Graduate- HR Specialist - HR Operations

Atomic Weapons Establishment; Milton Keynes; Presencial; GBP 28.000 - 34.000; Tempo integral

Benefícios oferecidos por esta vaga

9-day working fortnight

270 hours annual leave

Salary sacrifice scheme

Welcome payment

Interest-free loan

Employee Assistance Programme

Occupational Health Services

Career progression

Resumo da vaga

Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) is offering a two-year Evolve Graduate Programme in HR Operations. The Graduate Trainee will support HR services, onboarding, employee relations and reward, gaining exposure across the employee lifecycle.

The role is based onsite at Green Park, Reading, with a starting salary of £31,000 and a 9‑day working fortnight. You will develop professional qualifications, work with experienced colleagues and participate in structured career progression while navigating a

Qualificações

• Minimum 2:2 degree in HR Management, Business, Organisational/Business Psychology or Psychology.
• Must be able to join in September 2027.
• British National and able to obtain security clearance.

Responsabilidades

• Provide accurate, timely, customer-focused HR services for employees and managers.
• Coordinate onboarding activities to ensure new starters receive clear information and a welcoming experience.
• Respond to routine HR enquiries, explain policies, and escalate complex matters as needed.
• Support Employee Relations with case records, meeting coordination and document prep.
• Contribute to reward and benefits activities including communications and data checks.
• Use data and feedback to identify recurring issues and opportunities for improvement.
• Review and document HR processes to ensure clarity and consistency.
• Handle personal information with confidentiality and GDPR compliance.

Conhecimentos

HR services

Onboarding

Employee relations

Reward

HR data

GDPR

Formação

2:2 degree in HRM/Business/Organisational Psychology/Psychology

Ferramentas

HRIS

Descrição da vaga

Graduate Trainee - HR Specialist - HR Operations 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

Programme Evolve Graduate Programme

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 deliver great people services and a positive employee experience. On this two-year route, you will gain experience across HR Services, Onboarding, Employee Relations and Reward. You will help deliver and continuously improve the services, processes and support that employees and managers rely on throughout the employee lifecycle. If you're looking for a role with excitement, intrigue and something that really makes a difference then now is the time to join AWE. 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 in 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.

What you will do

• Support the delivery of accurate, timely and customer-focused HR services for employees and managers.
• Help coordinate onboarding activity so that new starters receive clear information, complete required steps and experience a well-organised welcome.
• Respond to routine HR enquiries, explain policies and processes clearly, and escape sensitive or complex matters appropriately.
• Support Employee Relations activity through accurate case records, meeting coordination, document preparation and process tracking.
• Contribute to reward and benefits activity, including employee communications, data checks and administration.
• Use service data, employee feedback and process measures to identify recurring issues and improvement opportunities.
• Help review and document HR processes, guidance and knowledge content so they are clear, consistent and easy to use.
• Handle personal and sensitive information professionally, applying confidentiality, GDPR, security and records-management requirements.

What you will learn

End-to-end employee lifecycle processes and HR service delivery. Onboarding, employee relations and reward fundamentals. HR policy interpretation, case administration and service standards. Process improvement, customer experience and operational controls. HR systems, people data, confidentiality and professional judgement.

Professional development

Your structured development will include a relevant professional qualification. 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 degree in the following: Human Resource Management, Business, Organisational/Business Psychology or Psychology.

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.

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.