Graduate Systems Engineer

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

Benefits offered by this job

£35,227 base salary.

Final salary defined benefit pension (

21.5% employer pension contribution

25 days annual leave + holidays

Job summary

UK Atomic Energy Authority offers a Graduate Development Programme at Culham, Oxfordshire, for graduates in science or engineering. You will develop engineering solutions for fusion energy and work with cross-disciplinary teams to address complex challenges.

The 20% personal and professional development time builds business acumen, leadership, and project management skills. You will gain hands-on experience while rotating through roles, guided by a line manager, and work on future projects to

Qualifications

• Degree in Science or Engineering from 2025 to 2027.
• Strong appetite to learn and take on new challenges.
• Able to collaborate effectively and communicate clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Help develop engineering solutions that support fusion energy.
• Work with engineers from different disciplines to solve complex challenges.
• Capture requirements, assess design options and support development of complex systems.
• Develop technical, communication and project skills through hands-on experience, mentoring and structured development opportunities.

Skills

Communication

Collaboration

Adaptability

Prioritisation

Education

Degree in Science or Engineering

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 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

Help develop innovative engineering solutions that support the future of fusion energy. Work with engineers from different disciplines to solve complex challenges and deliver exciting projects. Learn how to capture requirements, assess design options and support the development of complex systems. Use engineering tools and analysis techniques to help improve system performance, reliability and safety. Develop your technical, communication and project skills through hands‑on experience, mentoring and structured 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

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

• £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.

Contact

Please email [e-mail] if you have any questions or require any help or adjustments.

Application deadline

Applications are due to close at 23:59 on 8th November 2026.

Job details

• Programme: Integrated Design
• Discipline: Science
• Site Location: UKAEA Culham, Oxfordshire
• Type of Employment: Full-time