Graduate Process Engineer (Mechanical)

UK Atomic Energy Authority; Clifton Hampden; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Final salary defined benefit scheme 21

25 days annual leave and holiday perks

Flexible working options

Skern Lodge residential

Job summary

UK Atomic Energy Authority invites high-calibre graduates to join its Graduate Development Programme in the Tritium Fuel Cycle - Facility Ops. You’ll work alongside world-leading experts on fusion research, gaining exposure to research, experimentation, modelling and data analysis, while building technical, professional and leadership capabilities for a meaningful career in energy.

You’ll spend time developing core skills during the 80/20 role split, rotate through teams, and benefit from

Qualifications

• Degree in Chemical, Nuclear Engineering or related science/engineering qualification (2025–2027).
• Driven with a strong appetite to learn and take on new challenges.
• Able to collaborate effectively and communicate clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Well organized and adaptable with the ability to plan and prioritise workload.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to tritium science and fuel cycle projects, supporting research, experimentation, modelling and data analysis activities, and communicating findings through technical reports, presentations and knowledge sharing.
• Support the safe operation, maintenance and continuous improvement of experimental and engineering systems, including testing, calibration, documentation, risk assessments and the development of operational procedures in line with UKAEA standards.
• Work collaboratively across teams to deliver project objectives, promoting an inclusive and safety-focused culture, sharing knowledge with colleagues and early career staff, and building effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

Skills

Driven to learn

Collaborative and communicative

Organised and adaptable

Team-oriented

Education

Degree in Chemical, Nuclear Engineering or related science/engineering

Job description

• Position Grade: Graduate Y1
• Department: Tritium Fuel Cycle - Facility Ops

Job Description

About us

Fusion, the process that powers the sun and stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our worldbadly needs. UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industryand research organisations to achieveground-breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the gridby developing the power stations of tomorrow and the skilled workforce to deliver them.

What you'll join

Your degree got you this far. Where could fusion energy take you?

If you're looking for your first graduate role and want a career that's meaningful, challenging, and packed with opportunities to grow, UKAEA's Graduate Development Programme could be the perfect next step. Working alongside world-leading experts, you'll help advance groundbreaking fusion technology while building the technical, professional, and leadership skills needed for a successful career. This is your chance to be part of an industry that's helping create a sustainable future for generations to come.

What you'll do

• Contribute to tritium science and fuel cycle projects, supporting research, experimentation, modelling and data analysis activities, and communicating findings through technical reports, presentations and knowledge sharing.
• Support the safe operation, maintenance and continuous improvement of experimental and engineering systems, including testing, calibration, documentation, risk assessments and the development of operational procedures in line with UKAEA standards.
• Work collaboratively across teams to deliver project objectives, promoting an inclusive and safety-focused culture, sharing knowledge with colleagues and early career staff, and building effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

How you'll develop

On the graduate scheme here at the UK Atomic Energy Authority, you will have 20% of your time focused on professional and personal development. This will include a series of core development activities to fast track your business acumen, along with skills for technical, project management and people leadership.

The remaining 80% of time is role-based, working within a team growing your technical knowledge within your chosen discipline. Working with your line manager, you will get the opportunity to experience different roles and responsibilities within projects to broaden your understanding and help decide your future career route.

What you'll need

• Degree in Chemical, Nuclear Engineering or other science/engineering related qualificationfrom 2025 to2027.
• Driven, with a strong appetite to learn and take on new challenges
• Able to collaborate effectively and communicate clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Well organised and adaptable with the ability to plan and prioritise workload

We have a generous range of benefits (see the full list here ) and highlights include:

• Final salary defined benefit scheme with an equivalent of21.5% employer pension contribution.
• 25 days annual leave, plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays.
• Flexible working options plus family-friendly leave provisions.
• Take part in our Skern Lodge residential to develop new skills and build your network.

Our commitment to ED&I

UKAEA’s mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal. We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, while ensuring all appointments are made on merit.

UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email [e-mail] if you have any questions or require any help or adjustments.

AI may be used for preparation purposes only. All responses submitted during interviews and assessments must be your own work.

To maintain a fair recruitment process, candidates are limited to two applications across our Early Careers programmes. If you apply for multiple roles, we may contact you to discuss which opportunities best match your skills and interests.

Applications are due to close at 23:59 on 8th November 2026. As we're expecting strong interest, we encourage you to apply early, as the vacancy may close sooner if we receive a high volume of applications.More information can be found here .