Industry- Analytical Radiochemistry

Year in Industry Placement - Analytical and Radiochemist Salary

£24,500 per annum plus benefits

Aldermaston, near Reading

12 months

2 August 2027

9-day working fortnight

What if you could work with remarkable people on extraordinary things?

What if the end result was something a little bit special?

What if your role was mission critical?

Forover
75years, AWE has been at the forefront of nuclear weapons research and development.

We have a critical mission: to provide the warheads for the UK’s ultimate deterrent, Trident. We also use our unique skills to provide wider UK government with counter-terrorism and nuclear threat reduction solutions.

It takes a special sort of person to work t if that personwasyou?

As a Radiochemistry undergraduate student, you will work with world-class scientists in an exciting part of AWE that provides a wide range of analytical capabilities and expert advice to AWE, government agencies and external customers, while ensuring AWE meets regulatory andlicencecondition compliance requirements.

There are two placements available and you will be placed into one of these depending on your degree/modules:

The Internal Dosimetry Services Team forms part of AWE’s Dosimetry Service and supports the organisation’sApproved Dosimetry Service. The team provides radiological analysis of bioassay and workplace monitoring samples to assess potential internal exposure to radioactive materials. The service supports regulatory compliance and contributes to the assessment and recording of radiation doses for workers.

You may gain exposure to liquid scintillation counters, alpha spectrometers, HPLC systems, furnaces, analyticalbalancesand standard laboratory equipment including fume cupboards, pipettes,centrifuge sand hot plates.

This laboratory-based placement involves measurements through gamma spectroscopy, liquid scintillationcountingand alpha spectroscopy. There may also be opportunities to undertakemodellingand coding. Training will be provided, sopreviousexperience is beneficial but not required. You will learn how the team interacts with stakeholders, including local teams with different expertise, theprogrammesthat commission work, and how this connects to government requirements.

We are interested in candidates working towards a degree in:

• Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Physics
• Combined Chemistry and Physics
• Before starting with AWE, you must be able to provide evidence that you have achieved a minimum 2:2 degree classification, or equivalent academic performance to date, by August 2026.

Most importantly, we are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are keen to get involved in interesting research and tasks.

You willpossessthe following traits and qualities:

• Growth mindset:
  You are full of grit and determination, clear about where you are going and how you will get there.
• Curious:
  You love to think outside thebox, andmay even want to take the box apart.
• Innovative:
  You are open to learning aboutnew technologies and ground-breaking ideas.
• Resilience:
  You advocate speaking up for yourself and others openly and constructively.
• Team worker:
  You are dependable and reliable, and interested in collaborating with and supporting others.

• £24,500 salary.
• A market-leading contributory pension scheme.
• Generous holiday entitlement.
• Excellent work-life balance.
• A 9-day working fortnight, meaning you get every other Friday off work.
• Access to an employeediscountsportal, offering everyday savings on leisure,hospitality and retail.

Alongside these benefits, you will have the opportunity to learn from some of the top leaders in their field.