Mechanical Engineering Graduate Scheme - Nuclear

Locations within this team:

• Mechanical Engineering: Bristol, Derby, Epsom, Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield
• Materials, Manufacturing & Corrosion Engineering: Bristol, Sheffield

Available roles within this team: Mechanical Engineering or Materials, Manufacturing, Chemistry & Corrosion Engineering

Please note whilst most of our graduate roles start around September 2026 the Reactor Operations team (in Bristol, Sheffield, Derby and Epsom only) is open to candidates starting sooner if you have already graduated from university.

Our mission is to solve complex nuclear engineering problems to keep the lights on, keep everyone safe and ensure the clean evolution of the UK nuclear estate. Our purpose is to build lasting relationships where we are valued and can develop our people across the widest variety of challenges. Our vision is to be the 'go to' community for creative solutions, known for empowering and trusting our people, and where our nuclear expertise is sought after to secure the future.

• As a Graduate Mechanical Engineer within Reactor Operations, you will join a growing and vibrant team and find yourself immersed in a diverse portfolio of work covering the entire nuclear lifecycle in both the civil nuclear sector and UK defence industry. With the knowledge and skills that you’ve gained throughout your studies, you’ll be ready to start this exciting next chapter within a diverse team of highly skilled engineers. As part of our team, you will be empowered to gain broad experience across our portfolio of work with key clients such as EDF, Nuclear Restoration Services, and Rolls-Royce.
• As a Graduate Materials, Manufacturing, Chemistry & Corrosion Engineer within Reactor Operations, you will join a growing and vibrant team and find yourself immersed in a diverse portfolio of work covering the entire nuclear lifecycle in both the civil nuclear sector and UK defence industry. With the knowledge and skills that you’ve gained throughout your studies, you’ll be ready to start this exciting next chapter within a diverse team of highly skilled engineers. As part of our team, you will be empowered to gain broad experience across our portfolio of work with key clients such as EDF, Nuclear Restoration Services, and Rolls-Royce.

You can expect to gain experience in a variety of working environments, including being based in our AtkinsRéalis offices around the UK, as well as gaining valuable site-based experience supporting our clients on their operating sites at the forefront of carbon neutral electricity generation. Day-to-day, you should expect to work on tasks such as the design and substantiation of equipment using a mixture of hand calculations and FEA, authoring of technical reports, development of safety cases, and designing safety critical software. You’ll also identify customer requirements, produce specifications, hazard assessments, support project management activities, and collaborate with clients as well as your AtkinsRéalis colleagues and our supply chain partners. All of this adds up to an outstanding environment to gain varied experience that will aid you with your professional development and progress towards professional registration.

We’re looking for graduates with a good understanding of mechanical engineering and engineering design, who love the idea of applying their engineering skills to help keep the lights on, keep everyone safe, and ensure the clean evolution of the UK nuclear estate. You should also be keen to develop your knowledge, skills and understanding of the field and have an interest in the nuclear energy sector.

Locations within this team: Whitehaven

Available role within this team: Mechanical Engineering only

Decommissioning are looking for highly motivated mechanical engineering candidates who are keen problem solvers and out-of-the-box thinkers with a safety-first mindset. You’ll be part of a forward thinking, highly innovative Mechanical team working at the cutting edge of digital design and pushing the standard norms of how engineering projects are delivered in the 21st Century.

Working on some of the most complex and challenging decommissioning projects within the Nuclear industry, our portfolio of work is diverse, immersive and ultimately very rewarding. Crucial to our success is the integration of digital tools into engineering delivery, such as 3D point cloud scan data, Virtual and Augmented Reality systems, and utilising cutting-edge technology within our design solutions. The DWS Mechanical team service full-lifecycle projects, from initial concept through to detailed design, manufacturing, testing and on-site plant installation. You will have the opportunity to work across multi-disciplinary projects with Civil, EC&I, Process and Radiological Protection teams.

A key requirement for the position is the desire and ability to build on mechanical engineering technical knowledge by applying it to complex problems to find solutions for our clients. The candidate can expect to work on 3D design models, substantiation reports and design calculations, risk assessments for design and on-site operations, technical notes and a suite of other key deliverables. The ideal candidate will have an interest in structural and mechanical design, static and dynamic mechanical loading and have a real passion for 3D digital innovation and 3D modelling with a vision for how this can shape the future of engineering.

Locations within this team: Bristol

Available role within this team: Mechanical Engineering only

Integrated Engineering Solutions

As a Graduate Mechanical Engineer within our Integrated Engineering Solutions team, you will work within a multidisciplinary team of Mechanical, Electrical, Building Services and Project Engineers who work across all stages of the project lifecycle from new build to decommissioning to deliver multi-disciplinary packages of work on key facilities, systems and components across the full spectrum of Nuclear Power. As a mechanical engineer working out of the Bristol office you would be working in roles related to the design, analysis and assessment of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems and Mechanical Process systems. These can be stand-alone technical tasks or part of large multi-disciplinary projects. Work is varied and can involve working both in a specialised mechanical capacity as well as across and alongside other engineering disciplines.

Fusion and Advanced Reactors

Our Fusion and Advanced Reactor team is looking to the future. We’re searching for passionate graduates to join our growing team to work across our fusion energy portfolio, SMR/AMR projects, and other advanced reactor technologies. You will also have the opportunity to develop your capability across other markets including large scale fission e.g. Hinkley Point C or Sizewell C EDF projects. We deliver solutions to complex problems across the full lifecycle of nuclear, which ranges from design through to site-based engineering support.

As part of the team, you’ll be empowered and encouraged to take part in a variety of work such as technical projects, project management, commercial projects and/or business development projects either in support of one or several clients; allowing early career engineers to guide their own career progression. We have worked on a variety of projects at the forefront of the nuclear industry such as working with the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) on their Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) and Hydrogen 3 Advanced Technology (H3AT) or the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) based in the south of France as we aim to deliver different pathways for commercially viable fusion energy.

Across our portfolio, you’ll be involved in the optioneering, design, analysis, and assessment of fusion relevant technologies and systems, whether that be on stand-alone technical tasks or as part of large multi-year consultancy support contracts. By working closely with our UK and international clients, you’ll be building strong relationships, developing a comprehensive understanding of their requirements, and delivering cost effective and innovative solutions. You’ll also take a proactive role within projects, co-ordinating within teams and providing technical assistance and shadowing senior engineers.

As part of the team, you’ll be delivering projects from your home office / location, as well as visiting client sites / offices. As part of our Nuclear and Power Business, you’ll be focused on expanding our fusion project portfolio in addition to the advanced reactor technologies (e.g. Moltex or Rolls-Royce SMR) but can work across our other markets including Next Generation Nuclear New Build, Reactor Operations and Decommissioning, and Net Zero Technologies.