Graduate Scheme 2024 - Science & Engineering

Job Introduction

There’s never been a more exciting time to be part of the nuclear sector. New opportunities are being created all the time. At NNL, you’ll be in the ideal place to capitalise on this momentum, face new challenges and develop a long, successful and meaningful career.

We’re an organisation that’s here to experiment and push the limits of what’s possible. So, if you’re keen to excel in your chosen field, this is the place to do it. Because at NNL, anything is possible.

We are developing the next generation of technical experts. Not only will you receive the opportunity to work on exciting and rewarding projects, but you’ll continually learn from skilled and knowledgeable industry experts who are leaders in their field. 

We will help you become everything you can be, by challenging, stretching, and pushing you to your limits while supporting you every step of the way.

To join the NNL graduate programme you will have graduated, or be on course to graduate, with a 2:1 or higher in a STEM subject (including, but not limited to, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Statistics, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science).

You will have the right to work in the UK, have lived in the UK for at least 5 years and be able to achieve SC level security clearance.

You will be naturally curious with the drive and motivation to discover more – about yourself and our business.

Forward-thinking, proactive and positive, you will bring your own energy to the team and you’ll have an enquiring mind that helps us to discover solutions to some of the world’s biggest issues.

You will have excellent interpersonal, communication and organisational skills.

Role Responsibility

As a member of the graduate programme, you will develop towards taking a lead role in our research and development projects with the support of our experienced early careers team, your line manager, mentor, colleagues, and fellow graduates.

You will acquire a depth of knowledge and specific technical skills in a particular area of our business. You will experience the full life cycle of our projects; from liaising with customers to understand their needs, planning work and developing new methods and processes, to documenting your work effectively in technical reports.

Our graduates support us in many areas of the business from business development to product innovation, project delivery and environment, health, safety, security & quality. 

You will join an organisation where you are free to be yourself whilst being part of our incredible early careers community. NNL is creating a workplace culture where everyone can thrive with a sense of belonging through our ED&I Ambassador network and relationships with Women in Nuclear (WiN), Race Equality in Nuclear (REiN) and the Nuclear Rainbow Forum. 

Your programme starts with a tailored, induction programme to welcome you into the business and to get to know your graduate cohort. The Induction will help you understand the breadth of what NNL does and to provide an overview of your development programme and our expectations.

You will then embark on your two-year graduate scheme undertaking a programme of activities designed to help you develop your understanding of the nuclear industry and grow as an individual, these include;

• Understanding NNL, the nuclear sector and nuclear professionalism
• The application of professional knowledge and skill
• Personal development and understanding your own personal brand
• Collaboration and team working
• Understanding our customer and making effective decisions

You will complete your programme with a focussed training centre to support your seamless transition off the scheme to continue your career and professional development with NNL. We provide support as you actively work towards professional recognition in your chosen field. 

You will be based at one of our sites in the North West of England, Preston, Risley, Cheshire or West Cumbria. Many of the roles available allow for hybrid working with the flexibility to work from home on some of your working days. However, given the nature of the work we do here at NNL, some roles may require you to be on-site at one of our laboratories every day. 

As part of the selection process for the graduate programme you should expect to complete online cognitive ability assessments. Successful candidates will be invited to attend an in-person assessment centre which will assess technical and behavioural competencies. Assessment Centres for this role will be held in February 2024.

You will start your graduate programme in early September 2024.

About the Company

NNL is an incredible place to work.  A place where people do things that have never been done before A place where people push boundaries to further themselves, the business, and society as a whole.

This is a place where personal and professional opportunities are limitless. If you want to change the world, if you want to tackle climate change, if you want to help advance medical science, if you want to help put things in space, if you want to answer the big questions, if you want to work with extraordinary materials, if you want to meet great people, learn new skills, challenge yourself, work flexibly, and build a long successful career with the power to make a real impact… you can do it all here.

NNL has a vision for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity (ED&I) where NNL aims to be an inclusive workplace that attracts diverse talent through transparent and equal policies and procedures. We want you and the diverse mix of people that we employ, customers that we service, and stakeholders that we influence to feel valued. We encourage a workplace culture where everyone can thrive with a sense of belonging.

Recruitment Agency Notice

We operate a strict Preferred Supplier List (PSL) for the provision of recruitment services. Only agencies on our PSL may provide CVs and only when the role is released to them by our recruitment team. We will not accept unsolicited CVs from suppliers not currently on our PSL. We explicitly reserve the right to add candidate details from unsolicited CVs from non-PSL agencies into our own candidate database and to pursue/hire such candidate(s) without any obligation, financial or otherwise, to the agency concerned.

National Nuclear Laboratory