AtkinsRéalis named among the 50 GREAT British Employers of Veterans

Independent recognition that our support for the Armed Forces community is built on action, not intention, and what that means for your next career move.

AtkinsRéalis has been named among the 50 GREAT British Employers of Veterans 2026, the UK’s definitive ranking of organizations supporting veterans, reservists and military families as they build their civilian careers.

If you’re weighing your next move, that recognition is worth more than a logo on a careers page. The move from service to civilian life raises real questions. How will my experience translate? Where will I find people who understand where I’ve come from? How quickly will I feel I belong? This recognition reflects the work we put into answering those questions in practice.

Recognition that’s earned, not claimed

Now in its fourth year, the 50 GREAT British Employers of Veterans is widely regarded as the benchmark for Forces Friendly employment in the UK. Inclusion isn’t a matter of signing a pledge. Employers are assessed on hard organizational data and evaluated by an independent panel of senior business leaders, veterans and subject matter experts, who examine the breadth and depth of support across recruitment, development, progression and retention.

That rigor matters. Around 15,000 highly skilled people leave UK military service every year, and not every employer that says it values veterans can show it. Being named in the Top 50 means our commitment stood up to independent scrutiny.

What that looks like in practice

Recognition like this should be backed by action, and ours is. In 2025 we welcomed 37 people from the Armed Forces community into roles across the business. To make those moves easier to navigate, we’ve built a recruitment approach designed specifically for the military community, supported by 20 Armed Forces Ambassadors, colleagues who volunteer to help match veterans, reservists and family members to the right openings in their part of AtkinsRéalis.

No two service careers end the same way. Some people join us after a full career in uniform; others move earlier, alongside reserve service, or as part of a family relocation. We support reservists who continue to serve while building their careers with us. Alastair Coombe, from our Nuclear Engineering team, recently mobilised with the support of his line manager:

"With just five weeks’ notice, and strong support from my line manager at AtkinsRéalis, I mobilised for Op GRAILER: a two-person operation supporting the Defence Section at the British Embassy in Beirut.

My role was to act as a strategic stakeholder manager for the FCDO on the Southern Border Security Project, enhancing defensive Forward Operating Bases in the South Litani Sector for the Lebanese Armed Forces. The programme was making strong progress before being overtaken by events with the onset of a new phase of conflict in February 2026.

Returning to my role in Nuclear Engineering, I can see clear parallels. The experience has strengthened my ability to build relationships, navigate competing priorities, and deliver in complex, uncertain environments, skills directly transferable to our work.

It was a privilege to spend time in such a remarkable country, working alongside embassy colleagues and the highly professional soldiers of the LAF.

I’d encourage anyone considering Reserve service to explore the opportunities it offers, both professionally and personally."

Our commitment reaches beyond hiring, too, from supporting the CyberFirst Defender cadet course to volunteering at the National Memorial Arboretum.

Where your experience fits

The work we do calls for exactly the strengths a military career builds: leadership under pressure, adaptability, teamwork, and clear judgment when it counts.

Those strengths travel a long way here. AtkinsRéalis is a global engineering and projects business of more than 40,000 people across 50+ countries, working in infrastructure, transportation, energy, nuclear, defense, digital, and the corporate functions that hold it all together. Whether you want to stay close to a sector you already know, such as defense or nuclear, or move into something new, there’s room for your experience to count in more than one direction.

Explore your next step

If you’re looking for an employer whose support for the Armed Forces community has been independently recognized, we’d like to hear from you.

Explore current opportunities at AtkinsRéalis.