Non-Executive Director – Projects and Programmes

Remuneration: £33,000 per annum

Time commitment: 30 days per annum

UKNNL is the UK’s lead civil national laboratory for nuclear fission, delivering nuclear science to benefit society.

About UKNNL

The UK’s ‘nuclear revival’ is moving at pace and is critical in the national mission to secure energy security, net‑zero goals, and national resilience.

UKNNL are the government's lead civil laboratory for nuclear fission, providing the science, technology and world-leading laboratories to support the country’s civil nuclear programmes, to support growth of the UK nuclear sector and ensure they are delivered safely and cost-effectively. We are pivotal in innovation in advanced nuclear fuels, waste reduction, recycling and SMRs. Our societal impact goes well beyond energy and includes medical isotopes for healthcare, national security capabilities and industrial and scientific advancement.

What UKNNL does

UKNNL drive innovation in nuclear science, ensuring the UK has the capabilities it needs – whether in physical infrastructure, or in the skills and knowledge of the sector workforce – to create and deploy the technologies of the future.

Working in partnership with universities, they champion the best new ideas and concepts, nurturing upcoming scientists and researchers. And alongside partners in industry, UKNNL helps keep existing nuclear reactors running successfully, supports a strong and effective UK supply chain and ensures new technologies have a chance to become commercially viable.

UK National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL) plays a unique role in supporting the UK’s nuclear capability—advancing science, strengthening energy resilience, and delivering critical infrastructure for the future.

The Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is seeking to appoint a new Non-Executive Director for the UKNNL board.

Why this role?

This is a very exciting time to join the UKNNL Board as a NED and provide strategic leadership and risk oversight in one of the most complex and tightly regulated sectors.

This newly created NED – Projects and Programmes role will strengthen Board‑level oversight of delivery across UKNNL’s most strategically important and complex infrastructure investment programmes.

This role will provide the opportunity to influence an organisation of national importance and purpose and strategic influence at the science-policy interface.

This role offers:

Accountabilities

The role will also support the Board’s enhanced focus on delivery management more generally, promoting the extension of best practice in a proportionate and appropriate manner across UKNNL’s technical delivery.

It will provide expert challenge, assurance and insight on whether UKNNL’s projects are being delivered safely, on time, to cost and to the required quality standards.

You will:

What We’re Looking For: Essential and Desirable Criteria

Alongside a sense of inquisitiveness, tenacity, freshness and new thinking to the Board, we’re looking for candidates with the following experience:

Essential criteria

Desirable criteria

You may already have some non-executive experience – or be looking for a first significant Board role where your expertise can translate into wider impact.

Join us

We are particularly interested in candidates who bring new and diverse perspectives – helping UKNNL continue to evolve as a modern, inclusive and purpose-driven organisation.

If you are motivated by public value, excited by complex governance challenges, and ready to contribute at Board level - we encourage you to apply.

To apply

This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments – the independent regulator of Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the
Commissioner’s website: https://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/
.

To apply, complete the two steps outlined in the candidate pack (available in the application portal or on our microsite: https://webmicrosites.hays.co.uk/web/uknnl/the-roles )

Please note: your application will not be considered without you completing both the Hays and Public Appointments elements, including the equality and political declaration sections.

To confidentially discuss the role in further detail or request a copy of the Candidate Brief, please contact Andrew Timlin or Wendi Wang at Hays Executive.

Andrew Timlin M 07887 777 735
Wendi Wang T 200 7259 874307

Campaign dates

Closing date: 15th June 2026

First round of interviews: W/C 22nd June 2026

UKNNL/DESNZ/UKGI interviews: W/C 29th June 2026

The above dates are subject to change.