Why Manchester is the perfect location for your nuclear engineering career

Hi, I'm Ahmad, the regional leader of AtkinsRéalis' Power New Build team here in the Northwest of England. Why did I join AtkinsRéalis? I wanted to be part of a world-class engineering services provider with significant involvement in the nuclear sector. With a global talent base of over 37,000 employees and welcoming more than 4,000 new talents each year, our opportunities for innovation and solving end-to-end challenges across the entire engineering project lifecycle are limitless.

What sets AtkinsRéalis' Nuclear business apart from the rest?

What we see now in AtkinsRealis' UK Nuclear New Build teams is a significant step forward for the hardcore engineering consultancy business model. Our model is built on talent strength, integrating engineers seamlessly into broader, diverse teams and offering a clear vision for long-term career development—whether focused on engineering, business development, or project and business management.

The nuclear industry has witnessed a large influx of agency-based business models for many years. These organizations thrive by leveraging available, already-developed engineering talent, deploying them on high CAPEX large-scale projects opportunistically to meet client-specific needs for fixed-term contracts. This model does not always prioritize the individual's mid- and long-term career goals. Instead, it focuses on what benefits the employer rather than nurturing in-house talent. While it is a low-risk, cost-efficient model for reducing overheads, it is not particularly suited for ambitious, curious minds hungry for more challenges and responsibilities.

Why AtkinsRéalis offers more than just a job in Nuclear New Build?

At AtkinsRealis, our business direction differs substantially from this model. Here, we empower you to choose your path from the vast market opportunities distributed fairly to everyone on the company platform. We promote a trusting, sharing, and engaging culture for all without bias. It is then up to you to be ambitious and passionate about choosing and enjoying your growth and development responsibilities. Like Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Nothing worth having comes easy."

With us, the opportunities, guidance, and training are readily available. There is something for everyone. All you need to do is ask for it.

Unexpected perks of joining a global nuclear team in Manchester

I felt welcomed and included in the UK's wider engineering team from day one. As a regional leader in Northwest England's Power New Build team, I felt empowered by a strong operational structure supported by local and global engineering talent. The seamless flow of talent and knowledge stood out to me in our nuclear and power operations. As a new joiner, I greatly valued the emphasis on sharing experiences and lessons learned. With extensive resources from other sectors like infrastructure, our Power New Build team collaborates closely with other teams specializing in nuclear decommissioning, reactor technologies, and green energy alternatives such as wind, solar, and district heating.

Equality, diversity and inclusion in my team at AtkinsRéalis

Our team is diverse and inclusive, representing a variety of genders, ethnicities, and age groups. This diversity enriches our team dynamics and even spices up our after-work activities—one of our favorite ways is sharing and enjoying each other's native cuisines.

To strengthen our ED&I goals, we actively focus on recruiting and mentoring talent across all career stages, particularly attracting more women to our team. This includes engaging with universities to inspire young graduates and leveraging the expertise of seasoned professionals like our chief engineer, whose 30+ years of experience guide us in navigating complex projects. Read about our #DifferentMakesADifference programme.

How AtkinsRéalis is tackling the sustainability challenge in nuclear?

The world is facing a true sustainability challenge. The most critical aspect of this is that carbon emissions are irreversibly raising the temperature of our planet. In simple terms, affordable and clean energy is the envisaged solution, and AtkinsRealis is at the centre of it. The key question: How can we work efficiently and innovatively to deliver to our clients the services they need in their sustainable power newly built projects in a way that exceeds their expectations? How we're engineering a Net Zero world.

What nuclear projects could you work on at AtkinsRéalis?

I look forward to contributing my modest part to AtkinsRéalis' significant role in supporting the UK's commitment to achieving carbon Net Zero by 2050. This includes major involvement in projects like EPR Hinkley Point-C and Sizewell-C, supporting key players in the Great British Nuclear competition, and advancing STEP fusion projects. I also see opportunities expanding for a pipeline of engagements in the European and global markets, whether by replicating existing EPR or Small Modular Reactor designs on international sites or playing key roles in more advanced technologies, such as EPR2 and ITER in France.

What global opportunities exist for nuclear engineers at AtkinsRéalis?

As the steward of CANDU technology with decades of expertise, and with the recent unveiling of the latest 1,000 MW CANDU MONARK reactor design, I am also excited to work within an organization uniquely positioned to capitalize on the numerous opportunities stemming from this stewardship. These include the life extension work at the Cernavodă power plant in Romania, supported by a $3 billion export finance deal between Canada and Romania, as well as the joint venture agreement in Ontario with Bruce Power to extend the life of four CANDU reactors—representing the province's largest clean energy infrastructure project.

Ready to power up your nuclear engineering career? Find our live nuclear jobs in Manchester here.