Principal Safety & Risk Consultant
Posted 3 days ago by First Recruitment Group
Negotiable
Inside
Hybrid
Plymouth, England, United Kingdom
Summary: The Principal Safety & Risk Consultant will lead the development, assessment, and assurance of nuclear safety for complex defence infrastructure programmes. This senior technical role requires expertise in safety case development and the ability to provide independent oversight and direction to ensure compliance with UK regulatory standards. The consultant will work across the full lifecycle of major projects, ensuring safety strategies and hazard analyses are robust and defensible. The position is primarily remote with one day per week onsite in Plymouth.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the development, review and assurance of nuclear safety cases and associated documentation
- Provide technical authority and independent challenge on safety arguments and hazard analyses
- Guide multidisciplinary teams in the development of robust safety strategies and risk reduction measures
- Ensure compliance with relevant UK regulatory frameworks, including ONR and DNSR expectations
- Support decision-making by providing clear, evidence-based safety advice to senior stakeholders
- Contribute to Intelligent Customer capability across safety and engineering functions
- Mentor and support the development of junior and mid-level consultants
- Drive continuous improvement in safety case development processes and assurance practices
Key Skills:
- Proven background in safety case development, assessment or assurance
- Strong understanding of hazard analysis and nuclear safety justification principles
- Knowledge of UK regulatory frameworks (ONR and/or DNSR)
- Experience working in complex, highly regulated engineering environments
- Ability to challenge constructively and influence senior stakeholders
- Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical issues clearly
- Experience in an assurance or Intelligent Customer role (desirable)
- Chartered or professionally registered status (or working towards) (desirable)
- Degree in a relevant science or engineering discipline
Salary (Rate): undetermined
City: Plymouth
Country: United Kingdom
Working Arrangements: hybrid
IR35 Status: inside IR35
Seniority Level: Senior
Industry: Other
Location: Plymouth (Mainly remote, 1 day per week onsite)
IR35: Inside
Duration: 12 Month Contract (likely renewable)
Principal Safety & Risk Consultant
Industry: Nuclear & Defence Infrastructure | Safety & Risk Consultancy
About the Role
We are seeking a Principal Safety & Risk Consultant to lead the development, assessment and assurance of nuclear safety across complex, high-hazard defence infrastructure programmes. In this senior technical role, you will act as both a subject matter expert and an Intelligent Customer, providing independent oversight, challenge and direction to ensure safety cases are robust, proportionate and fully aligned with UK regulatory expectations. You will operate across the full lifecycle of major projects—from early design through to construction and commissioning—ensuring that safety strategies, hazard analyses and supporting evidence are clear, coherent and defensible.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the development, review and assurance of nuclear safety cases and associated documentation
- Provide technical authority and independent challenge on safety arguments and hazard analyses
- Guide multidisciplinary teams in the development of robust safety strategies and risk reduction measures
- Ensure compliance with relevant UK regulatory frameworks, including ONR and DNSR expectations
- Support decision-making by providing clear, evidence-based safety advice to senior stakeholders
- Contribute to Intelligent Customer capability across safety and engineering functions
- Mentor and support the development of junior and mid-level consultants
- Drive continuous improvement in safety case development processes and assurance practices
About You
You will bring strong experience in safety case development and assurance within nuclear, defence or other high-hazard industries, and be confident operating at Senior or Principal level.
Essential skills and experience:
- Proven background in safety case development, assessment or assurance
- Strong understanding of hazard analysis and nuclear safety justification principles
- Knowledge of UK regulatory frameworks (ONR and/or DNSR)
- Experience working in complex, highly regulated engineering environments
- Ability to challenge constructively and influence senior stakeholders
- Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical issues clearly
Desirable
- Experience in an assurance or Intelligent Customer role
- Chartered or professionally registered status (or working towards)
- Degree in a relevant science or engineering discipline
What You’ll Bring
A proactive, analytical mindset and the confidence to operate as a trusted technical authority, helping ensure that safety risks are reduced so far as is reasonably practicable while enabling successful delivery of critical national infrastructure.