The Environment Agency plays a central role in protecting and enhancing the environment, working to create better places for people and wildlife while supporting sustainable development. Established in 1996, we regulate major industry, manage water resources and flood risk, protect land and biodiversity, and work with partners across government, business and communities to address the environmental challenges facing England.
Regulation sits at the heart of our mission. As a regulator of national significance, the Environment Agency safeguards people, communities and the environment while enabling sustainable economic growth. Nowhere is this responsibility more critical, complex or high‑profile than in nuclear and radioactive substances regulation.
The Environment Agency is the independent environmental regulator for the nuclear industry in England, playing a vital role in protecting people and the environment while supporting the UK’s energy resilience, sustainable growth and net zero ambitions. Working with partners including the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and Great British Energy - Nuclear (GBE-N), we regulate the full lifecycle of nuclear activity - from new nuclear development and reactor operation to radioactive waste management and decommissioning. As the UK nuclear sector undergoes significant expansion and reform, including through the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce (NRTF) and wider Nuclear Regulation Review, the Environment Agency is helping to shape a more modern, proportionate and effective regulatory framework for the future.
We are now seeking to appoint two senior leaders to join our Chief Regulators Group as Deputy Director for Nuclear Regulation and Deputy Director for Nuclear and Radioactive Substances Regulation (RSR) Strategy. These are highly influential roles, operating at the forefront of a rapidly evolving sector and during a period of transformation and growth for both the nuclear industry and the Environment Agency, and the UK as a whole.
The Deputy Director for Nuclear and RSR Strategy will lead the strategic direction of the Environment Agency’s regulation of the nuclear sector and wider uses of radioactive substances, including healthcare, academia and industry. Reporting to the Chief Regulator and sitting on the Chief Regulators Group Leadership Team, you will shape policy, strategy, regulatory reform and technical leadership, ensuring regulation remains resilient, proportionate and future‑focused. You will lead a multidisciplinary team of around 30 specialists, manage significant programmes and resources, and work closely with senior stakeholders across government, industry, regulators and international partners.
The Deputy Director for Nuclear Regulation is a senior operational leadership role with direct national impact. You will lead the delivery of the Environment Agency’s nuclear regulatory programme, ensuring it is effective, proportionate and responsive to a changing landscape, while protecting people and the environment. Also reporting to the Chief Regulator and a member of the Chief Regulators Group Leadership Team, you will provide strategic and operational oversight of a large, specialist workforce of around 100 staff, with accountability for substantial budgets and performance.
Both roles operate at senior national level, requiring confident engagement with ministers, Parliament, industry leaders, regulators and the media. You will provide visible leadership, translate strategy into delivery, and ensure the Environment Agency’s nuclear and radioactive substances regulation supports sustainable growth, national resilience, energy security and public confidence.
Across both posts, we are looking for leaders with demonstrable experience of the nuclear sector, radioactive substances regulation, or other major hazard, safety-critical or highly regulated industries. You will bring strong strategic judgement, the ability to lead complex organisations through change, and a calm, authoritative approach to decision making in high-pressure environments. We are particularly interested in candidates who can lead confidently through a period of significant regulatory transformation, while demonstrating inclusive leadership, resilience and a strong sense of public service.
These appointments offer a rare opportunity to shape one of the most safety‑critical and strategically important areas of environmental regulation in England. By joining the Environment Agency at this level, you will play a vital role in protecting people and the environment while helping to enable a safe, secure and sustainable nuclear future.
Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to the Environment Agency on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit roles.saxbam.com using reference OBRZL & OBRZM. Alternatively email Belinda.beck@saxbam.com. Applications should be received by noon on Monday 1st June.
