Technical Science and Engineering Graduate 2024

We’re the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) group, delivering one of the world’s most important environmental programmes to decommission the UK’s earliest nuclear facilities.

Our group is responsible for 17 nuclear sites in all parts of the UK, together with specialist nuclear waste and international transport businesses. And our work is growing, with more facilities joining us to be decommissioned in the next decade.

Sustainability, safety, and security are at the heart of our long-term mission to prepare our sites for their next use, work which spans into the next century. 

As an NDA group graduate, you’ll get the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution towards the delivery of our nationally important mission. During our two-year graduate programme, you’ll take part in three placements in different parts of the NDA group. You’ll start with a 12-month placement, before completing two six-month opportunities. In exchange for your contribution, you’ll be supported at the end of the programme to secure a role in the NDA group.

We have a number of technical graduate opportunities within the NDA group, for the initial 12-month secondment, with offices and sites around the UK.

Overview

The NDA group’s Technical profession, is a collection of nuclear-industry specialists across a range of disciplines: Chemistry, Physics, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Mathematics. 

These individuals work together to provide support to nuclear facilities and ensure decisions made are underpinned with technical knowledge and justification. This work is critical to enable safe operations.

There are multidisciplinary teams of technical specialists: retrievals, remediation, spent nuclear fuel management and special nuclear materials. The challenges these teams respond to can vary from short turnaround tasks to resolve emerging issues, to others with long-term strategic focuses. All of these individuals are helping the NDA group to create a clean and safe environment for future generations.

The opportunity

The Technical profession includes internationally recognised specialists and professionals, giving you the opportunity to learn from experts in their field during your programme.

You will gain experience as you work on challenging and highly complex projects, offering problem solving solutions. Technical graduates are given the opportunity to drive packages of work themselves, with appropriate supervision from line management. You may be given a technical challenge to resolve, involving research, data analysis, report writing, and presenting the output of your work to stakeholders.

Throughout your two-year journey on the NDA group graduate programme you will be employed by Energus whilst being supported by an industry leading sponsoring organisation. 

At the end of your two-year programme, you will be supported in securing a role with the NDA group.

Entry requirements

• A minimum of a 2:2 in a relevant degree subject, achieved within the last 5 years
• Candidates need to have the right to work for the duration of the 2 year programme. Any offers will be conditional upon satisfactory right to work checks
• Successful completion of security clearance checks
• Applicants must be willing and able to travel and relocate. Energus head office is based in Workington, Cumbria, however role locations will vary dependent on sponsor location.

Recruitment stages 

The recruitment and selection process consists of the following stages:

• Online application form - please complete all required sections of the application to ensure this is submitted successfully.
• Online assessments & videos - throughout your recruitment journey you will be invited to complete online assessments which may contain video elements.
• Assessment centre – these will be delivered face to face and will involve various activities, alongside insightful information around the nuclear industry and our programme.
• Offer - following our assessment centres, we aim to issue outcomes within two weeks.
• Successful candidates will begin their exciting journey as a NDA group graduate, working with our dedicated Energus People & Skills team to complete security paperwork ahead of starting the programme in September 2024.
• Onboarding - we welcome all our graduates ahead of the start date, through social media groups and welcome sessions, ensuring you are prepared, and any support required is in place, providing you with the best start to your exciting future as a NDA group graduate.

Face-to-face assessment centres will take place week commencing 3rd March 2024. If you are invited to an assessment centre and unable to attend, unfortunately you may be unable to complete the selection process.

We encourage you to regularly check emails (including any junk mail/spam folders) throughout the selection process, all correspondence including selection invitation will be sent via email.

Company Benefits

• Salary £30,000 per year
• £5,500 individual travel budget
• £3,500 flexible individual training budget
• £9,900 core training & development
• Access to three secondments to give you experience across the breadth of the UK nuclear sector
• A dedicated team of experts to support your development and progress throughout your time on the programme
• A sponsor company lead to provide you with day-to-day support during your programme and with your secondments
• A dedicated mentor, assigned to you upon starting the programme who will stay with you throughout your NDA group graduate journey
• A comprehensive, tailored programme of professional development
• The support of a dedicated NDA group graduate programme team throughout the two years of your graduate programme. As Mental Health First Aiders the team are fully equipped to assist you through your NDA group graduate journey
• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
• 6 discretionary days leave for study and relocation
• Energus contributory pension scheme
• Energus Employee Assistance Programme and DigiCare+
• EnergUS Extras, providing in-house news, wellbeing resources and employee discounts
• Membership of up to 2 professional institutions
• Access to an independent Employee Assistance Programme service offering a 24/7 support line
• Opportunity to participate in our Cycle2Work Scheme