Summary Job Description for Capability Manager: UKNNL is where you'll experiment to help solve global challenges. As part of our Waste Management & Decommissioning capability, your work will impact the lives of generations. By finding new ways to avoid, reduce, store and treat nuclear waste, and drive down the cost of decommissioning, you'll help to deliver cleaner energy and influence our nation's energy future. You'll face new challenges every day, working in unique locations on ground-breaking projects. Whichever area you specialise in this is a place to do great science for a good cause. Our team offers an innovative service with a proven track record in the field of Effluent, Environmental and Decontamination Chemistry. We offer a wide range of services from active laboratory research to desk and modelling studies, delivering a varied portfolio of work focused on customers operational needs and the development of innovative techniques and solutions supporting their future strategies. We are looking for a motivated individual to manage this chemistry focused team based primarily in two facilities, Preston and Chadwick House. You will co-ordinate and lead the operational activities within the Effluent, Environment and Decontamination Chemistry team assuring safe, successful delivery of agreed customer work and continuous improvement of the team activities. We are looking for a candidate who has people management experience and can provide guidance, coaching and direction to team members with a range of experience, and identify opportunities for operational improvements, staff development and recruitment. As Capability Manager you will play a crucial role in the success of the team, nurturing and supporting the team in a way that's helpful, positive, and motivating, ensuring the mental health and wellbeing of the team. The primary location at which the successful candidate for this role will be based is flexible between the UKNNL Preston and UKNNL Chadwick (Warrington) sites, however there will be a requirement for the candidate to attend both sites on a regular basis, as required. As a large part of the team's work is laboratory focused, experience of managing a laboratory-based team and associated health and safety would be beneficial but is not essential. Main Responsibilities Main Responsibilities for Capability Manager: Duty of care for all team members, communicating with team and providing feedback, support and addressing any issues or concerns. Safe and successful delivery of all technical work undertaken within customer projects and programs, including delivery of Environmental, Health, Safety and Quality Improvement Plans and performance of assurance activities. Leadership of team and responsible for performance management, staff development, technical training, progression, and recruitment of team members, identification of opportunities, innovation etc. Efficient and effective identification, procurement, maintenance, utilisation and disposal of all equipment and facilities required and owned by the team. Accountable to Capability Leader in compiling team budget reflecting staff and fixed costs relating to skills and capability maintenance, recruitment, training, progression, Reward & Recognition, etc. Successful achievement of business KPIs in relation to set budgets and management of variations to minimise impact on UKNNL and customers. Direct engagement with customers, UKNNL Account Directors etc to understand their needs, add value via successful technical delivery and to maximise all business opportunities. Accountable for cultural and business strategies associated with the team, recognising related innovations and opportunities and leadership of resulting change programmes. Ideal Candidate Essential Criteria for Capability Manager: A degree in a relevant scientific / engineering field e.g. chemistry, geology, material science etc., and/or a relevant demonstrable level of experience. Strong people management skills and experience in providing pastoral care, mentoring and coaching team members and supporting personal development. Ability to communicate effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders at all levels and work collaboratively across teams. Experience in developing relationships with customer's related to the Effluent, Environment and Decontamination Chemistry team offerings and supporting delivery of their projects. Experience in leadership and driving cultural change through the support and implementation of strategic business developments. Strong problem solving and conflict resolution skills and the ability to think strategically and adapt to changing priorities. Ability to obtain SC level security clearance (this includes but is not limited to identity, employment, financial and criminal record checks plus 5 years' worth of UK residency). Desirable Criteria for Capability Manager: Pre-existing technical understanding of effluent management and decontamination chemistry in relation to nuclear applications is desirable, otherwise alternative technical knowledge and experience that is complementary and hence an indicator of the ability to quickly pick this up. Experience of managing a laboratory-based technical team. Experience in managing a technical team, people, facilities and equipment on a nuclear and non-nuclear site is desirable, otherwise complementary skills indicating the ability to work in this environment. Operational experience in a highly regulated environment, managing technical and facility programmes to a high EHSS&Q standard. Experience in managing a budget, cost control, financial forecasting and planning across a team. Why join us? UKNNL isn't just a place where you can do career-defining work that makes a real-world impact. It's also a place where you'll feel appreciated and valued. We're creating an inclusive workplace where everyone is free to be themselves and feel like they belong. We put your wellbeing first, we push you to reach your potential, and we do everything possible to help you feel safe, supported and inspired. We also offer a range of employee benefits: Sector leading Family-Focused Policies: celebrate life events, including enhanced maternity and paternity leave and a week off for your marriage. UKNNL offers attractive pension plans. If you contribute 5%, UKNNL contributes 15%. Alternatively, if you choose not to contribute (0%), UKNNL will still contribute 10%. Annual Leave: Benefit from 25.5 days of leave, plus 4 extra days to be taken during Christmas shutdown, plus Bank Holidays. Reduced gym membership with discounts of up to 25% from 3,700 gym and leisure providers across the UK Company Bonus: Be rewarded for your contributions. Learning Opportunities: Enhance your skills through excellent development programmes. Employee Assistance: Access support for personal and professional challenges. Cycle to Work: Stay active and eco-friendly. Life Assurance: Ensure peace of mind for you and your loved ones. Enhanced Sick Pay Benefits: Receive support during illness or injury. Access to 'Mydiscounts' which has a range of special offers and discounts from more than 200 suppliers, including medical insurance and dental insurance. Health Care: Health savings plan which allows you to claim money back on visits to the dentist, optician and/or physiotherapist (limits apply). About The Company UKNNL is an incredible place to work. A place where people do things that have never been done before. A place where people push boundaries to further themselves, the business and society as a whole. This is a place where personal and professional opportunities are limitless. If you want to change the world, if you want to tackle climate change, if you want to help advance medical science, if you want to help put things in space, if you want to answer the big questions, if you want to work with extraordinary materials, if you want to meet great people, learn new skills, challenge yourself, work flexibly, and build a long successful career with the power to make a real impact… you can do it all here. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion UKNNL has a vision for Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (ED&I) where UKNNL aims to be an inclusive workplace that attracts diverse talent through transparent and equal policies and procedures, providing reasonable adjustments as appropriate. We want you and the diverse mix of people that we employ, customers that we service and stakeholders that we influence to feel valued. We encourage a workplace culture where everyone can thrive with a sense of belonging and the ability to access to workplace in a way which works for you. Recruitment Agency Notice We operate a strict Preferred Supplier List (PSL) for the provision of recruitment services. Only agencies on our PSL may provide CVs and only when the role is released to them by our recruitment team. We will not accept unsolicited CVs from suppliers not currently on our PSL. We explicitly reserve the right to add candidate details from unsolicited CVs from non-PSL agencies into our own candidate database and to pursue/hire such candidate(s) without any obligation, financial or otherwise, to the agency concerned.