Insights What do you do as a nuclear engineer?
What is nuclear engineering?
Nuclear engineering is a discipline that combines principles of physics, materials science, and engineering to harness and manage the powerful energy released through nuclear reactions, with a focus on applications such as electricity generation.
Our nuclear engineering team at AtkinsRéalis makes it possible for generations to experience the benefits of nuclear. This is a unique opportunity to work with the latest technologies, create cleaner, more sustainable nuclear energy solutions, and progress your career to new heights.
Learn more about the responsibilities of a nuclear engineer, career paths you can pursue in this discipline, and more.
What does a nuclear engineer do: Responsibilities
Depending on your specific role or specialization in the nuclear engineering space, your responsibilities and day-to-day tasks will vary but here are some general responsibilities:
- Nuclear design - design and improve nuclear reactors, with a primary emphasis on safety, efficiency, and reliability. This includes creating reactor cores, cooling systems, and control mechanisms.
- Nuclear safety - assess and ensure the safety of nuclear power stations, facilities and operations. They create emergency response plans and are involved in regulatory compliance.
- Nuclear quality assurance - control the quality of nuclear processes and materials to ensure they meet stringent safety standards.
- Nuclear waste management: work on strategies for managing nuclear waste, including the safe storage, transportation, and disposal of radioactive nuclear materials and spent nuclear fuel.
- Research and Development: Nuclear engineers conduct research to advance nuclear technology, develop new reactor designs, and improve existing ones. They also explore applications of nuclear science in various fields.
Types of nuclear engineers at AtkinsRéalis
Our unique approach is to deliver end-to-end project solutions and support for all types of reactor technologies.
Our lifecycle expertise is a key element of what sets us apart: we have the breadth of capabilities to deliver results at every stage of a project’s lifespan, and the technology and data insights to continually push solutions to the next level.
This means there are a vast number of career opportunities in this team, including electrical engineering, stress engineering, mechanical engineering, safety and systems engineering, design engineering and more.
We offer abundant career opportunities and a clear path for progression, allowing our colleagues to continually develop their skills, advance within the nuclear industry, and stay at the forefront of innovation and sustainable energy solutions.
Is nuclear engineering a good job?
Under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, 197 countries, agreed to try to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C by 2100. To achieve this, scientists said that net zero CO2 emissions should be reached by 2050. This presents a huge opportunity for nuclear engineering professionals.
Our nuclear and clean energy teams are making significant strides towards net-zero targets by ensuring a mix of secure and sustainable energies that can meet our industry and lifestyle demands today and in 30 years' time.
We help to power our world through exciting new technologies and intelligent cybersecurity systems on projects that vary greatly in size, scope, and scale.
So, you'll be creating the right safe and resilient systems across nuclear power plants, renewables, decarbonisation development, new builds and energy efficiency.
Explore nuclear engineering careers at AtkinsRéalis today.
Interested? Find out more about life at AtkinsRéalis
Sign up to receive the latest content tailored to your interests
Our articles
Preview
Middle EastContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/25/2024
Summary
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is on track to become a global tech hub centered around innovation and digital entrepreneurship. Vision 2030 has already made waves in transforming the nation’s
Preview
IndiaContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/24/2024
Summary
Hello! I'm Shaila, Associate Director and IT Business Partner at AtkinsRéalis in India. I lead diverse projects, nurture teams, and champion equality, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I). Using my
by
Shailaja Mantha
Preview
IndiaContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/23/2024
Summary
Hello! My name is Wannacha, and I joined AtkinsRéalis in Seoul in early 2024 as a process engineer. I'm proud to bring a unique blend of technical expertise and my own cultural insight
by
Shailaja Mantha
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/23/2024
Summary
Hello, I'm Adam. And, remarkably, I'm nearing my 40th anniversary with AtkinsRéalis! What started as an ‘apprentice’ as a trainee straight out of school has evolved into a fulfilling career, w
by
Shailaja Mantha
Preview
IndiaContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/23/2024
Summary
Hi, my name is Mahalakshmi. I'm an Associate Group Data Architect at AtkinsRéalis and a mother of two. I began my career in September 2010 at Infosys before moving on to a longer stint
by
Shailaja Mantha
Preview
Middle EastContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/22/2024
Summary
In 2021, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) inaugurated the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI), a collaborative regional approach to address climate change. The goals of this
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/16/2024
Summary
Fantastic news: AtkinsRéalis has been named one of The Times' Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality in 2024! This prestigious honor shows how dedicated everyone at our organization is to promot
by
Shailaja Mantha
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/16/2024
Summary
My name is Jo, and I'm a nuclear safety engineer at AtkinsRéalis. My primary role is to provide engineering and safety advice during the design and operation of nuclear facilities and for the
by
Shailaja Mantha
Preview
Middle EastContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/12/2024
Summary
Skip to Quantity Surveying jobs in Riyadh The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is in the midst of a period of economic and sustainability-led transformation. Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al-Saud (MBS)
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/11/2024
Summary
Hello! My name is Jo. As a Nuclear Safety Engineer at AtkinsRéalis, my experience so far has seen me work across various project lifecycles - from generic design assessments to nuclear new bui
by
Shailaja Mantha
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/11/2024
Summary
I'm Mei, a chartered engineer with extensive experience in water and wastewater engineering projects in the UK and internationally. I’m the Water Sector Lead and Project Director in AtkinsRéal
by
Shailaja Mantha
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
07/10/2024
Summary
Hello. My name is Paul, and I'm the Practice Director for Risk at AtkinsRéalis. Risk management is a dynamic field where problem solvers thrive on keeping projects and programmes secure and on
by
Shailaja Mantha
AtkinsRéalis
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We’re devoted to growing the diversity of our people, promoting an inclusive culture, providing everyone with an equal voice because simply put, it’s the right thing to do. Click to learn more.
Find out more