Senior Manager - Process C&I & DPCS

Role Title: Senior Manager - Process C&I & DPCS

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.

The Electrical, Control & Instrumentation (EC&I) function is responsible for defining and delivering the control, protection and automation systems that underpin the safe and efficient operation of the SMR power station. Process Control, Instrumentation and Data Processing Systems sit at the heart of plant operations, providing the monitoring, control, automation and operational information capability required to support the full plant lifecycle.

About the Role:

As a Senior Manager - Process C&I & DPCS, you will lead the specification, design, integration and delivery of plant-wide process control, instrumentation, supervisory control, operational information and data processing systems.

Reporting to the Head of C&I Systems Design & Integration, you will provide leadership across process instrumentation, Distributed Control Systems (DCS), operational data processing systems, plant monitoring systems, alarm management systems, historian platforms and operational decision-support tools.

You will ensure these systems satisfy plant performance objectives, operational requirements, cybersecurity expectations, human factors principles and nuclear regulatory requirements. A key element of the role will be developing strategic relationships with major international automation suppliers, instrumentation manufacturers and systems integration partners, acting as the intelligent customer for supplier-delivered solutions.

This role combines technical leadership, programme delivery, supplier management and organisational capability development to establish a world-class process control and operational information capability supporting long-term fleet deployment.

We’ll Need You To:

• •Lead the development of plant-wide process control and instrumentation architectures
• •Define control philosophies and operational requirements
• •Establish requirements for process monitoring, automation and control systems
• •Ensure alignment between plant operation objectives and control system functionality
• •Provide technical leadership throughout the engineering lifecycle
• •Chair technical reviews and approve key engineering decisions
• •Ensure control and instrumentation systems support safe and reliable plant operations
• •Integrate human factors requirements into operator interfaces and control room solutions
• •Support safety case development and licensing activities
• •Develop alarm management and operational response philosophies
• •Define architectures for data acquisition, historians, performance monitoring and plant diagnostics
• •Establish information management and operational reporting strategies
• •Support advanced condition monitoring, predictive analytics and operational support capabilities
• •Ensure cybersecurity requirements are integrated into operational technology solutions
• •Lead testing, integration, verification and commissioning readiness activities
• •Establish and manage strategic supplier relationships with instrumentation, automation and digital technology providers
• •Lead technical supplier evaluations, qualification activities and equipment selection
• •Ensure systems and suppliers meet cost, quality, schedule and safety targets
• •Build and develop a high-performing engineering organisation through coaching, mentoring and succession planning

Key Skills Required:

We know there’s no such thing as the ‘perfect’ candidate. If you meet around 75% of the criteria below, we’d love to hear from you:

• •Extensive experience in process control engineering, instrumentation systems and plant automation
• •Significant experience with Distributed Control Systems (DCS), operational information systems and industrial data processing environments
• •Strong understanding of systems engineering and systems integration principles
• •Experience defining control philosophies, operational strategies and process automation architectures
• •Experience integrating human factors requirements into plant control and monitoring systems
• •Knowledge of alarm management, plant diagnostics and operational support systems
• •Understanding of industrial cyber security and operational technology environments
• •Experience working within nuclear or other highly regulated industries
• •Strong experience leading multidisciplinary engineering organisations
• •Proven ability to manage strategic supplier relationships and complex engineering contracts
• •Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills
• •Experience leading programme delivery, technical governance and engineering assurance
• •Ability to develop long-term organisational capability and technical excellence

Qualifications:

• •Degree qualified in Control Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Instrumentation Engineering, Systems Engineering or another relevant STEM discipline
• •Chartered Engineer (CEng) or equivalent professional registration
• •Significant experience delivering complex industrial control and instrumentation systems
• •Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams

Location:

Hybrid working with one of the following as your primary site:

Derby, Manchester or Warrington.

Salary and Package:

The salary band for this role will be between £71,000 – £93,200 dependent on the skills, values and knowledge you bring. There may be flexibility in exceptional cases.

Benefits include:

• •Bonus – Performance‑related target opportunity up to 17%
• •Benefits Allowance – £5,000 per annum for a bespoke package
• •Pension – 12% employer and 6% employee contributions
• •Holidays – 28 days (+ public holidays) with the ability to buy or sell up to 5 days
• •Private Medical Insurance – BUPA single cover
• •Life Assurance – 6× pensionable pay
• •Home Office Support – £250 one‑off payment for new starters

You’ll be joining a forward‑thinking organisation that values transparency, fairness and innovation. We offer a flexible, inclusive and supportive working environment, opportunities for growth in a rapidly scaling business, and a culture that values diversity, continuous learning and engineering excellence.

Selection Process:

The closing date for this role is 18th October 2026 . The process will begin with an introductory call with the Talent Acquisition Partner, with interviews being able to take place straight away.


 Pay Range:

£71,000.00 -

£93,187.50
 Why Join Us?

You’ll be joining a forward-thinking organisation that values transparency, fairness, and innovation. We offer:

• •A flexible, inclusive, and supportive working environment.
• •Opportunities for career growth in a rapidly scaling business.
• •A culture that values diversity, innovation, and continuous learning.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Inclusivity is important to us, and as a Disability Confident organisation, we are committed to fair, supportive, and continually improving recruitment practices that ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

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.

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