Lock Applications for this job are now closed
    Closing soon

    The Materials Business Unit undertakes the analysis, development and modelling of nuclear materials for fusion applications as part of UK, European and international programmes. This includes a dedicated facility for the analysis of active materials, the UKAEA’s Materials Research Facility https://mrf.ukaea.uk/, where the properties and structure of materials damaged by irradiation can be characterised. The Materials Business Unit develops an understanding of the interactions between materials and the fusion environment, such as extreme temperatures, neutron irradiation, plasma, and corrosion, through experimentation and modelling. Novel and enhanced fusion materials are designed and tested, ranging from high to low technology readiness levels, including metals, ceramic composites and coatings.

    Who are we looking for?

    We have excellent opportunities for motivated and enthusiastic graduates to join our two-year graduate scheme, this vacancy is for those interested in working in materials engineering. As part of our exciting scheme, you will spend 80% of your time developing both your general work-related skills and professional qualifications through working on department projects, with 20% of your working time dedicated to graduate training and development. UKAEA has a nurturing community that learns from each other.

    Within the 20% training and development, there is a core suite of activities designed to develop your professional and business skills. Elements of this programme are flexible and can be tailored to your personal development needs and to those of your specific job role.

    What opportunities does the graduate scheme cover?

    Roles and examples of the type of work/projects you could be involved in include:

    • The Materials in Extreme Environment team aims to address challenges on the compatibility of materials in fusion environments by advancing mechanistic understanding of the evolution of materials performance in relation to their environment. This scientific knowledge is used to inform generation materials development and materials qualification for fusion power plants. As a graduate Materials Engineer, you will focus on an ongoing research activity, perform materials testing and use a range of materials characterisation techniques – from bulk to the nanoscale. This work will focus primarily on metallic materials, including the behaviour of fusion specific alloys and be part of a wider research programme, involving national and international collaborators. The role will enable the development of a balanced mix of technical management, scientific expertise, presentation, and communication skills and constitute a solid foundation for further career progress and development. It will be suitable for someone who enjoys performing challenging experiments apply innovative and critical thinking to solve challenging complex issues and is interested in fundamental understanding of materials behaviour in extreme environment.
    • The Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) team is dedicated to the development and/or enhancement of nuclear materials, ranging from low to high TRL (technology readiness level), including metals, ceramic-composites, coatings, multimaterials and interfaces. Activities include microstructural design, evaluation of the impact on properties of additive manufacturing and novel joining at interfaces, and corrosion testing of new high temperature composite materials. The work will focus primarily on ceramic coating materials, including the development and testing of multilayer coatings relevant for the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP). The role will enable development of scientific expertise and technical management skills, with opportunities to enhance presentation and communication skills. It will be suitable for a graduate who enjoys experimental work and solving complex materials science problems.

    Our scheme is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), the Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET) and the Institute of Physics (IoP) as a professional development scheme.

    Qualifications

    Essential

    • To be considered you will need to have successfully completed a relevant degree in the United Kingdom within the two years prior to the scheme commencement in late Summer 2023.
    • IT literate, fluent in Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint (Experience with Access and SharePoint desirable).
    • Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
    • Good planning, organising and time management skills

    You will need to be self-motivated, demonstrate the ability to work well with others, and have an interest in the development of cleaner energy. Additionally, you will be passionate about self-development and you should have a proactive approach to your work with an enthusiasm for achieving your full potential. 

    What is the recruitment process? 

    All applications will be initially reviewed by our Early Careers Team and then passed on to our Technical Managers. If shortlisted, you will be contacted by a member of the recruiting team to arrange a short telephone interview. Successful applications will be invited to a more in depth virtual interview where you will have the opportunity to demonstrate your abilities and skills in a range of different situations which include a short presentation. You may be required to attend a final in person meet and greet session to support decision making around the role. 

    What we offer 

    • A competitive salary of £29,000
    • A dedicated mentor who will help to develop your career and experience 
    • Encouragement and support to achieve your professional accreditation 
    • A culture committed to being fully inclusive, supported by a Being Inclusive Strategy and Inclusion Ambassadors 
    • An Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders, with a full calendar of health and wellbeing initiatives 
    • Dedicated Early Careers events and team building opportunities  
    • Being part of the Graduate and Early Careers community at UKAEA 
    • Flexible working options including family friendly policies  
    • 30.5 days annual leave increased with length of service (including privilege days and 3 days between Christmas and New Year) plus bank holidays
    • Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme
    • Annual corporate bonus scheme

    We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly from individuals from black and other ethnic minority backgrounds, including nationality and citizenship, people with disabilities, (visible and hidden) and women. The Executive team with support from our EDI ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’ (EDI) partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, is actively promoting EDI and taking steps to increase the diversity of our people through reinforcing best practice in recruitment and selection, and revaluating approaches where it is clear we can remove barriers to success. We are easily accessible by car and are a 10-minute walk from Culham Railway Station in Oxfordshire.