Senior Human Factors Engineer - RR SMR

Senior Human Factors Engineer

Derby (possibly Warrington) – Hybrid Working (1-2 days/week in the office, the rest worked from home)
£50,000 - £65,000 plus package

We are Rolls-Royce SMR and we’re doing something that’s never been done before - we’re revolutionising an industry. That’s a once-in-a-career opportunity for those excited by such a challenge. This is more than just a job; this is a legacy.

We are now recruiting for Senior Human Factors Engineers to be involved in delivering an industry leading, cutting-edge design project for a new type of power station.

Reporting to the Human Factors and Operations Integration Manager, the Senior Human Factors Engineer will be part of a team responsible for the integration of Human Factors across the RR SMR Power Station and factories, with the aim of ensuring the risk to people and product is as low as reasonably practicable.

Key Skills and Activities

The wide scope of the RR SMR Human Factors Team offers exciting opportunities to experience a variety of areas across the design scope and apply a variety of Human Factors techniques.

The Human Factors Team will be responsible for activities such as:

• Integrating with the design teams and using techniques such as Task Analysis and Allocation of Function to identify the requirements for operator actions.
• Developing Human Factors requirements and associated verification plans, and working with design teams to achieve these.
• Working as part of an integrated design team to develop concepts for the SMR Control Rooms, and completing trials in support of the design development and requirements verification.
• Developing and optimising layouts for the RR SMR and factories, ensuring the characteristics of the operators are appropriately considered and integrated throughout the design of the factories and manufacturing cells, system and component modules, and the wider power station.
• Supporting the safety case development, through review of identified operator actions, human error identification and the quantification of human error (Human Reliability Assessment).
• Informing the design development through ad-hoc support to design teams, reviews of proposed concepts, and attendance at design reviews.
• Identifying the numbers and skillsets of personnel required to operate the RR SMR, and evaluating the training requirements for these personnel alongside considering ways to optimise the job design and role allocation.

Each Human Factors engineer will have primary responsibility for an area of the programme, however it is expected that engineers will support across the range of activities which the Human Factors Team is responsible for.

The Human Factors Engineer will need to integrate successfully with other design teams, be able to extract pertinent information about complex systems and processes, and appropriately resolve conflicts between the Human Factors requirements and guidance and design requirements. In addition, to document key assessments, and to communicate with the regulators, the Human Factors Engineer will need to produce reports and present conclusions. They will also be expected to manage their own area of work.

Specific activities the Human Factors Engineer would be involved in during this phase include:

• Qualitative and Quantitative Substantiation of Human Based Safety and Security Claims.
• Identification of required Controls and Indications, and development of Human Machine Interface concepts.
• Reviews of the layout development to ensure Human Factors requirements are integrated

This role will thus ideally suit an individual with a strong academic background in Human Factors, Psychology or Ergonomics with a few years experience in working as a Human Factors Engineer in industries such as nuclear, power, air traffic control, defence, rail, etc.. Alternately, this role would also suit an individual with a background in safety or C&I Engineering with an understanding of C&I engineering architecture (human / machine interface work). Experience of (testing of) control room concepts would be of particular interest for these roles, though this is not essential to be considered.

The roles will be based in Derby (possibly Warrington), requiring 1-2 days work per week in the office, with the rest worked from home.

Confidence can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job. But we’ll let you in on a secret: there’s no such thing as a perfect candidate. If you feel you meet 75% of the requirements for this role, we would love to hear from you.

Also, if you are considering a career move or a sector-jump, please get in touch, we welcome applications from people with transferable skills.

Key Selection Criteria

• Awareness of Human Factors techniques and methods and how they integrate with the design – understanding of how Human Factors can support the design and safety, security, safeguard and environment case to optimise the role of the operator.
• Practical experience of applying Human Factors techniques and methods to identify and substantiate the role of the operator in a complex system.
• Practical experience of developing and evaluating Human Machine Interfaces.
• Strong communication skills – the ability to interact with teams across the business to obtain information and share guidance. Able to speak up in meetings such as design reviews and express an opinion. Aware of the need to compromise appropriately to achieve an overall design which best meets the requirements.
• Product understanding – Awareness of nuclear systems, their operation and the operators role in ensuring safe and secure operation.

Pay and Benefits

We anticipate a paying a salary of between £50,000 - £65,000, allied with a performance related bonus of up to 12.5%, an attractive pension scheme with 12% employer and 6% employee contributions and 28 days holiday. You will also receive a flexible benefits allowance of £2,200, enabling you to create a bespoke package to suit your needs.

We are Rolls-Royce SMR

Rolls-Royce SMR is a rare employer because it blends the world-class brand of Rolls Royce with an exciting start-up that has a hugely challenging mission. We’re doing work that contributes to the survival of the planet. Because of our mission, there’s a pace and energy that is palpable, and our leaders draw you in with their passion, energy, and determination.

We’re one of a handful of employers who can genuinely say we’re a strengths-based organisation – our people are here because of what makes them great, and our job is to help them make the best contribution of their careers doing work they love.

The start-up mentality coupled with our strengths-approach to people means there are opportunities to grow in ways and jobs you probably would be barred from doing in more traditional companies.

Each Rolls-Royce SMR power station will have the capacity to generate 470MW of low carbon energy, equivalent to more than 150 onshore wind turbines and enough to power a million homes. It will provide consistent baseload generation for at least 60 years, helping to support the roll out of renewable generation and overcome intermittency issues

Our Culture

At Rolls-Royce SMR, we are committed to ensuring that our teams reflect the communities we serve and that everyone can be themselves at work. We know that diverse teams are more innovative and get better results, and that our people can thrive and be more successful in truly inclusive cultures. Join us and help shape our culture. Find out more about our inclusion pledge.

Rolls-Royce SMR is a place where everyone can grow, so whatever background you bring with you, please apply if this is a role that would make you excited to come into work every day and help shape our culture.

Our Application Process

Due to the safety regulations within the nuclear industry, applicants will be required to participate in additional screening. These are:

• Obtaining Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance
• Satisfactory completion of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
• Satisfactory completion of a basic financial probity check

Your candidate experience is at the utmost importance to us. If you are not yet ready to apply but would like to discuss any of the above or require any reasonable adjustments (e.g. being able to apply in a different format), please contact andrew.richter@morson.com to arrange a confidential conversation.