Principal Safety & Risk Consultant

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.