Radioactive Waste Technician

Job description
Job Description

Radioactive Waste Technician

Full Time

Thurso

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Radioactive Waste Technician to

join Rolls-Royce Submarines in Thurso. Thurso is is situated in the historical county of Caithness and is the northernmost town in the UK where we have successfully operated and managed the Vulcan Naval Reactor Test Establishment for the last 50 years on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

As the Radioactive Waste Technician you will be involved in the day to day management of solid radioactive wastes during interim storage, assay, characterisation and preparation for disposal from site. This is an opportunity to join the Rad Waste team to perform this important role that will support site activities which in turn keep our submarine fleet at sea now and in the future.

The position provides an excellent opportunity for someone experienced in management of radioactive waste items generated within a nuclear facility to develop yourself and the processes used. The required specialist training will be given and opportunities are in place to help with your career development.

This is an opportunity for you to expand your knowledge and interest in this specialised field in the nuclear submarines business.

We’re a leader in propulsion system design and development for the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarine fleet and the sole provider and technical authority.

Work with us and we’ll welcome you into an inclusive culture, one that invests in your continuous learning and development, and gives you access to a wide breadth and depth of experience. We offer excellent development, a competitive salary and exceptional benefits. These include bonus, employee support assistance and employee discounts.

What You Will Be Doing

To provide world-class technical support for in-service/delivered products and ensure the downstream radioactive wastes are managed and disposed of in an effective and efficient manner adhering to all legislative requirements.
• Ensure Radioactive waste accumulation, interim storage and disposal on the site is managed in accordance with the site authorisation conditions and regulatory requirements.
• Carry out operations on a nuclear authorised site to the authorised procedures and processes.
• Provide technical operational input during the review of rad waste operating procedures/BPEO and BPM studies.
• Carry out sampling to support site groundwater management programme across site.
• Management of known and potential safety issues and appropriate involvement in the risk assessment process to improve the rad waste activities across site.
• Develop and implement innovative practical solutions during management and interim storage of rad waste items.
• Ensure compliance with requirements specified by regulatory authorities and to adhere to technical and business requirements of internal & external stakeholders.
• Carry out continuous improvement by identifying Best Practice and Learning from Experience activities, feeding back into site waste management programme

Who We’re Looking For

At Rolls-Royce we embrace agility, are bold, pursue collaboration and seek simplicity in everything we do. These principles form our values and behaviours and are an essential component of our assessment process and are fundamental qualities that we seek for all roles.
• SVQ level 3 or equivalent qualification would be an advantage.
• Practical knowledge of solid radioactive waste management is essential, to include assay and disposal acceptance levels and criteria.
• Knowledge and experience of radioactive sampling techniques and processes to support site characterisation and groundwater sampling.
• Familiarity of the working in a nuclear environment, including regulatory and authorisation compliance requirements.
• Experience in troubleshooting and/or problem resolution on a nuclear authorised site.

We’re an equal opportunities employer. We’re committed to developing a diverse workforce and an inclusive working environment. We believe that people from different backgrounds and cultures give us different perspectives. And the more perspectives we have, the more successful we’ll be. By building a culture of respect and appreciation, we give everyone who works here the opportunity to realise their full potential.

You can learn more about our global inclusion strategy here.

To work for the Rolls-Royce Submarines Business an individual has to hold Security Check (SC) clearance without any caveats to that clearance. Rolls-Royce will support the application for Security Clearance if the individual does not currently already have this in place.

Due to the nature of work the Business conducts and the protection of certain assets a person has to be a UK national or in MoD approved cases a Dual National from a non ITAR country.

Job Category

Factory Staff

Posting Date

2+ Aug 2026; 00:08

Posting End Date

05 Sept 2026