Graduate- Liabilities

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

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

Atomic Weapons Establishment invites graduates to join the Liabilities: Decommissioning, Demolition and Waste Management Programme. The Evolve Graduate Programme offers a starting salary of £31,000 plus benefits and places you at Aldermaston and Burghfield, Berkshire, on-site.

The two-year programme provides hands-on placements reflective of business needs across the liabilities lifecycle. You will gain exposure to live projects, develop skills in risk management and data analysis using Excel

Qualifications

• Minimum 2:2 in a relevant technical or general degree.
• Eligible subjects include Nuclear, Mechanical, Chemical, Civil, Environmental or Systems Engineering, Environmental Science, Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science.
• Willing and able to obtain security clearance and join in September 2027.

Responsibilities

• Support decommissioning, demolition and waste programmes from strategy through to delivery.
• Contribute to liabilities strategy, integration and planning.
• Apply risk-based thinking and support safe systems of work, permits and compliance activity.
• Collaborate with capability sponsors, projects, engineering, safety, operations, facilities, waste, commercial and procurement teams.
• Support reporting, coordination, data-informed decisions and continuous improvement.

Skills

Proactive

Collaborative

Organised

Analytical

Adaptable

Safety focused

Education

2:2 in relevant technical/general degree

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Job description

Graduate Trainee - Liabilities: Decommissioning, Demolition and Waste Management Programme

Evolve Graduate Programme Salary £31,000 starting salary plus benefits.

Location AWE sites Aldermaston and Burghfield, 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.

Programme purpose

Join the Liabilities team, which sets direction and manages nuclear, radiological, chemical and explosive waste alongside the safe decommissioning and demolition of associated facilities. Through structured placements, you will gain experience across the full liabilities lifecycle and see how strategy, projects, operations, engineering, safety and waste specialists work together. The programme is flexible so placements can reflect individual interests and business needs, while maintaining a strong Liabilities focus. At least 75% of the programme is expected to be spent in Liabilities-related placements. You will contribute to live programmes and build the skills required for a long-term career in a highly regulated environment.

Key activities and responsibilities

• Support decommissioning, demolition and waste programmes from strategy through to delivery.
• Contribute to liabilities strategy, integration and planning.
• Apply risk-based thinking and support safe systems of work, permits and compliance activity.
• Collaborate with capability sponsors, projects, engineering, safety, operations, facilities, waste, commercial and procurement teams.
• Support reporting, coordination, data-informed decisions and continuous improvement.
• Build organisational awareness through varied placements and potential leadership shadowing.

Learning and development

The full lifecycle of liabilities management, decommissioning, demolition and waste.

How strategy, projects, engineering, operations, facilities and safety disciplines work together.

Project-delivery principles through the APM Project Fundamentals Qualification.

Core health and safety through IOSH Working Safely or Managing Safely.

Lean and continuous-improvement techniques, including Lean Sigma Six Yellow Belt capability.

Nuclear professionalism, regulatory awareness, risk management and safe systems of work.

Stakeholder engagement, planning, problem-solving, reporting and digital tools such as Excel or Power BI.

Potential placement experience

• Liabilities Integration Office, strategy and facility-management teams.
• Liabilities Operations, Estates Programmes and Delivery Waste teams.
• Work Control, delivery projects, engineering and Safety Case teams.
• Waste Operations and a possible non-Liabilities placement to broaden experience.

Training, qualifications and outturn capability

• APM Project Fundamentals Qualification.
• IOSH Working Safely or Managing Safely.
• Lean or Continuous Improvement Yellow Belt.
• Nuclear professionalism and regulatory-awareness training.
• Risk-management and safe-systems-of-work training.
• Practical experience of stakeholder engagement, planning, reporting and digital analysis.

Behaviours and qualities

• Proactive: You take ownership and want to make a practical difference.
• Collaborative: You enjoy working across disciplines and learning from specialists.
• Organised: You can manage priorities, plan work and deliver to deadlines.
• Analytical: You use evidence and structured thinking to address complex issues.
• Adaptable: You respond positively as placements, priorities and challenges change.
• Safety focused: You understand the importance of quality, compliance and careful decision-making.

Entry requirements

You should hold, or be on track to achieve, a minimum 2:2 in a relevant technical or general degree. Relevant technical subjects include Nuclear, Mechanical, Chemical, Civil, Environmental or Systems Engineering, Environmental Science, Physics, Chemistry and Materials Science. Relevant general subjects include Sustainability, Environmental or Public Policy, Politics, Project or Business Management, Economics, Geography, Law, Supply Chain, Logistics, Finance and Accounting. Other STEM backgrounds may also be considered. You must be available 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.
• A market-leading contributory pension scheme.
• 270 hours of annual leave, including bank holidays.
• A 9-day working fortnight, giving you every other Friday off.
• A salary-sacrifice benefit scheme, Life Assurance and 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 supportive Early Careers community and access to employee networks.
• Structured development, mentoring and relevant professional learning.

Security and operational requirements

You must be a British National and willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance. The programme includes office and operational environments and may require compliance with local safety, access and occupational-health requirements.

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.

We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments/accommodations during the process. Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process. We strive to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We ensure a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide will be stored in accordance with GDPR and kept separate from your application form and CV, and the information will not be shared with anyone involved in interviewing or making hiring decisions. Please note that you must be a British Citizen to apply for a role with us. 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 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.