Non-Executive Director - Projects and Programmes

UKNNL is the UK’s lead civil national laboratory for nuclear fission, delivering nuclear science to benefit society.

About UKNNL

The UK’s ‘nuclear revival’ is moving at pace and is critical in the national mission to secure energy security, net-zero goals, and national resilience.

UKNNL are the government's lead civil laboratory for nuclear fission, providing the science, technology and world-leading laboratories to support the country’s civil nuclear programmes, to support growth of the UK nuclear sector and ensure they are delivered safely and cost-effectively.

We are pivotal in innovation on advanced nuclear fuels, waste reduction, recycling and SMRs. Our societal impact goes well beyond energy and includes medical isotopes for healthcare, national security capabilities and industrial and scientific advancement.

What UKNNL does

UKNNL drive innovation in nuclear science, ensuring the UK has the capabilities it needs – whether in physical infrastructure, or in the skills and knowledge of the sector workforce – to create and deploy the technologies of the future.

Working in partnership with universities, they champion the best new ideas and concepts, nurturing upcoming scientists and researchers. And alongside partners in industry, UKNNL helps keep existing nuclear reactors running successfully, supports a strong and effective UK supply chain and ensures new technologies have a chance to become commercially viable.

UK National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL) plays a unique role in supporting the UK’s nuclear capability—advancing science, strengthening energy resilience, and delivering critical infrastructure for the future.

The Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is seeking to appoint a new Non-Executive Director for the UKNNL board.

Why this role?

This is a very exciting time to join the UKNNL Board as a NED and provide strategic leadership and risk oversight in one of the most complex and tightly regulated sectors.

This newly created NED – Projects and Programmes role will strengthen Board-level oversight of delivery across UKNNL’s most strategically important and complex infrastructure investment programmes.

This role will provide the opportunity to influence an organisation of national importance and purpose and strategic influence at the science-policy interface.

This role offers:

• The chance to shape governance in a highly regulated, high-impact organisation
• Exposure to complex strategic issues at the intersection of science, policy and delivery
• A platform to grow your non-executive portfolio and committee leadership experience

Accountabilities

The role will also support the Board’s enhanced focus on delivery management more generally, promoting the extension of best practice in a proportionate and appropriate manner across UKNNL’s technical delivery. It will provide expert challenge, assurance and insight on whether UKNNL’s projects are being delivered safely, on time, to cost and to the required quality standards.

You will:

• Provide Board level scrutiny and challenge across UKNNL’s infrastructure programmes portfolio, including schedule, cost, scope, risk and delivery confidence.
• Promote application of professional and proportionate delivery management practice across UKNNL’s operations and technical delivery portfolio.
• Support the Board in maintaining a clear view of which projects are on track, at risk or distressed.
• Support the Board in maintaining a clear view of operations.
• Contribute fully to Board discussions on strategy and performance.

What We’re Looking For: Essential and Desirable Criteria

Alongside a sense of inquisitiveness, tenacity, freshness and new thinking to the Board, we’re looking for candidates with the following experience:

Essential criteria

• Significant experience running relevant infrastructure programmes or major projects / and programmes in the nuclear, energy, defence, or similarly regulated industry.
• Excellent inter-personal skills and demonstrable capability to manage complex stakeholder relationships, with the ability to challenge and advise constructively whilst holding executives’ leaders to account against delivery targets.
• A focus on on-time, high-quality delivery for the customer.

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience as a committee chair in a comparable organisation.
• Experience leading transformation programmes.
• Established networks in the relevant nuclear sector.

You may already have some non-executive experience - or be looking for a first significant Board role where your expertise can translate into wider impact.

Join us

We are particularly interested in candidates who bring new and diverse perspectives - helping UKNNL continue to evolve as a modern, inclusive and purpose-driven organisation.

If you are motivated by public value, excited by complex governance challenges, and ready to contribute at Board level - we encourage you to apply.

To apply

This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments – the independent regulator of Public Appointments.

To apply, complete the following two steps:

1. Register your details on the Public Appointments Website:
   https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/9342
2. Submit your application via the Hays application portal.

From October 2025, all applicants for Public Appointments are required to create an account on the Public Appointments Website and use this portal to submit their equality and outside interest declarations as part of the application process.

You are required to complete the equality and political declaration sections for this application.

You will need to provide:

• Supporting Statement - which should address your motivation in applying and the essential criteria in the Person Specification and demonstrate evidence of your suitability for the role against these criteria. Maximum length: 2 sides of A4.
• Curriculum Vitae - maximum length: 4 sides of A4.

Please note: your application will not be considered without you completing both the Hays and Public Appointments elements including the equality and political declaration sections.

To confidentially discuss the role in further detail or request a copy of the Candidate Brief, please contact Andrew Timlin or Wendi Wang at Hays Executive.

Andrew Timlin
M 07887 777 735

Wendi Wang
T 020 7259 774 307

Campaign dates

• Closing date: 15th June 2026
• First round of interviews: W/C 22nd June 2026
• UKNNL/DESNZ/UKGI interviews: W/C 29th June 2026

The above dates are subject to change.