An engineering firm developing a new type of mini nuclear-reactor capable of supplying energy to heavy industry is looking for 400 new staff.
Cavendish Nuclear is currently working with U-Battery on a 50ft high advanced modular reactor (AMR) which could one day funnel superheated nitrogen directly into factories.
Cavendish is part of the £4 billion turnover Babcock international aerospace, defence and security group and has operations in Leicestershire, Bristol, Warrington and other parts of the UK.
As well as R&D it specialises in all aspects of nuclear engineering, doing design, installation and maintenance for clients such as Hinckley Point C Ltd and EDF.
Its teams are helping decommission Sellafield in Cumbria, and Dounrey, in Scotland, as well as 12 Magnox sites, and it also works for the MoD and as part of the Nuclear Technical Support Provider (NTSP) framework.
Lee Whitworth, head of engineering at Cavendish Nuclear, said the business was looking for graduates and apprentices as well as engineers looking to move into a new sector.
Current vacancies include mechanical engineers, waste and decommissioning consultants, designers, systems engineers and quality control engineers.
Speaking at the Cavendish test facility on the Frank Whittle estate in Whetstone, Leicestershire, Mr Whitworth said these were exciting times for the UK nuclear sector.
He said: “This is a once in a generation time in which new nuclear projects are being designed, built and operated.
“We have a very strong presence here in Leicestershire, but also in Manchester and Bristol and are looking for engineers across the board.
“We’re currently looking for about 400 to work on various projects and in various locations.
“We are on every single nuclear power site in the UK and looking for a wide mix of engineers, designers, project managers – everything to do with the successful delivery of these schemes.
“The nuclear sector needs high quality engineers, and that includes people with great engineer skills but who are new to the nuclear sector.”
He said the Babcock group employs around 5,000 people in the UK, including about 1,500 within Cavendish Nuclear, with around 300 of those based in Leicestershire.
