Year in Industry- Materials Scientist

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

Benefits offered by this job

Market-leading pension

Generous holiday entitlement

Excellent work-life balance

9-day working fortnight

Learn from top leaders

Job summary

AWE in Aldermaston is offering a Year in Industry Placement for a Materials Scientist. The 12-month onsite placement starts 2 Aug 2027 with a salary of £24,500 per annum and a 9-day working fortnight.

You will work within a dedicated materials science team, supporting life-cycle studies of warhead materials and analytical chemistry tasks. Applicants should be progressing a degree in Materials Science or Chemistry with at least a 2:2 and a genuine interest in materials development and analytical

Qualifications

• Pursuing a degree in Materials Science or Chemistry with a minimum 2:2 by August 2026.
• Passion for materials development and analytical chemistry.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the life cycle of warhead materials and technologies to ensure reliability.
• Support development of new inorganic/organic/metallic materials and analytical methodologies.
• Analyse materials using microscopic and analytical techniques and report results to stakeholders.
• Contribute to safety and secure handling requirements in a dedicated lab environment.

Skills

Materials Science

Analytical chemistry

Education

Degree in Materials Science or Chemistry

Job description

Year in Industry Placement - Materials Scientist

Salary

£24,500 per annum plus benefits

Location

Aldermaston, near Reading; 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?

Forover 75years, 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 withcounter-terrorismand nuclear threat reduction solutions.

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

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 warheadcontainsmetals, ceramics, inorganic salts, rubbers, foams, adhesives, highexplosivesand radioactive substances. Many have unique handling requirements, and dedicated facilities provide a safe and secure environment for material property research andcharacterisation.MaterialsScience is critical to understanding and predicting how these materials behave under different conditions.

Potential projects

• Develop foam and aerogel materials for laser target applications supporting the modelling andcharacterisationof plasma-based reactions; investigate manufacture using less hazardous chemicals;analysechemical, physical and X-ray CT properties.

• Develop new inorganic materials for controlled triggered electrical breakdown; investigate alternative materials and production methods; undertake testing and chemical,physicaland crystallographic analysis.

• Develop and apply analytical methodologies for qualitative and quantitative assessment of organic,inorganicand metallic materials, including mechanical, elemental, spectroscopic,rheologicaland thermal analyses.

• Synthesiseinert precursors for direct in-flow, high-purity synthesis of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN); prepare and purify target precursor compounds; evaluate batch and flow chemistry process techniques and conditions; chemicallycharacteriseinert precursors and PETN products.

• Perform experiments and apply chemistry and/or materials science knowledge to improve understanding of materialbehaviourin complex multi-material systems.

• Support Engineering byanalysingtest pieces using microscopic and analytical techniques, while engaging with stakeholders including international partners.

Entry requirements

We are interested in candidates working towards a degree in;

• Materials Science or Chemistry, with a passion formaterialsdevelopment and/or analytical chemistry.

• Before starting with AWE, you must be able to provide evidence that you have achieved a minimum 2:2 degreeclassification, 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.

Behavioursand qualities

You willpossessthe 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 thebox, andmay even want to take the box apart.

• Innovative: You are open to learning aboutnew technologiesand 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: Receivewebinarguidanceso you know what to expect.

• Offer and clearance: Successful candidates will complete offer and security-clearance stages before joining in August 2027.

Security requirements

Candidates must be willing and able to obtain andmaintainthe necessary security clearance for the role. You must be a British National to apply for a role with AWE.

Inclusion and diversity

Our ambition is to create workplaces where werecogniseand celebrate differences, encourage diversecontributionsand 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.

Anyinclusioninformation you provide will be used to encourage and support you through the application process and will be held only for this purposein accordance withGDPR.

Important things you need to know:

• 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.

• 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.