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?
For nearly 70 years, 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 with counter-terrorism and nuclear threat reduction solutions.
It takes a special sort of person to work at AWE. What if that person was you?
About the Year in Industry
This position is created for university students undertaking a 12-month placement, who will join a multidisciplinary team of scientists applying data science techniques to the NTR mission.
Nuclear Threat Reduction (NTR) supports the Government on a variety of national security issues related to radiological and nuclear materials. The work varies from fundamental and novel research to applied development of technology demonstrators. Application areas within NTR include detection of nuclear and radiological material, nuclear forensics, international treaty monitoring and verification.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty (CTBT) “bans nuclear explosions by everyone, everywhere: on the Earth’s surface, in the atmosphere, underwater and underground.” We support the Ministry of Defence in underpinning the CTBT by providing technical advice on the verification regime. The CTBT uses four complementary verification methods; seismic, infrasound, hydroacoustic and the detection of radionuclides within the International Monitoring System.
As a data scientist, you will gain experience in investigating the use of data science techniques, to contribute to the analysis and understanding of the data that is gathered in support of the CTBT. Of particular interest are techniques to ‘fuse’ information from multiple data sources to improve the overall assessment of events of interest.
The behaviours you will bring to the team
- Growth Mindset; You’re full of grit and determination. Clear where you are going and how you will get there.
- Curious; you’re a person who loves to think outside the box. (You’re a person who loves to take the box apart!).
- Innovative; you’re open to learning about new technologies and ground-breaking ideas.
- Resilience; you’re an advocate of ‘speaking up’ for yourself and others openly and constructively.
- Team Worker; you’re dependable and reliable. You’re interested in collaborating with and supporting others.
The benefits
You will have the opportunity to learn from subject matter experts and to develop skills that are applicable across many industries. Successful candidates will receive:
- A salary of £22,250
- A market leading contributory pension scheme. We will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your own contribution.
- Every second Friday off. We do this by working a 41-hour week followed by a 33-hour week.
- 270 hours of annual leave a year, that includes an allowance for bank holidays.
- Access to the employee discounts portal – everyday savings on retail, hospitality and leisure.
Start date
Undergraduate Placement Induction start date will be August 2025, so please avoid taking leave during this period if you are successful. This role is offered on a 12-month contract.
Recruitment process
We recruit on a rolling basis which means as soon as our positions have been filled, the scheme will close to new applications. So, please apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out!
Candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. Please note that you must be a British National to apply for a role with us.
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 us will be used to encourage and support you through the application process and will be held only for this purpose in accordance with GDPR.
Contact us
If you have questions during the application process, please reach out to the Early Careers Team at EarlyCareers@awe.co.uk
Please note that you must be a British Citizen to apply for a role with us.
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 us will be used to encourage and support you through the application process and will be held only for this purpose in accordance with GDPR.
