Mechanical Engineering Graduate Scheme - Nuclear & Power

Locations within this team: Bristol, Sheffield, Derby, Glasgow, Epsom.

Please note whilst most of our graduate roles start in September 2024 the Reactor Operations and Decommissioning 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 and Decommissioning, 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, Magnox and Rolls-Royce.

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.

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.

Locations within this team: Whitehaven.

Decommissioning and Waste Services are looking for candidates who have specific experience in mechatronics or robotics. 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 from initial concept through to detailed design and delivery, our portfolio of work is diverse, immersive and ultimately very rewarding. The ideal candidate will have an interest in 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, Epsom.

As a Graduate Mechanical Engineer within our Integrated Engineering Solutions team, you will work within a multi- disciplinary 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.

Locations within this team: Bristol, Epsom, Sheffield.

The Fusion & Advanced Reactors team is looking to the future. You will have the opportunity to join a growing and inclusive team to work across our Advanced Energy Technologies portfolio which includes fusion energy projects, SMR (Small Modular Reactor)/AMR (Advanced Modular Reactor) projects and other advanced reactor technologies. All of this demands the use of core mechanical principles to deliver solutions to problems that have not yet been broached in the nuclear engineering industry.

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.

Locations within this team: Glasgow

Within this team you’ll find yourself working primarily on projects in energy systems assets market. Our portfolio of projects encompasses asset integrity, design, and assurance for a variety of clients across a broad spectrum of facilities ranging from district heating, biomass, gas and Combined Heat & Power networks to large scale generation plant, gas and oil storage and decentralised energy assets. The broad nature of our project portfolio means you will be working on a variety of projects ranging from large interdisciplinary design and construction projects to supporting clients with discipline specific technical advice. The teams and projects you will be working with are at the core of the company’s long terms focus on diverse, clean power generation and have an emphasis on achieving net zero, your work will be an important part of this.

As a Graduate Mechanical Engineer within Energy Net Zero, your accountabilities will include performing engineering calculations to support design and assess systems, performing stress analysis of plant equipment, carrying out site surveys, and producing technical reports. There is the potential for significant time spent on site engaging with clients, inspecting plant, and deploying a range of cutting-edge digital tools to capture site information.

We’re looking for candidates who have a keen interest in structural & mechanical design and analysis, pressure and pipework systems or rotating equipment working across all of the various energy sectors. A desire to learn and develop your technical understanding to apply mechanical engineering concepts to provide solutions to our client’s complex problems is key. Being a committed and trustworthy team player with integrity, exhibiting a desire to ensure quality and do the right thing, is essential to maintaining our client relationships and strong company reputation. In return you will have the opportunity to be involved in projects at the forefront of the Net Zero energy transition, deploying cutting edge digital tools and technology solutions that will keep you developing skills that ensure you will have a fulfilled and relevant career.