Apply early: recruitment is rolling and applications will close once all positions have been filled.
Why this role matters
Meet Salma and AWE
Salma, Early Careers Lead at AWE, looks after university recruitment — finding Year in Industry students and graduates for the organisation's opportunities.
To watch the full Gradcracker/AWE webinar, click here.
Join Nuclear Services, an essential function that delivers Health Physics, waste and specialist operational services across AWE. You will support work that manages radioactive and controlled waste, protects people and the environment from ionising-radiation and contamination hazards, and helps maintain an effective emergency response capability.
A specialist career with real-world impact
This is a hands-on, operational opportunity in a field where skills are in high demand. You will see how technical decisions are applied in practice and learn from specialists working on current waste, radiation-protection and environmental challenges.
At a glance
Salary: £31,000 starting salary plus benefits.
Location: AWE sites in the Reading area, Berkshire - onsite.
Programme: Two-year Evolve Graduate Programme.
Security: You must be a British National, and willing and able to obtain and maintain DV security clearance and meet occupational-health requirements.
What opportunities will you have?
Waste improvement: Support projects that improve the management of radioactive, controlled and hazardous waste.
Training and awareness: Help develop and deliver training programmes and awareness campaigns.
Documentation: Review and update waste-management, customer-communication, health, safety and environmental documentation.
Inspection and assurance: Support health, safety and environmental inspections and continual improvement.
Operational services: Work alongside teams providing Health Physics, waste processing, emergency response and specialist operational support.
What you will learn
How radioactive and controlled wastes are managed operationally and technically.
How ionising-radiation and environmental controls are applied in operational settings.
The operational application of the Ionising Radiations Regulations and Environmental Permitting Regulations.
How to work in a service environment against targets, timelines and budgets.
Problem-solving, negotiation, data interpretation, stakeholder communication and influencing.
How change management and sustainability principles support better waste outcomes.
Entry requirements
Minimum 2:2 in a science - or environment-based degree, such as Environmental Science, Geoscience, Geography or Sustainability.
The behaviours and qualities we're looking for
Proactive: You take ownership, look for improvements and follow through on commitments.
Communicative: You can explain information clearly in writing and conversation and influence constructively.
Detail focused: You understand why accurate records and careful working matter.
Customer focused: You want to provide a reliable, practical service to operational customers.
Organised: You can manage competing enquiries, priorities and stakeholders.
Numerate: You are comfortable handling and interpreting data.
What you will get
£31,000 starting salary.
A market-leading contributory pension scheme.
270 hours of annual leave, including bank holidays.
A 9-day working fortnight, giving you every other Friday off.
A salary-sacrifice benefit scheme, Life Assurance and employee discounts.
A welcome payment and the option of an interest-free £1,000 loan.
Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
Regular Graduate pay reviews and structured career progression.
Recruitment process and key dates
Online application: Apply for 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, expected to run during December 2026 and January 2027.
Pre-assessment support: Attend guidance webinars so you know what to expect and can prepare.
Offer and clearance: Successful candidates will move into the offer, medical where required, and security-clearance stages before joining in September 2027.
Reasonable adjustments
We want you to feel confident and supported throughout the application process. Tell us if a reasonable adjustment would help. Any inclusion information will be used only to support your application and handled in accordance with GDPR.
(This means that we will supply feedback if requested after an interview.)
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Job ID Number: R32521
Can I use AI to apply?
We are open to you using AI to support your research or to help prepare you for interviews. However, we strongly recommend you do not use it to give you answers to questions as we will not get to know the real you.
