Operations Technician

Nuclear Restoration Services; Ham; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and safety training

Career progression opportunities

Job summary

Nuclear Restoration Services operates at the Berkeley Site in Gloucestershire, offering a four-day week pattern (Mon-Thu, 07:25–17:00) and comprehensive health physics and plant operations training. You will work on remote waste retrieval, processing, and movement, with strict radiological controls and a potential shift-based rota after training.

The role suits technicians with industrial experience and appropriate technical qualifications, who can contribute to safe handling and storage of

Qualifications

• Technical qualification (City and Guilds, BTEC, NVQ or equivalent) or relevant industrial experience.
• Experience in an industrial environment and strict safety culture.
• Medical fitness assessment required for respirator training and use.

Responsibilities

• Retrieve waste from vaults using remote handling and assist with processing and movement around site.
• Operate with radiological controls and follow procedures; raise safety concerns when needed.
• Encapsulate waste in plant, condition waste in shielded packages, and move waste via transporters.
• Fulfil a 24/7 standby role if required.

Education

City and Guilds / BTEC / NVQ (NQF Level 2)

Tools

Industrial equipment

Job description

How much difference would a four-day working week make to your week? At Nuclear Restoration Services, Berkeley Site in Gloucestershire, you’ll work Monday to Thursday, 07.25 to 17.00. NRS is responsible for decommissioning the UK’s nuclear sites, safely preparing them for the future through work that reduces hazards, manages radioactive waste and helps make these sites safe for future generations.

We’re looking for Technicians with industrial experience who want to put their skills to use in one of the UK’s largest environmental and engineering programmes. The work is technically challenging and has a purpose that lasts well beyond the working day. You’ll receive training in health physics and plant operations, so you can build on the experience you already have while learning specialist work at Berkeley.

What You Will Be Doing

You’ll help retrieve waste from vaults and caves using remote processes and equipment, then support its processing and movement around the site. It’s practical work with a clear purpose: helping the team manage waste safely for storage or despatch.

Some of your work will take you into radiological controlled areas, where you will wear a positive pressure respirator. You’ll also undertake radiological monitoring and work to procedures, speaking up if you believe a safety consideration has been missed. The role starts with a Monday to Thursday pattern; after basic training and suitable experience, there may be an opportunity to move to a shift-based rota.

• Encapsulate waste in a purpose-built plant.
• Condition waste in shielded packages using an automatic drying system.
• Move waste packages to and from the storage facility using purpose-built transporters.
• Fulfil a 24/7 standby role if required by the business.

Who Are We Looking For?

You’ll need appropriate technical qualification e.g., City and Guilds, BTEC, NVQ (NQF Level 2) or relevant experience. You’ll also need experience of working in an industrial environment. Because the role requires you to wear a positive pressure respirator, a medical will be required to determine the level of fitness needed for respirator training and use.

You’ll take safety seriously, work well as part of a multi-skilled team and speak up if you believe an instruction has missed a safety consideration. Experience in a highly regulated sector, or with industrial tools, equipment, plant or maintenance, would be beneficial, but it isn’t essential. If your industrial experience is relevant, you don’t need to have worked in nuclear to apply.

• A strong work ethic and willingness to learn
• Care and attention when following procedures
• Confidence to raise safety concerns
• Willingness to undertake a 24/7 standby role if required

Want to learn more about working at NRS?

Download our Candidate Pack for information about working at NRS and our employee benefits, or visit our Application Process page to learn what to expect during recruitment.

To learn more about NRS and the work we do, we invite you to explore our organisation by visiting Nuclear Restoration Services - GOV.UK. It’s a great way to discover our mission, our people, and the impact we deliver.

We offer a wide range of benefits - discover them all on our Careers website.

Please note: All successful candidates will need to provide proof of identity, eligibility to work in the UK and employment/education history (typically covering the last 3–5 years) in line with NRS Baseline Security requirements. Some roles may also require full Security Clearance, which involves additional checks. For details, please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) guidance.

At NRS, we value diversity and inclusion and encourage applications from underrepresented groups. We want to ensure you feel supported throughout the application process and provide reasonable adjustments where necessary and requested. If you require any reasonable adjustments as part of your application or interview process, please do not hesitate to let us know.

We offer flexibility on base location for multi-site roles and are happy to discuss flexible working options.

Please note that this vacancy may close earlier than the stated deadline should we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible