Head of Regulatory Compliance & Engagement
Overview of Responsibilities
Fusion energy offers the potential for significant quantities of low-carbon, inherently safe, abundantly fuelled, baseload energy, supporting sustainable climate action and energy independence. While the technical challenge remains high, confidence is increasing, and the rewards of realising fusion are almost incalculable. Anticipated to come online for commercial purposes in the middle of this century, fusion offers a viable means to sustainable net zero in the UK and globally, as well as to increased energy security. The UK is currently a world leader in fusion research and development and in the drive to realise commercially viable energy from fusion, a sector with an estimated value of £tns per year.
STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) is the UK’s flagship national programme to deliver a prototype fusion energy plant, targeting 2040, and a path to commercial viability of fusion. STEP is deliberately bold and ambitious and seeks people who want to be part of a world-changing endeavour and who have credible and relevant experiencing in delivery.
STEP is supported by the UK Atomic Energy Authority, which has breadth and depth of expertise in fusion science, engineering and operations built over decades. UK Fusion Energy Ltd. (UKFE) Is a relatively new organisation established to focus on the delivery of the prototype and, in so doing, the development of a fusion supply chain. UKFE will lead a collaborative team of industrial Whole Plant Partners who bring expertise in engineering and construction, plus UKAEA who will remain as strategic Partner providing fusion expertise.
The Role:
Reporting to the Director of Safety, Quality & Mission Assurance, you will be the single senior authority for all regulatory compliance, permissioning, consenting, and regulatory engagement across UKFE and the STEP programme.
You will define and own the regulatory compliance strategy, lead senior‑level engagement with regulators and government, and provide authoritative, independent advice to the Board, Senior Responsible Owner, Programme Director, and Executive team.
This is a pivotal leadership role at the intersection of delivery ambition, public trust, and regulatory confidence. You will build and lead a growing team of regulatory professionals and play a critical role in shaping programme strategy, sequencing, and credibility as STEP progresses through increasing scrutiny and complexity.
What You’ll Be Responsible For
Senior Leadership & Regulatory Engagement
- Act as the single, authoritative senior voice on regulatory matters across UKFE and STEP
- Build and sustain trust‑based relationships with regulators, positioning UKFE as a proactive, transparent, and reliable duty holder
- Lead regulatory engagement through periods of challenge, scrutiny, and regulatory evolution — including novel and emerging frameworks for fusion
- Set clear expectations for regulatory behaviours, capability, and consistency across the organisation and partners
- Act as a senior ambassador for UKFE and STEP with regulators, communities, industry, and government
Strategic Advice & Board Support
- Provide clear, evidence‑based regulatory advice to the Board, Executive, SRO, and Programme leadership
- Ensure regulatory risks, opportunities, and constraints are visible, understood, and embedded in strategic decision‑making
- Translate complex regulatory landscapes into clear options, trade‑offs, and recommendations
- Challenge optimism bias or delivery pressure where regulatory credibility, compliance, or trust could be compromised
Regulatory Compliance Strategy & Delivery
- Define, own, and deliver the end‑to‑end regulatory compliance strategy for UKFE and STEP
- Lead all permissioning, consenting, exemptions, and approval activities across the programme
- Ensure regulatory submissions are coherent, complete, auditable, and aligned with agreed policy and guidance
- Provide assurance to Executives and regulators that UKFE has a controlled, credible, and auditable regulatory approach
Organisational Effectiveness & Integration
- Design and lead a future‑proof regulatory operating model capable of scaling with programme maturity
- Ensure regulatory roles, responsibilities, and decision rights are clear and consistently applied across UKFE and delivery partners
- Integrate regulatory engagement with programme planning, engineering, assurance, and governance to avoid late or fragmented engagement
- Act as final arbiter on regulatory coordination issues, ensuring coherent external positions
Regulatory System Stewardship & Improvement
- Monitor the effectiveness of regulatory compliance arrangements and drive continuous improvement
- Support the development of proportionate, enabling regulation for fusion where frameworks are still evolving
- Contribute to national policy thinking and cross‑sector forums, positioning UKFE as a thought leader in fusion regulation
Leadership & Culture
- Build, lead, and develop a high‑performing regulatory and consenting team
- Foster a values‑led, inclusive culture that promotes learning, professionalism, and shared ownership of outcomes
- Act as a role model for ethical, transparent, and accountable leadership
Qualifications
What you’ll bring
You will be a highly credible regulatory leader with substantial experience operating at senior levels within complex, mission‑critical, or nationally significant programmes. You bring the confidence and judgement to engage regulators as trusted partners while providing robust, independent advice to Boards and Executives. Comfortable navigating emerging or ambiguous regulatory landscapes, you are able to balance delivery ambition with public trust, safety, and compliance. Your leadership style builds confidence, sets clear standards, and enables teams to operate with consistency, transparency, and integrity.
Essential
- Strong senior leadership experience, with a track record of building confidence across regulators and stakeholders
- Extensive experience of regulatory engagement with bodies such as the Environment Agency, HSE, UK Government departments, and local authorities
- Experience of nationally significant infrastructure projects, Development Consent Orders, or complex planning and consent regimes
- Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, including the ability to articulate persuasive, evidence‑based regulatory arguments
- Ability to operate effectively under pressure in high‑profile, high‑scrutiny environments
- High standards of integrity, professionalism, and ethical practice
Desirable
- Experience working across both public and private sectors
- Experience in complex, collaborative, multi‑partner programmes
- Membership of, or qualification through, relevant professional bodies
Additional Information
We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly women in STEM and individuals from British black and ethnic minority backgrounds, and individuals with disabilities. Our Executive team, supported by our 'Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) Partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, actively promotes EDI 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.
UKFE is committed to being accessible. Please email talent@ukfe.uk if you have any questions or require help or adjustments to compete on a fair basis, for example, changes to the way we interview or share information.
This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions. Whilst not required at this time, there is a possibility of an SC Clearance being required in the future. If a candidate already holds an SC clearance, that clearance can be transferred to UKFE.
As we work towards our mission and goals, guided by our principles, STEP has six behaviours that are intended to capture the spirit of how we work:
- We champion safety
- We all matter
- We act as one
- We embrace change
- We are pioneering
- We deliver
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.
