Graduate Safety Engineer (RACE)

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority; Abingdon; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Final salary pension

25 days annual leave

Flexible working options

Skern Lodge residency

Job summary

UK Atomic Energy Authority invites graduates to join its Graduate Development Programme at Culham, Oxfordshire. You will work with world‑leading experts to advance fusion technology and develop the technical, professional and leadership skills for a meaningful career.

On the scheme, 20% of time focuses on development activities and 80% on role-based work within a team, with hands‑on experience and structured training to accelerate progression.

Qualifications

• Degree in Science or Engineering from 2025 to 2027.
• Able to collaborate and communicate clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Well-organised with the ability to plan and prioritise workload.

Responsibilities

• Support development of engineering and technology projects for fusion energy.
• Identify, assess and manage safety risks across electrical, mechanical, automation, robotics and software systems.
• Contribute to safety systems design and review with risk assessment techniques.
• Develop technical documentation, safety cases and engineering reports for regulatory compliance.

Skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Organisational skills

Problem solving

Education

Degree in Science or Engineering

Job description

Overview of Responsibilities

Support the development of innovative engineering and technology projects, helping to shape the future of fusion energy. Work with multidisciplinary teams to identify, assess and manage safety risks across electrical, mechanical, automation, robotics and software systems. Contribute to the design and review of safety systems, applying risk assessment techniques and industry standards to ensure safe and reliable operation. Develop technical documentation, safety cases and engineering reports to support project delivery and regulatory compliance. Build your technical, problem‑solving and professional skills through hands‑on experience, structured training and continuous development opportunities.

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 world badly needs. UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research organisations to achieve ground‑breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid by 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 ground breaking 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

Support the development of innovative engineering and technology projects, helping to shape the future of fusion energy. Work with multidisciplinary teams to identify, assess and manage safety risks across electrical, mechanical, automation, robotics and software systems. Contribute to the design and review of safety systems, applying risk assessment techniques and industry standards to ensure safe and reliable operation. Develop technical documentation, safety cases and engineering reports to support project delivery and regulatory compliance. Build your technical, problem‑solving and professional skills through hands‑on experience, structured training and continuous development opportunities.

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 Science or Engineering from 2025 to 2027. 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.

Benefits

• £35,227 base salary.
• Final salary defined benefit scheme with an equivalent of 21.5% 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.

Job Details

• Salary View benefits
• Programme Department RACE (Incl Management)
• Discipline Science
• Site Location UKAEA Culham, Oxfordshire
• Type of Employment Full-time
• Reference Number REF4524V

Additional information

• 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.