Health Physics Manager

AWE is currently recruiting for a Health Physics Manager

Location: Valduc (45 minutes outside of Dijon, France)

Package: £45,370 - £50,000 Plus Allowances (dependent upon skills and experience)

Closing date for this role is 9th April 2024

What if you could work with remarkable people on extraordinary things? What if the end result was something a little bit special? What if your role was mission critical?

For nearly 70 years, AWE has been at the forefront of nuclear weapons research and development. We have a critical mission: to provide the warheads for the UK's ultimate deterrent - Trident. We also use our unique skills to provide wider UK government with counter-terrorism and nuclear threat reduction solutions.

It takes a special sort of person to work at AWE. What if that person was you?

Health Physics Operation Manager (based in France)

Exciting Opportunity in a World-Class Facility in the French Countryside!

Are you looking for a unique and rewarding career opportunity? AWE is currently seeking a Health Physics Operations Manager to join our team at the EPURE facility in Dijon, France. This role is to support a joint UK/French Radiographic and Hydrodynamics facility located 45 minutes from Dijon in France. The Health Physics Operations Manager is one of the positions permanently based on the project in France for up to 5 years supporting the project.

EPURE is a ground-breaking facility, the first of its kind worldwide, and this is your chance to collaborate with our esteemed French colleagues and be part of something extraordinary! You would be based in France to deliver professional engineering services for the upkeep of all assets and equipment AWE needs in order to deliver the Programme.

As part of our People Promise, AWE (one of the best 25 big companies to work for in the UK) has a range of benefits to suit you. These include:

• Time to recharge your batteries with 270 hours of annual leave (inclusive of Bank Holidays) as there is a 5 Day working week it is possible you may get an extra week if there is a site shut down in the summer
• Opportunities for Professional Career Development that include funding for the annual membership of a relevant professional body, access to mentors and training
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services
• A generous defined contribution Group Personal Pension
• Discounts - access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending savings
• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring for your family
• A host of voluntary & core benefits to suit your health and wellbeing - more information available on our careers site
• Relocation package available to support deployment to France.

• Key Accountabilities:

• To ensure compliance to theEPR Baseline Role
  • Monitoring - Supervising
  • Supervising - Compliance to regulations/permits
  • HP personnel - Supervising surveillance activities (including the radiological clearance of items).
• Providing a nuclear and environment baseline role as specified under French Authorising Conditions arrangements for health physics covering Radiation Protection and Nuclear local radiological response.
• Ensure that EPURE radiation safety arrangements are fit for purpose.
• To provide supervision of all UK activities involving radiation hazards (equivalent to RPS under UK law).
• Manage and maintain the required level of training and competency for any individual undertaking Health Physics duties.
• Ensure that the radiological status of EPURE areas is known at all times to ensure that all relevant CEA and EPURE policies and procedures are implemented for all operations e.g. health physics clearances.
• Provide technical advice and support to the business, as required with French counterparts.
• Maintain and promote high personal standards in environment, safety, health, security and quality.
• Ensure that adequate local Radiological response arrangements are in place.
• Provide Radiological Safety walkthroughs as part of the staff induction or refreshers.
• To ensure that radiological analysis work is undertaken in accordance with EPURE requirements.
• Ensure that Beryllium hazard is managed within the EPURE facility.
• Provide nuclear and environment baseline roles as specified under AWE`s LC36 arrangements for Health Physics covering Radiation Protection and Nuclear emergency response.

Key Responsibilities:

• Day to day management of radiation safety matters for the UK staff / operations.
• Provide Radiological guidance and support to senior management in the absence of the Radiation Protection Advisor (RPA).
• To oversee the completion of radiological monitoring to meet to regulatory requirements.
• Responsible for the progression and development of Health Physics staff in line with the Health Physics progression arrangements.
• Responsible for the completion and storage of health physics documentation.
• Complete joint working with CEA Valduc health physics teams.
• Management of dosimetry regimes for UK staff and visitors.
• Management of radiological medicals and RPE fit testing for all UK staff.
• Develop and maintain a positive and proactive leadership style and culture among the teams.

Qualifications and Experience

Candidates must have relevant Health Physics qualifications, as a minimum these will be either the NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Radiation Protection or City and Guilds Radiation Safety Practice Stage 2 (or their equivalents).

Candidates must be willing and able to:

• Operate in workplaces of substantial hazard (radiological, explosive, toxic)
• Comfortable with working in the defence industry in support of the UK nuclear deterrent
• Willing to relocate to France and live within 1 hour of the Valduc site and be permanently located in France for up to 5 years.
• The ability to communicate in the French Language is essential for this role. Whilst training will be provided, if required, it should be recognised that significant personal commitment and self-study will be required to reach the required level. The candidate will need to reach DELF A2 ahead of deployment to work in the high hazard area
• Fit to wear respirator and work in a radiation-controlled area

Please note: When first appointed in the role you will be based in the UK initially for a period of 12-24 months before being deployed to France where you will deputise for the Operations Manager whilst becoming SQEP for the role.

Candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role.

Please note that you must be a British National to apply for a role with us.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide us will be used to encourage and support you through the application process and will be held only for this purpose in accordance with GDPR.

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Candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for this role.