Year in Industry- Nuclear Materials Trainee

Atomic Weapons Establishment; Aldermaston; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

£24,500 salary per annum

270 hours of annual leave

9-day working fortnight

Salary-sacrifice scheme

Graduate role potential

Savings on daily spending

Employee Assistance Programme

Occupational Health Services

Job summary

The Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston offers a Nuclear Materials Management Year in Industry Programme for 2027. It is a 1-year placement, starting 2 August 2027, onsite at Aldermaston with a 9‑day working fortnight and a salary of £24,500 per year plus benefits.

The programme sits within Operations, giving exposure to regulatory controls over Strategic Materials and accountancy, alongside induction and training to work safely in a critical national defence environment.

Job description

• Nuclear Materials Management Year in Industry Programme 2027
• Salary £24,500 per annum plus benefits
• Location Aldermaston, near Reading, Berkshire; onsite
• Contract One-year placement
• Start date 2 August 2027
• Working pattern 9-day working fortnight

About AWE We’re a team of remarkable people, united by one extraordinary mission: keeping the UK safe and secure. The UK’s independent nuclear deterrent has existed for over 75 years to deter the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life, helping to guarantee our safety and that of our NATO allies. Our work is critical. We’re delivering Astraea, the next warhead for the UK’s nuclear deterrent, and pushing the boundaries of nuclear science and technology. But that’s just part of the story. We support the UK government in vital areas, from counter-terrorism and global nuclear test monitoring to building a world-class community of experts in nuclear science. This is work that protects lives and strengthens national security. At AWE, you’ll find more than a job. You’ll find purpose, growth and a community like no other. This is your chance to learn from the best, develop your skills and be part of something truly unique. Be extraordinary at AWE. Visit www.awe.co.uk.

Entry requirements

Candidates studying; Nuclear Science, Nuclear Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Systems Engineering or Chemistry may be particularly suited and interested. However, all Engineering and Science degree disciplines will be considered. This is not a laboratory-based role. 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 2027. You must be able to join AWE in August 2027. We recruit on a rolling basis and will close the vacancy once positions have been filled. This role is site based.

What to expect on the programme

Operations supports AWE’s mission by taking demand from customer programmes and delivering the products and services needed by the Defence Nuclear Organisation within the Ministry of Defence to maintain national security. You will step into one of the UK’s most critical and technically advanced organisations while learning how health, safety and regulation sit at the heart of everything we do. The role sits within Nuclear Material Operations and is not laboratory based. You will experience the precision of nuclear materials management and the importance of regulations and policies. The group provides company policy and training to support the accountancy and control of Strategic Materials, including Accountable Nuclear Materials and Other Special Materials. It delivers annual company accounts to the Defence Nuclear Organisation and undertakes independent auditing and verification of Strategic Materials at AWE Aldermaston and Burghfield. Suitably qualified and experienced nuclear material inventory control staff oversee material movements and processing. The group maintains and develops the Fissile Material Control System used in production facilities to support criticality safety, movement control and accountancy. Work in an operational facility with Nuclear Materials and undertake respirator operations. Understand how a nuclear facility operates, including planning, production processes, safety cases, criticality safety, training, and the generation of and compliance with regulation, policy and local work instructions. Visit facilities and participate in physical verification and audits of Nuclear Materials and processes. Gain an appreciation of the challenges involved in transitioning to new facilities and providing subject matter expertise to projects. Learn about legislative nuclear material and accountancy requirements, account generation, and how these support Licence Conditions, Defence Nuclear Security, the National Audit Office, Environmental Permits and the Strategic Materials Strategy. Interact with stakeholders, including the Defence Nuclear Organisation customer. Candidates must be medically fit and able to wear a respirator as personal protective equipment when working in materials operations, when required. You will be fully trained and complete a thorough induction before working in Operations.

Benefits

• £24,500 salary.
• 270 hours of annual leave, including bank holidays.
• Excellent work-life balance and a vibrant, welcoming social scene.
• A 9-day working fortnight, giving you every other Friday off.
• A salary-sacrifice benefit scheme.
• Potential to secure a graduate role after university, subject to availability.
• Savings on everyday spending across retail, hospitality and leisure.
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme.
• Access to Occupational Health Services.

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. 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.

Inclusion and reasonable adjustments

We want candidates to feel confident and informed throughout the application process. We welcome requests for reasonable adjustments. Any inclusion information will be used only to support the application and held in accordance with GDPR. Questions can be directed to [e-mail].

We are at the start of a once in a generation – possibly two generations – programme to design and produce a replacement warhead for the UK’s continuous at sea deterrent. We will do this while continuing to deliver the Trident programme as well as managing ambitious state‑of‑the‑art capital and construction projects – some of which have never been done before. We are recruiting right across the business: from technical roles in engineering, science, manufacturing and industrial work to business roles in areas such as IT, project management/ controls, commercial, human resources and facilities management. We also have our Evolve graduate programme, or you may be interested in an apprenticeship with our award‑winning Skills Academy. What we do is vital to national nuclear security. Keeping our nation, everyone, our environment and everything around us safe and secure is a top priority for us. So, as you would expect, that brings with it a high level of safety and security that you will see across our sites and in how everyone who works here operates. We are always looking for high calibre people to join our team, so why not explore the opportunities we currently have on offer. Whatever stage of your career, AWE is an exciting and challenging environment to develop your skills and achieve your potential.