Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) - Chair

The Chair of the ONR Board must be able to demonstrate excellent communication and strong and effective leadership qualities. The Chair will shape and support the delivery of strategic objectives.  

The Chair has responsibility for ensuring that ONR delivers efficient and effective regulation of the nuclear industry in line with its statutory purposes. The Chair is also responsible for ensuring that ONR’s policies and actions support the responsible Minister’s and the Government’s wider strategic policies and that the ONR Board’s affairs are conducted with probity. 

The Chair’s responsibilities also include: 

• Providing clear, strategic leadership to the Board, ensuring its meetings are focused on the organisation’s current and future priorities and that all Board members contribute fully and effectively. 
• Working closely with the Board especially the Chief Executive / Chief Nuclear Inspector, ensuring ONR is managed effectively and that ONR objectives and strategy are translated into clear management objectives. 
• Reviewing and setting the ONR’s strategic direction within a framework agreed with Ministers, ensuring that plans and targets are clear and appropriate. 
• Leading the Board in its scrutiny of the performance of the Executive team in delivering those plans and targets efficiently and effectively. Ensuring ONR provides excellent value for money in a culture of simplification and continuous improvement. Promoting the efficient and effective use of staff and other resources.
• Building and maintaining constructive and effective relationships at a strategic level with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and partner organisations. 
• Securing high standards of governance, including regularity and propriety, in the conduct of the Board’s affairs.  
• Ensuring that the Board, in reaching decisions, takes proper account of guidance provided by the responsible Minister or the department.
• Setting performance objectives for the Chief Executive / Chief Nuclear Inspector; and 
• Representing the views of ONR and its Board to the general public and key stakeholders. 

The Chair has other obligations including ensuring that: 

• there are regular internal and external reviews of board performance and composition; and 
• the Board has a balance of skills and diversity appropriate to directing ONR’s business. 

Organisation description

• The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is the UK’s independent nuclear regulatory authority. Established as a statutory public corporation on 1 April 2014, under the Energy Act 2013, its mission is to protect society by securing safe nuclear operations.
• ONR independently regulates nuclear safety, nuclear security and conventional health and safety across 35 licensed nuclear sites and performs targeted inspection activity across their supply chains. It also regulates the transportation of nuclear materials and ensures safeguards obligations for the UK are met.
• ONR is also responsible for regulating the design and construction of new nuclear facilities ensuring they are built and operated to the highest standards and oversees the decommissioning of nuclear sites. ONR cooperates with other UK and international regulators and agencies on safety and security issues of common concern, including associated research.
• ONR’s duty is to ensure that the nuclear industry controls its hazards effectively, has a culture of continuous improvement and maintains high standards.
• ONR’s gross budget for 2024/2025 is circa £114m. Approximately 95% of ONRs running costs are from the nuclear industry it regulates and government departments to whom it provides a service. 3% of running costs are grant-funded by ONR’s sponsor body, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The remaining 2% is funded from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).
• ONR employs around 660 Full time equivalent staff across three locations (Merseyside, Cheltenham, and London) with around 400 technical specialist staff.

Board composition

The ONR Board is responsible for:

• establishing and delivering ONR’s strategic aims and objectives consistent with its overall strategic direction and within the agreed Government policy and resources framework agreed with Ministers;
• ensuring that the responsible Minister is kept informed of any changes which are likely to impact on ONR’s strategic direction or on the attainability of its targets, and determining the steps needed to deal with such changes;
• ensuring that appropriate arrangements are in place to provide assurance that ONR is providing efficient and effective regulation of the nuclear industry;
• overseeing ONR’s budget and financial operation, ensuring it complies with any statutory and administrative rules for the use of public money;
• ensuring ONR has effective arrangements in place to provide assurance on governance, risk management and internal control;
• demonstrating and ensuring high standards of corporate governance and probity at all times;
• appointing and proposing remuneration for the Chief Executive/Chief Nuclear Inspector (CE/CNI), subject to Ministerial consent; and
• setting performance objectives for the CE/CNI.

The Board currently consists of a Non-Executive Chair, five Non-Executive Directors and up to four Executive Directors. The Board is supported by three standing committees chaired by the non-executives:

• Audit and Risk Assurance Committee
• Remuneration and Resilience Committee
• Security Committee.

Neither the Board nor individual members have a role in nuclear regulatory decisions.

The Board currently meets approximately eight times a year. Meetings across the year are a mix of face to face and virtual (Microsoft Teams); one will normally take place at each of ONR’s offices in Bootle (Merseyside), London or Cheltenham; one takes place close to a licensed site and is combined with a site visit; one Strategy event is held in London or Liverpool; and the remainder are normally virtual. Attendance on ONR Board business will involve occasional overnight stays.

Regulation of appointment

This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the Commissioner’s website 

Essential criteria

• Knowledge and understanding of regulation in a technical setting (such as high hazard and/or major infrastructure).
• Experience of chairing at senior non-executive board or committee level in a national organisation, demonstrating a sound understanding of the policy, political and environment contexts that it operates in.
• Strong and effective leadership skills with the ability to shape and support the organisation during a period of significant change and innovation in the nuclear sector.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills including the ability to operate sensitively and constructively, build positive relationships to promote and enhance an organisation’s reputation, and develop and sustain trust and credibility with stakeholders.
• Demonstrate an ability to further equality, diversity, and inclusion within the organisation.

Desirable criteria

• An understanding of the environment within which the public sector operates; and
• Private sector experience.

How to apply