Graduate - HR Specialist - Recruitment and Development

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

Benefits offered by this job

9-day working fortnight

270 hours annual leave

Salary sacrifice scheme

Welcome payment

Interest-free loan

Employee Assistance Programme

Occupational Health Services

Career progression

Job summary

Atomic Weapons Establishment in Reading, Berkshire, onsite, invites applications for a two-year Evolve Graduate Programme as a Graduate Trainee - HR Specialist - Recruitment and Development. You will gain practical experience across Talent Acquisition, Early Careers, Leadership and Talent, Learning and Development, and Technical Training, starting September 2027.

You will support recruitment, coordinate development initiatives, analyse data for decisions, and work with stakeholders while

Qualifications

• Minimum 2:2 in HRM, Business, Organisational/Business Psychology or Psychology.
• Ability to join AWE in September 2027.
• You must be a British National and able to obtain security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Support attraction and recruitment activity from workforce planning to candidate engagement and selection.
• Contribute to Early Careers activity for apprentices, graduates and placement students.
• Coordinate learning, leadership, talent and capability initiatives with clear planning and communication.
• Work with stakeholders to identify learning or resourcing needs and track progress.

Skills

Talent Acquisition

Early Careers

Leadership

Learning and Development

Technical Training

Education

Minimum 2:2 in HRM, Business, Organisational/Business Psychology or Psychology

Job description

Graduate Trainee - HR Specialist - Recruitment and Development 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 attract, develop and grow the talent and capability our organisation needs. On this two-year route, you will build practical experience across Talent Acquisition, Early Careers, Leadership and Talent, Learning and Development, and Technical Training. You will contribute to initiatives that help AWE identify, recruit, develop and retain the skills needed now and in the future.

What you will do

• Support attraction and recruitment activity, from workforce requirements and campaign planning through to candidate engagement and selection.
• Contribute to Early Careers activity for apprentices, graduates and placement students, including attraction, engagement and programme support.
• Help coordinate learning, leadership, talent and capability initiatives, ensuring activity is well planned and communicated.
• Work with stakeholders to understand learning or resourcing needs.
• Use recruitment, learning and talent data to identify themes, track progress and support evidence-based decisions.
• Gather feedback from participants and stakeholders and use it to improve recruitment and development experiences.
• Manage your own tasks and project activity while maintaining accurate records and following governance, security and data-protection requirements.

What you will learn

• Talent acquisition, candidate assessment and inclusive recruitment practice.
• Early Careers programme delivery and candidate experience.
• Learning needs, programme design, facilitation and evaluation.
• Leadership, succession, talent and capability planning.
• Project management, stakeholder engagement and data-led decision-making.

Professional development

Your structured development will include CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in People Management. 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 the following degrees; 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.

Recruitment process and key dates

• Online application: Applications open on 2 November 2026. Apply for the route that best matches your interests and goals.
• Online assessment: If eligible, complete numerical, verbal, logical and cognitive reasoning assessments. Practice materials will be available.
• Virtual assessment centre: Successful candidates will be invited to a virtual assessment centre, expected to run during December 2026 and January 2027.
• Pre-assessment support: Attend guidance webinars so you know what to expect and can prepare.
• Offer and clearance: Successful candidates will move into the offer and security‑clearance stages before joining in September 2027.

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. If you would like to request an additional human review, share your point of view, or contest a decision, you can contact us at [e-mail].

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 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.