How veterans can help close the UK rail skills gap

Executive Search Trends 2026 | The Future of Senior Leadership Hiring

The executive search landscape in 2026 is being reshaped by large-scale investment across critical UK infrastructure, the energy transition, engineering programmes, and regulated industries. Projects such as energy grid reinforcements, utilities modernisations, large transport programmes, and nuclear new builds like Sizewell C and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are swiftly moving from planning into execution. At the same time, scrutiny from regulators, the media, and the government has intensified. For boards operating in these environments, senior leadership appointments now carry operational, reputational, and political weight. Executive search is no longer about identifying experienced profiles. It is about identifying leaders who can translate large-scale investment into safe, consistent delivery across high-risk environments. For organisations operating within core critical infrastructure programmes, understanding the shifts in executive search trends is becoming essential to securing the right leadership. Jump to: What are the biggest shifts in executive recruitment? What are senior candidates looking for in 2026? AI in executive search and boardroom strategy Workforce transition is no longer an HR issue Future skills required for C-suite roles Where executive leadership is headed What are the biggest shifts in executive recruitment? Political risk now influences executive decision-making One of the most significant executive search industry trends is not internal to organisations. Senior candidates are increasingly evaluating political stability and funding certainty before stepping into major roles. Infrastructure projects often depend on multi-year government commitment. When policy shifts or investment timelines change, the public face of delivery is the executive team. “There’s a real concern among senior leaders about the political risk attached to major infrastructure roles. You can join a project where investment is promised, then nothing happens for years. That uncertainty now plays heavily into whether executives will step into these positions.” – Asif Salam, Practice Director | Executive Search For boards, this means executive candidate sourcing must confront the reputational exposure attached to major programmes and provide clarity on how political backing and funding decisions will be sustained over time. Delivery discipline is replacing vision as the defining leadership measure In highly regulated sectors, senior leaders are being judged on whether projects are delivered safely and competently. There is growing recognition that insufficient upfront planning, weak engineering definition and compressed timelines create long-term operational risk. Executives brought into complex programmes are inheriting decisions made years earlier. Future executive appointments in nuclear, utilities and energy will be evaluated on governance rigour and execution capability as much as strategic direction. In a recent interview, Asif reflected on the biggest challenge leaders are facing right now: “It’s simply getting projects built. Historically, the work was done properly upfront. Engineering, planning, supply chain readiness. Now projects often start before that foundation is in place, and executives are left managing the fallout.” Cyber resilience has become a core executive responsibility Another clear executive search trend is the elevation of cybersecurity to board level. Legacy critical infrastructure systems were not designed for the scale of digital threat now facing them. These platforms in water treatment, transport, and energy networks were built for operational efficiency, not hostile attack environments. Recent cyber incidents affecting major UK organisations, such as Jaguar Land Rover, where production was disrupted for weeks following an attack on core systems, have underlined how quickly digital breaches become operational and financial crises. The cost of a successful attack on critical infrastructure sites could be far greater. It’s no longer something that can just sit with IT anymore. Executives are now expected to understand business continuity exposure/vulnerabilities and supply chain interdependencies as part of their strategic risk management. What are senior candidates looking for in 2026? The motivations of senior candidates have become more nuanced. Compensation remains relevant. However, the decision to move into a new executive role is increasingly shaped by structural and personal considerations. Certainty of mandate and authority Senior leaders want clarity on what they are empowered to change. In regulated infrastructure environments, governance layers can dilute authority. Executives are more likely to step into roles where the decision-making framework is defined and where accountability aligns with influence. Ambiguity around political backing or board alignment is becoming a deal-breaker. Long-term impact over short-term optics Many executives are assessing roles based on tangible contribution. Infrastructure leaders are aware that their work can affect national resilience, decarbonisation targets, transport safety, and energy security. The opportunity to shape delivery in these areas carries weight. There is also a noticeable openness to joining smaller or specialist organisations where influence is more direct, provided that programme stability exists. Leadership environments that allow delegation The complexity of infrastructure projects makes micromanagement ineffective. Asif highlights the importance of empowering capable teams: “The best leaders are flexible across sectors. They hire strong people and empower them. What can go wrong is the temptation to micromanage. In these environments, you cannot afford single points of failure.” Senior candidates are increasingly evaluating whether they will be able to build capable leadership layers beneath them, rather than firefighting alone. AI in executive search and boardroom strategy AI is often discussed in relation to recruitment efficiency, but in infrastructure it carries broader implications. In executive search, AI tools are being used to analyse leadership trajectories, map sector crossover talent, and identify capability adjacencies across industries. At board level, however, AI is a structural issue. “AI isn’t an IT upgrade. It’s a strategic inflection point. It reshapes talent, risk, customer engagement, and even regulatory relationships. The strongest leaders are treating it as a business model shift.” Asif Salam. For regulated industries, AI introduces governance and ethics as well as workforce adaptation challenges. Leaders must understand how automation affects legacy systems and employee capability. Executives are not expected to be data scientists; they are, however, expected to understand strategic implications and how their actions may also impact stakeholder trust. Workforce transition is no longer an HR issue One of the most pressing challenges in critical infrastructure is demographic. Experienced engineers and operators are retiring. And with ongoing digital transformation across industries, digital and systems expertise is required at scale. The overlap between these capabilities is limited. Boards are therefore prioritising senior candidates who can oversee workforce transformation while maintaining safety and regulatory standards. This has direct implications for executive search trends in 2026. Talent mapping must extend beyond traditional pipelines. Future skills required for C-suite roles Across critical infrastructure programmes, the profile of successful C-suite talent is evolving. Technical credibility remains important. However, executive candidate sourcing is increasingly assessing: Judgement under regulatory scrutiny The ability to manage long investment cycles Clarity of communication with government and public stakeholders Comfort with digital transformation in legacy systems Self-awareness and adaptability Where executive leadership is headed Infrastructure organisations are expanding their executive structures to reflect new risk landscapes. In addition to traditional operational leadership roles, there is a bigger focus on: Chief Risk Officer and resilience roles Digital and information governance leadership Chief AI Officer and data oversight functions Culture and workforce transformation leadership What this means for organisations hiring executive talent Executive search trends in 2026 show that senior leadership appointments in regulated industries now sit at the centre of political exposure, operational delivery, digital risk, and workforce transition. Organisations competing for C-suite talent must demonstrate programme stability and clear governance, alongside a credible long-term vision for delivery. In parallel, executive search partners need deep sector understanding, access to leadership talent beyond traditional pipelines, and the ability to evaluate strategic judgement in complex environments. At this level, the cost of the wrong appointment is increasingly high.

Nuclear Workforce Planning in 2026

The UK’s nuclear sector is moving into 2026 with clear momentum. By September 2025, UK civil nuclear employment had reached just under 100,000 roles, a record high. Growth is being driven by a wider mix of programmes than many people assume. It’s not only large-scale new builds; it’s also fleet operations, defuelling, decommissioning, supply chain activity, and emerging delivery models like Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) beginning to shape future nuclear workforce planning. At the same time, government direction is becoming clearer. The UK’s long-term nuclear sector plan is increasingly defined through national roadmapping and policy signalling with an emphasis on sustained nuclear capability through to 2050. And that has implications for how workforce strategy is shaped in 2026. Delve into (and jump to): Why 2026 is a turning point for workforce planning in the nuclear sector One sector, very different workforce needs The skills shaping nuclear hiring in 2026 Where nuclear workforce planning breaks down What better nuclear workforce planning looks like in practice What major programmes are signalling in 2026 Why 2026 is a turning point for workforce planning in the nuclear sector The nuclear workforce challenge is often described as a shortage issue. In reality, the pressure points in 2026 are more specific and more operational. This year sits at the intersection of several competing demands: Major new build delivery continuing at scale (including Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C) Sustained demand across the existing nuclear fleet, including operations and nuclear life extension planning Long-term decommissioning and waste management programmes continuing nationally Rising expectations around safety, quality, assurance, and regulatory compliance Growing demand for digitally enabled engineering and delivery capability Increased attention on the workforce implications of SMRs, including the shift toward repeatability and standardised delivery models In 2026, the same skill sets are being pulled in multiple directions at once: across different sites, delivery stages, and risk environments. The result is a more competitive hiring landscape, leading to longer lead times for scarce capability and higher consequences when workforce planning is reactive. One sector, very different workforce needs “Nuclear recruitment” is often treated as one market. Where in actuality, it’s several markets layered together, and the differences matter. Workforce requirements shift dramatically depending on where a programme sits in the lifecycle: New build delivery Ongoing operations Life extension activity Defueling and decommissioning Emerging delivery models like SMRs Each stage behaves differently in terms of supply, scarcity, onboarding time, and compliance requirements. Design & Engineering Design and early engineering work tend to rely heavily on: Systems and discipline engineering (mechanical, electrical, C&I) Safety case and assurance capability Governance, documentation, and regulatory awareness This is also where “transferable skills” can genuinely work. But only when expectations are set properly. Nuclear environments reward structured thinking, documentation quality, and delivery discipline as much as technical capability. This is increasingly relevant as SMR conversations mature. While the delivery model differs from large-scale builds, the fundamentals remain consistent: nuclear-grade quality mixed with engineering rigour and configuration control. Construction & Commissioning Nuclear workforce growth becomes most visible and most pressured here. In 2026, what becomes most challenging has more to do with readiness than availability. Projects don’t simply need people who can do the work. They need people who can deliver at pace to nuclear standards, within nuclear governance. Early workforce planning here is what can prevent project bottlenecks later. Construction and commissioning typically demand: High-volume site delivery capability Strong quality culture (inspection, welding, fabrication, assurance) Commissioning expertise aligned to safety and compliance expectations Logistics, HSE leadership, and interface management Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Operations is where nuclear becomes long-term. This is also where nuclear life extension activity becomes a real workforce driver in its own right. Extending the operating life of existing stations relies on retained knowledge and stable capability, and not just recruitment volume. These roles depend on: Reliability and asset performance expertise Maintenance planning and outage delivery Compliance, governance, and leadership maturity Deep site knowledge and consistency Decommissioning & Waste Management Decommissioning is sometimes underweighted in workforce conversations, despite being one of the most sustained drivers of UK nuclear employment. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) Draft Business Plan 2026–29 (published December 2025) reinforces decommissioning as a long-duration national programme, with ongoing workforce requirements across dismantling, waste handling, remediation, and programme leadership. This work is often less visible than new builds, but it remains essential to the credibility and delivery of the UK’s wider nuclear programme. Check out our interview with Deep Fission’s CEO, Liz Muller, on rethinking nuclear waste management. The skills shaping nuclear hiring in 2026 Demand in nuclear workforce planning isn’t only about headcount. It’s about the right capability, in the right place, at the right time, delivered to the right nuclear standards. As we move through 2026, pressure remains high in areas such as: Electrical engineering and C&I Systems integration and commissioning Quality, inspection, and assurance Safety case and regulatory-aligned delivery roles Project controls (planning, cost engineering, scheduling) Construction management and interface coordination Digital capability (safety, configuration control, performance) What’s notable in 2026 is that these skills are needed across multiple programme types at once. Across the lifecycle, one theme remains consistent: technical skill matters, but so does the ability to operate inside nuclear governance, with process discipline, documentation quality, and assurance expectations playing a key part of the job. Where nuclear workforce planning breaks down Even with all this nuclear sector growth, one of the biggest friction points is the gap between nuclear talent having the right technical background and being fully ready for nuclear delivery environments. That “missing middle” tends to show up in areas like: Project-readiness and site-readiness Compliance and assurance expectations Safety culture alignment Documentation standards and quality processes Geography adds another layer. Large programmes require both regional workforce development and national mobilisation. Without both, pressure builds quickly in local markets. This is why early workforce activity matters. Early shaping of pipelines leads to early team stabilisation and less reactive delivery, especially when multiple programmes are driving demand simultaneously. This is where an abundance mindset matters most. The constraint isn’t that talent doesn’t exist. It’s that readiness is uneven and pathways into nuclear delivery remain too narrow. When organisations invest early in conversion, onboarding and nuclear-grade standards, capacity expands quickly. When they don’t, scarcity feels permanent. “The challenge in nuclear isn’t a lack of people. It’s that capability is arriving at different levels of readiness, at different times, across different programmes. Workforce planning is about aligning that, not just filling roles.”— James Chamberlain, Nuclear, Sector Director, Rullion What better nuclear workforce planning looks like The most effective workforce strategies in 2026 share a few key traits: Plan by lifecycle phase, not just job titles Nuclear delivery depends on sequencing. Workforce planning needs to follow the demand curve across the lifecycle and not just the current open vacancy list. This forward planning can noticeably start to reduce risk: Clearer lead times Better mobilisation Fewer last-minute compromises on quality or readiness Build structured routes for scarce and transferable capability The sector can’t rely only on nuclear-experienced talent. But “transferable” doesn’t mean instant. Transitions work best when there is clear structure around: Expectations and standards Onboarding and compliance readiness Progression pathways once inside the sector Where skills are transferable but nuclear readiness takes time, Train to Deploy helps build job-ready nuclear talent by combining targeted training with your delivery standards, so people arrive ready to contribute from day one. Invest in early careers with conversion in mind The National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills includes commitments to scale early career routes, including the ambition to double apprentices entering the nuclear workforce by academic year 2025/26, with 2,500+ apprentices joining the nuclear workforce in 2024/25. The differentiator is what happens after entry: development pathways, retention, and long-term capability building. Treat workforce as delivery risk management In critical infrastructure, workforce constraints don’t only slow hiring. They affect commissioning timelines, quality performance, and programme confidence. This becomes even more important when the sector is balancing large-scale builds, fleet operations, life extensions, decommissioning delivery, and next-generation programme development such as SMRs. “You can’t separate workforce planning from mobilisation. If screening, onboarding, and readiness aren’t designed for scale, the workforce exists on paper but not on site.” — Jayne Lee, Head of Candidate Services, Rullion What major programmes are signalling in 2026 Sizewell C is a strong example of early workforce momentum, and it sits within a wider landscape that includes major delivery demand at Hinkley Point C and sustained activity across operational and decommissioning sites. In the last month, Sizewell C has reported: Around 2,000 workers onsite More than 100 apprentices appointed Around £3bn in contracts awarded to 400+ UK suppliers Continued regional supply chain mobilisation Early pipeline activity is already shaping workforce readiness, long before peak construction demand. This is the direction the wider market is moving in: earlier engagement, clearer forecasting, and more structured talent strategies across delivery phases. The nuclear hiring landscape in 2026 2026 will continue to be a strong year for the UK nuclear sector, but it will also be a demanding one. The organisations that deliver best will be those that approach nuclear workforce planning as a core part of programme execution: Anticipating scarcity early Building structured pipelines Protecting delivery confidence through quality and readiness Creating workforce models that can scale across multiple sites and phases