Graduate - HR Specialist - Communications and Employee Experience

Atomic Weapons Establishment; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary Sacrifice

Employee discounts

Welcome payment

Interest-free loan

Employee Assistance Programme

Occupational Health Services

Annual leave 270 hours

9-day working fortnight

Job summary

Atomic Weapons Establishment is offering a two-year Graduate Trainee – HR Specialist focusing on Communications and Employee Experience. The role forms part of the Evolve Graduate Programme within Human Resources, with a September 2027 start in Reading, Berkshire, onsite.

You will build experience across content creation, campaigns, stakeholder communications and employee engagement while learning how communications support organisational priorities.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2:2 in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Media/Digital Media or Marketing.
• You must be able to join AWE in September 2027.
• British National and UK residency for security clearance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Create clear, accessible internal and external content across channels.
• Support communication campaigns from brief to delivery and evaluation.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to shape messages and approaches.
• Contribute to employee listening, surveys, events and follow-ups.
• Help manage digital channels, ensuring timely, audience-appropriate content.
• Use insights to assess effectiveness and suggest improvements.
• Apply brand, accessibility, security and information-handling rules in outputs.
• Coordinate activity across multiple priorities with clear plans and updates.

Education

2:2 in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Media/Digital Media or Marketing

Job description

Graduate Trainee – HR Specialist – Communications and Employee Experience

Programme: Evolve Graduate Programme | Human Resources

Salary: £31,000 plus benefits

Location: Green Park, Reading, Berkshire – onsite

Duration: Two years

Start date: September 2027

Working pattern: 9-day working fortnight

About AWE

We are a team of remarkable people, united by one extraordinary mission: keeping the UK safe and secure. Our work supports the UK's independent nuclear deterrent and wider national-security capabilities through science, engineering, technology and specialist expertise.

Your route

Help us create communications that connect, inform and engage our people and wider audiences. On this two-year route, you will work across Corporate Communications and Employee Experience. You will build experience in content and campaigns, stakeholder communications, employee engagement, digital channels and audience insight, while learning how effective communication supports organisational priorities and employee experience.

What you will do

• Create clear, accessible and engaging content for internal and external audiences across a range of channels.
• Support communication and engagement campaigns from initial brief and audience planning through to delivery and evaluation.
• Work with stakeholders to understand their objectives, shape key messages and agree suitable communication approaches.
• Contribute to employee listening and engagement activity, including surveys, events, feedback exercises and follow-up communications.
• Help manage and improve digital communication channels, ensuring content is accurate, timely and appropriate for its audience.
• Use audience insight, channel data and feedback to assess effectiveness and recommend improvements.
• Apply brand, accessibility, security and information-handling requirements when producing communications.
• Coordinate activity across multiple priorities, maintaining clear plans, approvals and stakeholder updates.

What you will learn

• Communication planning, audience segmentation and campaign delivery.
• Content creation, editing, storytelling and channel management.
• Employee engagement, listening and experience design.
• Measurement, evaluation and the use of audience insight.
• Stakeholder advising, reputation awareness and communication in a secure environment.

Professional development

Your structured development will include a professional qualification, alongside extensive practical experience. You will also receive practical experience, support from experienced colleagues and opportunities to build your professional confidence over the two-year programme.

Behaviours and qualities

• Curious: Asks thoughtful questions, seeks understanding and explores new ideas.
• Collaborative: Builds trusted relationships and works effectively across teams.
• Analytical: Uses evidence and structured thinking to understand issues and develop solutions.
• Adaptable: Responds positively to change, challenge and feedback.
• Professional: Acts with integrity, accountability, discretion and respect.
• Safety and security focused: Understands the importance of following requirements in a classified environment.

Entry requirements

• Minimum 2:2 in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Media/Digital Media or Marketing.
• You must be able to join AWE in September 2027.
• You must be a British National and willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance.

Salary and benefits

• £31,000 starting salary.
• 270 hours of annual leave, including bank holidays.
• A 9-day working fortnight, giving you every other Friday off.
• A salary-sacrifice benefit scheme and access to employee discounts.
• A welcome payment and the option of an interest‑free £1,000 loan.
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
• Regular Graduate pay reviews and structured career progression.

Support and community

• A dedicated line manager and Evolve pathway lead.
• A buddy, typically from an earlier Graduate cohort.
• A vibrant Early Careers community and opportunities to join employee networks.
• Structured development, mentoring and access to relevant professional learning.

Inclusion and reasonable adjustments

AWE aims to create workplaces where differences are recognised and celebrated, diverse contributions are encouraged and employees feel able to be themselves. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the application process, with inclusion information handled in accordance with GDPR.

Important facts to note

• You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE.
• The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.
• Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process.

Use of external technologies

As part of our recruitment process, AWE may use a trusted third‑party AI‑enabled technology provider, Spotted Zebra Solutions Ltd, to support the assessment of candidates. These tools ingest categories of personal information including your application data, responses to assessment questions and interview responses, and help us evaluate information relevant to the recruitment process, such as skills, competencies, interview responses, assessment results and role suitability. They may generate recommendations or summaries to support recruiters and hiring managers. In some cases, you may interact directly with an AI‑enabled tool during the interview or assessment process. The purpose of these tools is to improve the consistency, efficiency and quality of our recruitment process. The outputs generated are reviewed by authorised AWE recruiters and hiring managers and are used alongside other relevant information as part of the overall recruitment process. Please note: recruiting decisions will be made by recruiting and hiring teams only.

About the work

We are at the start of a once in a generation – possibly two generations – programme to design and produce a replacement warhead for the UK’s continuous at sea deterrent. We will do this while continuing to deliver the Trident programme as well as managing ambitious state‑of‑the‑art capital and construction projects – some of which have never been done before. We are recruiting right across the business: from technical roles in engineering, science, manufacturing and industrial work to business roles in areas such as IT project management/ controls, commercial, human resources and facilities management. We also have our Evolve graduate programme, or you may be interested in an apprenticeship with our award‑winning Skills Academy. What we do is vital to national nuclear security. Keeping our nation, everyone, our environment and everything around us safe and secure is a top priority for us. So, as you would expect, that brings with it a high level of safety and security that you will see across our sites and how everyone who works here operates. We are always looking for high calibre people to join our team, so why not explore the opportunities we currently have on offer. Whatever stage of your career, AWE is an exciting and challenging environment to develop your skills and achieve your potential.