National Nuclear Laboratory

Internal Vacancies

UKNNL has a vision for Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (ED&I) which aims to be an inclusive workplace that attracts diverse talent through transparent and equal policies and procedures. 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.

All of our current vacancies can be found on this page. You can also find more information at https://jobsearch.uknnl.com

The job details

Operational Compliance Officer (OCO) - Duly Authorised Person (DAP) - Shift

Category: EHSS&Q & Compliance

Salary: Salary starting at £56,168

Closing Date: 2025-01-24

Location: Sellafield, Cumbria

The salary range for this position is £56,168 to £61,405 (Grade 4A).

If you have any queries regarding the position itself please contact Darren Denyer.

Please be aware that all new appointments will be made in-line with the PLC ‘New’ terms & conditions. Therefore, if you are not already on PLC ‘New’ terms & conditions and you are selected and accept this role, there will be changes made to your contractual terms. The terms and conditions of the role will be made clear in the offer letter. 

If you have any queries about the impact of applying for this role on your terms & conditions, pay, pension or benefits, please contact the HR Support Team.

Job Description for Operational Compliance Officer (OCO) - Duly Authorised Person (DAP) - Shift:

There’s never been a more exciting time to be part of the nuclear sector. New opportunities are being created all the time. At UKNNL, you’ll be in the ideal place to capitalise on this momentum, face new challenges and develop a long, successful and meaningful career.

We’re an organisation that’s here to experiment and push the limits of what’s possible. So, if you’re keen to excel in your chosen field, this is the place to do it. Because at UKNNL, anything is possible.

The Operational Compliance Officer (OCO) is a highly visible position of authority within UKNNL supporting the Operations Manager to ensure the company's continued compliance to all regulations governing the nuclear industry and Site Licence Conditions. The role is responsible for monitoring change, leading on incident and event management, and assessing the impact and coordination of the activities required to achieve compliance in the most effective way for the business. 

The ideal candidate will be experienced in working in a regulatory capacity, detail orientated, and be able to work to stringent deadlines and to be able to support the requirement of working within a shift team to provide additional operating hours for the facility.

Main Responsibilities for Operational Compliance Officer (OCO) - Duly Authorised Person (DAP) - Shift:

  • Primary Point of Contact: daily there is one Duty OCO (DAP) accountable for overall control and supervision of people and plant for their area(s) of responsibility. They must be always contactable on Site, have a designated means of identification to show they are that single point of contact. Without the OCO (DAP) contactable on Site, under Site Licence Conditions, access to their Area(s) of responsibility is prohibited to all others (MSML requirement). 
  • Demonstrate Effective Command and Control: the Duty OCO (DAP) must have no involvement in production activities whilst on duty in order to maintain independence and prevent any potential conflict between safety and production. Where assistance on Delivery work is required, this must be pre-planned with the Operations Manager to remove the OCO from their Compliance role for the duration. 
  • Maintain Compliance with Plant Surveillance: the Duty OCO (DAP) at the start and end of the day will open/close their area of responsibility, conduct Daily Start Up/Close Down Checks and record they have been undertaken on an associated Compliance Record. The Duty OCO (DAP) shall be accountable where any problems are identified and shall be the decision maker in taking corrective action and managing recovery. 
  • Initial Point of Contact for Incident/Event Management: the Duty OCO (DAP) shall be the primary point of contact for any local incidents occurring within their area(s) of responsibility and they are responsible for taking control and managing the situation accordingly. Should the event begin to escalate beyond local incident, they will hand over to the Incident Supervisor and take up their allocated emergency response role, inputting expert knowledge of their area(s) and supporting emergency response. 
  • Knowledge of Plant Activities: the Duty OCO (DAP) must have knowledge at all times of all persons (Residents & Visitors) attending their area(s) of responsibility and prior to any visits are accountable for ensuring the route has been thoroughly risk assessed and deemed safe. They will inform the Visitor Escort of any issues and be available to undertake briefings to the party and escort themselves as deemed appropriate. The Duty OCO (DAP) has the authority to decline access should they deem necessary. 
  • Forward Vision: An OCO (DAP) shall be responsible for assisting the Operations Manager in delivering the company values. They shall be expected to maintain a forward vision (3 to 6 months) to develop and implement the best solutions in the best interests of the Business e.g. most suitable time period for planned plant outages causing least impact to the Business.
  • Authorisation of Work Packages for Routine Work: an OCO (DAP) shall present work requests once they have reached a decision they are suitable to progress to a Compliance Weekly Work Request meeting (or equivalent), where they shall advise the Operations Manager to provide authorisation of the work package prior to it being presented to the Site OCM for their final endorsement. In the absence of the Operations Manager, the Duty OCO shall be the authority to sign work requests.
  • Management of Safety and Security: the Duty OCO (DAP) will liaise with the SSC and V&S DAP and will be accountable for the security of plant and safety of all persons undertaking any work in their area(s) of responsibility during the work period. The Duty OCO (DAP) has the authority to cease work at any point that they deem challenges safety or security standards.

Essential Criteria Candidate for Operational Compliance Officer (OCO) - Duly Authorised Person (DAP) - Shift:

  • Compliance professional, educated to degree level (or equivalent), with extensive practical and relevant experience in a compliance role. 
  • Holds IOSH Managing Safely or equivalent as a minimum qualification.
  • Must demonstrate an ability to analyse and interpret complex information from several, sometimes conflicting sources, with a proven problem-solving ability in order to make decisions based upon this information.
  • Highly motivated with the ability to communicate concepts to diverse audiences with varying skills.
  • Ability to remain calm under stressful circumstances.
  • Ability to influence and negotiate with UKNNL employees and external stakeholders.
  • Ability to demonstrate supervisory experience for operations undertaken within a nuclear plant.
  • A thorough awareness of nuclear, conventional safety and security requirements applicable to their area(s) of responsibility.
  • Demonstrable knowledge of the operational and maintenance requirements associated with their area(s) of control.
  • 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 Candidate for Operational Compliance Officer (OCO) - Duly Authorised Person (DAP) - Shift:

  • Thorough awareness of Safety Case implementation methodology.
  • Experience in incident and emergency response.
  • NEBOSH General Certificate.
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