Nuclear Valve Technician

Major nuclear new build project in the United Kingdom, currently in pre-operational testing and commissioning phase. The scope covered by the contractor includes the valve & valve maintenance package across the site.

Although the job descriptions are written with a maintenance vocabulary, the activity actually covers reception of newly installed valves, pre-commissioning checks, calibration, tightness testing, fault diagnosis and rework on new equipment, in interface with the OEMs, the Contractor, the Employer and the UK Nuclear Safety Authority.

All roles are based on-site in the UK. Working language: English. Long-term mobilisation.

The Valve Technician performs preventive and corrective maintenance activities on valve assemblies (gate valves, globe valves, ball valves, safety relief valves, control valves, etc.) and their associated actuators (pneumatic / electric).

He / she is responsible for:

• his / her own safety on site;

• the execution of all tasks assigned by the Team Leader;

• compliance with the work order package (WOP) and the applicable operating procedures, including proper documentation feedback;

• immediate reporting of any non-conformity detected during the intervention;

• identification of unsafe situations and proposal of corrective / improvement actions.

Main activities

Operates in an industrial / nuclear environment on valve assemblies and their actuators, either following a fault or as part of planned interventions (periodic inspection, outage, pre-commissioning campaigns):

• Inspects the condition of valves (tightness, wear) and adjusts mechanical components using calibrated measuring instruments;

• Checks equipment parameters (pressure, temperature, flow);

• Defines the required actions (cleaning, replacement of wear parts, replacement of larger sub-assemblies) based on inspection results and applicable technical specifications;

• In case of failure, investigates and diagnoses malfunctions to identify root cause and define corrective actions;

• Disassembles the system to be repaired, replaces defective parts, reassembles in line with drawings and procedures;

• Verifies that the repaired / refurbished component fulfils its function within the original mechanical assembly and that all systems are correctly reassembled and operational;

• Completes intervention technical sheets to build up the maintenance dossier.

Education / training

• Vocational qualification (CAP / Bac Pro level — French system, or equivalent NVQ Level 2 / 3 in the UK) in maintenance, mechanics or electro-mechanics.

Additional certifications

• Overhead crane / pendant control (pontier boîte à boutons);

• Forklift licence (cariste);

• MEWP / cherry picker licence (permis nacelle);

• Vibration analysis: ability to interpret results.