Ester

Compliance Specialist, Almelo (Netherlands)

As a Compliance Specialist at Urenco, I have many different tasks and deal with colleagues in every department. The variety and scope of the work is what attracted me to the job.

In the Compliance department, we translate legislation and regulations into practice, checking whether processes and activities are compliant. In this way, we help protect our licence to operate. Compliance looks at both management systems and operational safety.

One of my focus areas has been to develop content for our electronic learning environment to keep track of individual competencies and to show that we are fully compliant with regards to knowledge. Every employee and contractor at UNL uses the e-learning platform to complete training modules. My manager encourages me to speak up and act accountably and responsibly, and the people around me are open to hearing new ideas.

Urenco has also offered me personal and educational development opportunities. When I joined the nuclear sector I did not have a strong opinion about it. But now, I think it is a fascinating field. When I tell people I work at Urenco, they often show an interest. I enjoy explaining to them what Urenco does in relation to uranium enrichment and the production of stable isotopes for nuclear medicine.

Chris

Net Zero Programme Manager, Head Office (UK)

For 12 years, I worked as a firefighter for the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service. It was an extremely rewarding and challenging career, but eventually, I took the step to trade in my firefighter tunic for a new career path. I studied part-time for a Bachelor of Engineering degree at the Open University while I continued to work. 

After graduating in 2019, I joined Urenco and I am now the Net Zero Programme Manager with responsibility for developing and implementing the company’s net zero strategy and helping produce technological solutions to reduce carbon emissions across a complex industrial setting. For example, this could be working on innovative plant-based refrigeration systems.  

It is such a varied and exciting role that involves working with so many different people and teams, from engineers to designers, and those in finance to procurement – I couldn’t list them all! Every day presents new opportunities to make a big impact towards net zero and we have some seriously challenging targets at Urenco: I can be doing anything from developing site action plans to advising senior stakeholders on the company’s strategy. And as you can probably guess from my firefighting background - I relish the challenge!

Julieta

Pump Rebuild & Recycling Supervisor, Eunice (USA)

I am the Pump Rebuild & Recycling Supervisor at UUSA. I joined UUSA in 2011 as an Operator and I progressed through the department, leading me to serve as a Senior Operator and most recently as Deputy Shift Manager. I hold a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Technology.

My experience at UUSA has been positive. I have been able to grow and gain expertise in a structured manner, which has led to my success. My time in Operations has helped me gain knowledge in the day to day operation of the plant and how the systems work together. This will help me focus on the interdependence between the operating systems and the pump rebuild recycling department.

I often get asked why I work in the nuclear industry. The reason is nuclear plays a pivotal role in our energy needs. This is especially true as the world works to reduce its carbon footprint. Urenco’s experience in the industry, coupled with the innovative nature of it leaders and employees, will ensure a bright future for all of us. I am happy to be a part of that.

Joe

Mechanical Engineering Technician, Capenhurst (UK)

Right from school, I wanted to go into engineering and I did work experience at a few different places and realised mechanical engineering was for me. I joined Urenco as an apprentice in the Maintenance team at Urenco’s Capenhurst site and I was really proud to have been based at the Tails Management Facility. It’s great being part of such a big project. I’ve been here through the commissioning stage and we are now an active plant. So it’s nice to see it up and running. That’s special. I love the job so after I completed my apprenticeship the obvious step was for me to join Urenco permanently as a Technician.

Claudia

Engineer - Licensing Specialist, Gronau (Germany)

I decided to study nuclear engineering because there are many different areas of application in this field and nuclear energy is a low-carbon alternative to power generation from coal. I like working at Urenco because it is an innovative company and offers many opportunities for deployment and development.

Lauren

Senior Communications Specialist, Eunice (USA)

Until January 2021 when I joined Urenco, my husband and I had always used the medical insurance provided by the company that he works for: a very large national energy infrastructure company. When I received my new hire benefits enrollment information, my husband and I sat down and reviewed the cost and coverage and could not believe how much better UUSA’s benefit package was that what we had previously. It was obvious that making the switch to UUSA's coverage would be best for our family.

A few short months later, we found out we were expecting a baby and on December 7, 2021, our daughter Phoebe Anne made her debut. Thanks to the medical insurance provided by UUSA, all my prenatal care, my C-section surgery, post-partum recovery and newborn care services cost our family only $1,300 out of pocket.

I remember reading the communication before open enrollment last year about how the company absorbed cost increases for the second straight year while so many Americans saw their premiums rise significantly and it makes me very proud and grateful to work for a company that truly cares and invests in my health and safety.

Sarah

Head of Strategy & Corporate Development, Head Office (UK)

I came to Urenco in order to contribute to the net zero transition, to work with great people, and to grow in my career. It is important to me to feel purpose in my role at work, and I am glad to be working at an organisation so focused on decarbonising our energy systems to make them more sustainable, safe, and secure. I also like working on a global team with diverse colleagues who support and challenge me as we work together. Urenco has been an excellent place to develop professionally, as there are many opportunities to learn new things and contribute in broader ways.

In leading Urenco’s Global Strategy and Corporate Development function, I work closely with our Executive Committee and team members across all parts of our business to help define the future direction for Urenco. We consider important questions about how we will best support our customers and government partners in the future, and how we respond to changing market forces around us. It’s always interesting, especially as we get to collaborate with colleagues in many different countries and functions across Urenco.

Kyle

Mechanical Maintenance Supervisor, Eunice (USA)

Before I came to UUSA, I was the type of person who enjoyed travelling, moving around, and changes in my work environment. I worked construction, and joined UUSA during the construction phase, but now that we are in the operational phase, I have found that there is so much change here and so many different scopes of work that I am interested and engaged every day.

Working at UUSA is interesting because this is a 4-billion-dollar facility, and companies of this size usually have thousands of employees, but our plant has roughly 230 people. This creates an atmosphere of being able to work on many different things and means that it is not uncommon for me to need to interact with our CEO and top-level management, which gives me lots of practice and experience with top-level business aspects.

Being a professional in the nuclear industry is also fun because training is so easy to access and our procedural-driven mindset helps keep confidence high.

Samantha

Project Manager, Capenhurst (UK)

Working at Urenco has given me countless opportunities to problem-solve with numerous personnel across the business, from all levels of the organisation, with different backgrounds, education, and cultural perspectives. Urenco has created an environment where I can have a seat at the table and join the conversation.

Lauren

Site Net Zero Lead, Capenhurst (UK)

As Site Net Zero Lead, I am responsible for working to reduce the carbon emissions for all the processes we do at Urenco. 

Each day, I work on answering the question of how the company will achieve net zero. In practice, this covers things like company culture and behaviour, perhaps can we encourage people to cycle to work instead of taking their car, for example. Or technical solutions, such as finding alternatives to burning fossil fuels. As my role covers the whole site, I also spend lots of my time out in the processing plants with engineers and talking with different departments and teams to figure out specific net zero solutions for their areas.

The most exciting part for me is the fact that my work will have a positive impact on the world, as I’m helping to protect the planet from the climate crisis.

I’m really lucky to work with a diverse range of people from different backgrounds which is the key to our innovative solutions. I couldn’t do my job without connecting with other people on a daily basis to help talk through and solve problems. I am also a huge advocate for being able to be fully yourself at work. I think this is really important when making connections with people and making everyone in the team feel safe and able to share their ideas. 

Benjamin

Senior Work Control Coordinator, Capenhurst (UK)

I work as a Senior Work Control Coordinator within the Work Control Team at Urenco UK. I started as an apprentice after leaving school, which allowed me to gain experience and learn a great deal about many aspects of engineering: mechanical; fabrication; electrical/instrumentation; and process/installation. I also discovered the various opportunities the wider nuclear industry holds and the global push for a low carbon future, which Urenco will play a key part in.

I have been lucky to win several apprenticeship awards, including UK Nuclear Apprentice of the year in 2018. It was a real privilege to be presented with such a prestigious award. Urenco then supported me to study for a degree in Mechanical Industrial Engineering, specialising in Engineering Management, which I have now finished.

I am so proud of my role at Urenco. The team around me are brilliant and all strive for excellence in the same way I do. We have a supportive manager and are empowered to promote continuous improvement to processes and procedures. It is an honour to be given that responsibility from the leaders of the company, whose level I aspire to reach one day.