aspects of the project are defined. You will provide clarity on key milestones to define what, when and how activities will be organised to ensure the outcomes of a project can be achieved, with the resources available. You will lead on all aspects of project planning, which will include the development, updating and monitoring of plans and schedules. In addition, you will identify tasks, activities, interdependencies and outputs for the project and work with the project team to track and monitor progress against the plan throughout the life of the project. You will lead work packages or smaller projects, supporting in the coaching of more junior planners.

Key Accountabilities:

• Lead on planning activity and work with the project to support delivery of the business case benefits and outcomes. Support capability building and the use of best practice in planning and reporting. Provide expert advice for team members and project community.
• Challenge and test project assumptions to ensure that plans are realistic and achievable. Development of breakdown structures, quality criteria, product descriptions and monitoring strategy. Support the project manager to identify options to optimise delivery through resource smoothing, resource levelling and rescheduling of activities.
• Coach more junior members of the planning team and identify, develop and deploy planning resources. Identify and plan for wider resource requirements for the project.
• Ensure that stakeholder responsibilities and needs are understood and addressed in reporting arrangements. Develop peer networks across the department.
• Monitor and analyse information, reporting progress, slippage and highlighting areas of risk and opportunity.
• Provide expert advice on planning processes throughout the lifecycle of the project. Conduct critical path analysis, develop an excellent knowledge of the project’s interdependencies, and actively manage them in the schedule.
  
  

Essential:

• Experience working as project planner, or has held a role within a project team or PMO, or held a role as a project manager or workstream lead of a small project.
• Approachable person with excellent inter-personal skills able to interact with a range of people across the project.
• Ability to engage with people at all levels of the project to build plans, WBS and critical paths.
• Good understanding of project planning and/or project controls processes.
• Degree in physical sciences, economics, business studies, project management or other relevant subject or equivalent qualification/experience.

Desirable:

• Experienced in the use of Primavera OR Microsoft Project planning software (training can be offered).
• Planning experience within a project environment.
• Working towards or in possession of a project management or controls qualification such as APM PMF / APM PMQ / APMG.
  
  

A full list of our benefits can be found here https://careers.ukaea.uk/life-at-ukaea/employee-benefits/.

We welcome talented people from all backgrounds who want to help us achieve our mission. We encourage applications from under-represented groups, particularly from women in STEM, people from Black British Caribbean and African, Pakistani and Bangladeshi British, and other ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and neurotypical individuals. Our Executive team, supported by our 'Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) and Wellbeing and our EDI Networks actively promote Inclusion and takes steps to increase diversity within our organisation. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.

Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications.

For applicants applying from outside the United Kingdom or those who have spent time outside the UK in the last five years, please visit the following link for information on criminal records checks: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants If your country of residence or previous residence is not listed on the website or if the UK Government does not have information on obtaining a criminal records check from that state, we regret to inform you that we cannot process your application.