Head of Assurance, Management Systems & Audit

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 UKs 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:

As Head of Assurance Management Systems & Audit you will provide strategic leadership and singlepoint accountability for UKFEs endtoend assurance framework.

Reporting directly to the Director of Safety Quality & Mission Assurance you will own the Integrated Management System (IMS) lead the Internal Audit function and oversee assurance across programmes functions and the supply chain. Your work will ensure UKFE operates with confidence inside its governance arrangements regulatory obligations and risk appetite now and as the programme scales towards construction.

You will act as a trusted independent voice at Executive Board and Audit & Risk Committee level translating complex assurance evidence into clear insight that supports critical decisionmaking.

What Youll Be Responsible For

Enterprise Assurance Leadership

• Owning and evolving UKFEs Enterprise Assurance Strategy integrating first second and third lines of defence
• Providing independent challenge where assurance coverage depth or resourcing is insufficient
• Anticipating future risk as the programme matures partners onboard and delivery models evolve
• Representing assurance maturity and systemic risk at Board committee and sponsor level

Integrated Management System (IMS)

• Acting as guardian and final authority on the IMS and its fitness for purpose
• Ensuring alignment with ISO and nuclear regulatory expectations
• Integrating partner and supplier management systems as delivery models mature
• Balancing pace cost and control while maintaining regulatory confidence

Internal Audit

• Leading a credible independent riskbased Internal Audit function
• Setting multiyear audit strategy aligned to enterprise risk not cyclical coverage
• Escalating systemic control issues and behavioural risks when evidence demands it
• Ensuring audit insight directly informs executive and Board decisions

Supply Chain & Intelligent Customer Assurance

• Providing assurance that UKFE discharges its Intelligent Customer responsibilities across complex multitier supply chains
• Integrating supply chain intelligence into enterprise risk and audit planning
• Supporting strategic conversations on supply chain resilience and longterm capability

Learning Culture & Continuous Improvement

• Owning systemic learning and corrective action across the enterprise
• Driving rootcause resolution rather than symptomlevel fixes
• Acting as an independent barometer of organisational and nuclear safety culture
• Championing digital assurance tools that improve insight while respecting professional judgement

Qualifications :

What youll need

If youre a senior assurance leader who thrives on complexity independence and purpose and you want your work to contribute to something truly transformational wed love to hear from you.

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Significant experience in highly regulated highhazard environments
• Senior leadership experience across assurance audit management systems or technical governance
• Strong understanding of Integrated Management Systems across quality safety environment and information security
• Expertise in riskbased assurance and audit methodologies
• Ability to influence confidently at Executive Board regulator and sponsor level
• Degree in Engineering Quality Business Law or a related discipline

Desirable Experience:

• Experience in nuclear or similarly safetycritical sectors
• Professional accreditation (e.g. CQI/IRCA Lead Auditor CEng MCQI MCIPS)
• Experience applying digital solutions to assurance and governance
• Experience representing organisations to external auditors and government 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  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: 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.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time