Year in Industry- Computational Materials Modeller

AWE; Aldermaston; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Generous holiday entitlement

9-day working fortnight

Work-life balance

Job summary

AWE is offering a Year in Industry Placement for Computational Materials Modeller in Aldermaston. You will work within the Modelling Team to study materials used in warhead components and develop models using MATLAB, Mathematica, OpenFOAM and R.

The role is a 12-month placement starting 2 Aug 2027, onsite in Aldermaston, near Reading. You will join a team addressing materials science challenges with a focus on reliability and modelling approaches.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2:2 degree classification or equivalent by August 2026.

Responsibilities

• Characterise material ageing processes with scientists and model observed trends.
• Analyse experimental data using statistical techniques.
• Write, develop and run code in MATLAB, Mathematica, OpenFOAM and R.
• Use computational techniques for parameter optimisation.
• Verify and validate codes with test cases and analytical solutions.

Skills

Growth mindset

Curious

Innovative

Resilience

Team worker

Education

Mathematics with modelling experience

Physics

Computer Science

Materials Science

Chemistry with strong maths/programming

Tools

MATLAB

Mathematica

OpenFOAM

R

Job description

Year in Industry Placement - Computational Materials Modeller

Salary

£24,500 per annum plus benefits

Location

Aldermaston, near Reading, Berkshire; onsite

Contract

12 months

Start date

2 Aug 2027

Working pattern

9-day working fortnight

About AWE

What if you could work with remarkable people on extraordinary things? What if the end result was something a little bit special? What if your role was mission critical?

For over 75 years, AWE has been at the forefront of nuclear weapons research and development. We have a critical mission: to provide the warheads for the UK's ultimate deterrent, Trident. We also use our unique skills to provide wider UK government with counter-terrorism and nuclear threat reduction solutions.

It takes a special sort of person to work at AWE. What if that person was you?

Role purpose

Materials Science supports the life cycle of warhead components and technologies to ensure the reliability of the UK's strategic deterrent and national security mission. A nuclear warhead contains a wide range of materials, including metals, ceramics, inorganic salts, rubbers, foams, adhesives, high explosives and radioactive substances. Materials and Analytical Science is critical to understanding and predicting how these materials behave under different conditions.

As an undergraduate within the Modelling Team in Materials and Analytical Science, you will work on projects involving a range of models and codes, using several coding languages to help deliver AWE's mission.

Key activities

• Work with Materials and Analytical Scientists to characterise material ageing processes and propose approaches to model observed trends.
• Use a variety of statistical techniques to analyse experimental data.
• Write, develop and run code in languages and packages such as MATLAB, Mathematica, OpenFOAM and R.
• Use computational techniques for parameter optimisation.
• Verify and validate codes by identifying suitable test cases and determining analytical solutions where appropriate.

Entry requirements

We are interested in candidates working towards a degree in:

• Mathematics, with modelling experience
• Physics
• Computer Science
• Materials Science
• Chemistry, with demonstrable strong mathematics or programming skills
• Before starting with AWE, you must be able to provide evidence that you have achieved a minimum 2:2 degree classification, or equivalent academic performance to date, by August 2026.

Most importantly, we are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are keen to get involved in interesting research and tasks.

Behaviours and qualities

You will possess the following traits and qualities:

• Growth mindset: You are full of grit and determination, clear about where you are going and how you will get there.
• Curious: You love to think outside the box, and may even want to take the box apart.
• Innovative: You are open to learning about new technologies and ground-breaking ideas.
• Resilience: You advocate speaking up for yourself and others openly and constructively.
• Team worker: You are dependable and reliable, and interested in collaborating with and supporting others.

Salary and benefits

• £24,500 salary.
• A market-leading contributory pension scheme.
• Generous holiday entitlement.
• Excellent work-life balance.
• A 9-day working fortnight, meaning you get every other Friday off work.

Alongside these benefits, you will have the opportunity to learn from some of the top leaders in their field.

Recruitment process and key dates

• Online application: Choose the pathway that best matches your interests and goals.
• Online assessment: If eligible, complete numerical, verbal, logical and cognitive reasoning assessments. Practice materials will be available.
• Virtual assessment centre: Successful candidates will be invited to a virtual assessment centre during November or December 2026.
• Pre-assessment support: Receive webinar guidance so you know what to expect.
• Offer and clearance: Successful candidates will complete offer and security-clearance stages before joining in August 2027.

Security requirements

You must be a UK national holding a UK passport to be eligible to apply to AWE. You must have lived in the UK for 10 years to apply for Developed Vetting (DV) clearance for this role.

Inclusion and diversity

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and enable employees to feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants.

Any inclusion information you provide will be used to encourage and support you through the application process and will be held only for this purpose in accordance with GDPR.

Important things you need to know:

• We encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment if applications are high and the role therefore closes.
• You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE. The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.
• 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.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create 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.