Senior Decommissioning Manager

Senior Decommissioning Manager

  • Contract
  • Oxfordshire
    Location: Oxfordshire
    Sector: Nuclear
    Job type: Contract
    Salary: £56 - £61 per hour + Inside IR35
    Contact: Kirsty Lockyear
    Contact email: kirsty.lockyear@highfieldps.co.uk
    Contact phone: 07460 922037
    Job ref: BBBH26295_1779094152
    Published:
    Duration:
    Expiry Date: 2026-Jun-01
    Startdate: ASAP

    Senior Decommissioning Manager – Major Nuclear Programme
    Abingdon / Culham
    £56-61 per hour (Inside IR35)
    Hybrid Working
    12 Month+ Contract

    Are you an experienced decommissioning leader with a track record of shaping strategy on complex nuclear or highly regulated infrastructure programmes?
    We’re supporting a major UK programme at UKAEA Culham that is entering a critical new phase of strategic planning and programme delivery – and we’re looking for a Senior Decommissioning Manager to help drive it forward.
    This is a high-impact role sitting at the heart of a nationally significant decommissioning programme, supporting senior leadership with strategic decision-making, delivery planning, commercial strategy, and long-term hazard reduction objectives.
    You’ll play a key role in helping shape how one of the UK’s most complex decommissioning challenges is approached over the coming years.

    The Opportunity
    The programme is transitioning from concept strategy into tranche-based delivery planning and optioneering, tackling major strategic questions around:

    • Tokamak decommissioning strategy
    • Asset repurposing
    • ILW treatment and storage approaches
    • Waste facility planning
    • Commercial delivery models
    • Long-term site and infrastructure decisions

    Working closely with programme leadership and the Engineering Integration Manager, you’ll provide expert insight, challenge assumptions, evaluate delivery strategies, and help ensure the programme remains commercially sound, regulatorily compliant, and strategically aligned.

    What You’ll Be Doing

    • Reviewing and critiquing programme delivery strategies, risks, assumptions, and dependencies
    • Supporting development of integrated decommissioning and commercial strategies
    • Advising on delivery models, contract packaging, and procurement approaches
    • Helping shape tranche-based programme plans and future decision points
    • Providing expert guidance on complex strategic and technical challenges
    • Supporting programme governance, escalation routes, and strategic artefacts
    • Advising on compliance, CDM delivery, SHE culture, and industry best practice
    • Bringing lessons learned from major decommissioning and infrastructure programmes

    What We’re Looking For
    We’re keen to speak with professionals who have:

    • Extensive experience in large-scale decommissioning, nuclear, infrastructure, or complex engineering programmes
    • Strong strategic planning and programme leadership capability
    • Experience with delivery model assessments and Public Procurement Act considerations
    • Knowledge of CDM regulations and regulated site delivery
    • Strong commercial awareness and project financial management experience
    • Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills
    • A background in project management, engineering, construction, or programme leadership

    Desirable:

    • Nuclear decommissioning programme experience
    • Procurement and contract management expertise
    • Experience within UK regulated environments

    Requirements

    • Degree qualified in Engineering, Project Management, Construction Management, or similar experience
    • Professional Project Management qualification (APM, PMP or equivalent)

    Contract Details
    Location: Culham / Abingdon
    Hybrid: 2-3 days per week on site
    Rate: £56-61/hour (Inside IR35)
    Duration: 12 months+
    Start: Late June / ASAP
    This is an outstanding opportunity to influence the future direction of a nationally important programme while working alongside some of the industry’s leading specialists in decommissioning and programme strategy.
    Interested? Apply now or get in touch for a confidential discussion.

    Your Consultant

    Kirsty Lockyear

    Principal Consultant

    See full profile
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