Lead Electrical Engineer - Lighting Systems at Rolls-Royce SMR · Derby

Lead Electrical Engineer - Lighting Systems

Location: Derby, UK

Role Title: Lead Electrical Engineer – Lighting Systems

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 Systems team is responsible for delivering safe, resilient and technically robust electrical infrastructure across the Rolls‑Royce SMR power station. Lighting systems — for normal operation, accident/emergency conditions and escape routes — form an essential part of the plant’s safety and operability. These systems must meet stringent engineering, safety and regulatory requirements while supporting consistent, maintainable and high‑quality plant design.

About the Role:

As a Lead Electrical Engineer you will provide technical expertise across the full lifecycle of lighting systems, from system architecture and sub‑system design through to equipment specification, selection and verification. You will work across multidisciplinary engineering teams to ensure lighting systems meet all functional, environmental, safety and regulatory requirements.

You will act as a responsible designer and intelligent customer depending on the task, safeguarding the technical integrity of design outputs and ensuring the final verified design of the power station reflects robust lighting engineering practices. You will also support standardisation and the development of commoditised approaches to lighting system design across the plant.

The role includes participating in long‑term strategic planning, identifying and mitigating risks, contributing to policy and process development, and representing the electrical discipline in meetings, working groups and supplier/regulator interactions. You may also oversee contract partners and mentor more junior engineers.

We’ll Need You To:

• Provide electrical technical leadership for lighting systems across normal, emergency and escape conditions
• Develop lighting system architecture, specifications and detailed designs
• Assess and substantiate lighting system designs against functional, performance and safety requirements
• Ensure compliance with UK and European lighting standards and regulations
• Provide guidance to project designers on lighting design principles, integration and compliance
• Support strategic planning, capability development and team growth within lighting engineering
• Identify risks within lighting design packages and support mitigation strategies
• Contribute to policies, procedures, guidelines, design tools and technical documentation
• Represent electrical engineering in meetings, design reviews, working groups and regulator/supplier dialogue
• Drive standardisation of lighting solutions and support a commoditised approach across the SMR programme
• Manage and oversee contract partners delivering lighting design or analysis
• Mentor less experienced engineers and provide technical direction within the electrical discipline

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:

• Experience across the electrical system lifecycle within a regulated industry (nuclear desirable but not essential)
• Significant knowledge and experience developing plant lighting systems for normal, emergency/accident and escape‑route conditions
• Understanding of lighting codes and standards applicable to the UK and Europe
• Experience in the systematic lifecycle of electrical systems including specification, assessment, verification, testing, installation, commissioning and maintenance
• Good knowledge of electrical power distribution systems and components
• Experience with systems engineering methodologies and tools (e.g., Capella, DOORS, Polarion)
• Ability to act as an intelligent customer and provide technical oversight of supply chain deliverables
• Knowledge of commercial availability and cost considerations for lighting equipment
• Practical field experience in lighting design, installation or commissioning
• Strong communication skills with the ability to present complex information clearly
• Degree in electrical engineering or related discipline (or equivalent experience)

We welcome applicants from a wide range of regulated sectors such as defence, aerospace, rail, nuclear and energy.

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 £60,000–£78,750 dependent on the skills, values and knowledge you bring. There may be some flexibility with the starting salary in exceptional cases, and, in due course, the role may be developed further.

Benefits include:

• Bonus – Performance‑related target opportunity 12.5%
• Benefits Allowance – £2,200 per annum for a bespoke package
• Pension – 12% employer and 6% employee contributions
• Holidays – 28 days (+ public holidays) with ability to buy or sell up to 4 days
• Private Medical Insurance – BUPA single cover
• Life Assurance – 6x 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 career growth in a rapidly scaling business, and a culture that values diversity, collaboration and continuous learning.

Selection Process:

The closing date for this role is 16th 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:

£60,000.00

-

£78,750.00


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 check