Graduate Mechanical Design Engineer

Science and Technology Facilities Council
Salary: 35049per annum 1000 welcome bonus
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: Full-time
Location:Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Harwell Oxfordshire OX11 0QX
Closing date:19th October 2025
Assessment Centre: December 2025 / January 2026
Start date: September 2026

The ISIS Neutron and Muon Source is a world-leading centre for research in the physical and life sciences. Our suite of neutron and muon instruments gives unique insights into the properties of materials on the atomic scale. Professional engineers maintain and enhance the facility to ensure it remains operating at the highest standard and continually improving its capabilities to support groundbreaking scientific research.

ISIS Design Division are now on the look out for Graduate Mechanical Design Engineers. The team will provide a unique opportunity for a wide variety of design analysis and project engineering experiences across a range of challenging engineering settings. The diverse nature of the facility is mirrored in its variety of mechanical systems including: pioneering precision mechanisms and motion systems high power magnets cryogenic and vacuum systems and very high pressure and extreme temperature sample environment systems. To deliver the projects this is a chance to work with exotic materials innovative manufacturing and joining techniques and specialised teams from across site who offer their full support!

We invite eligible candidates to apply to join our engineers as we work towards keeping ISIS at the forefront of scientific research whilst simultaneously decarbonising the facility in order to meet STFCs mission of Net Zero by 2040.

Graduate Scheme

The STFC Graduate scheme will give you the opportunity to really pursue your interests and passion early in your journey with us supported by technical training and a broader programme of career support and training and development.

Our dedicated Graduate Development Team will provide the right combination of challenge and support throughout helping you achieve your ambitions. We know that professional recognition is also important to you too so we will provide mentoring and expertise to help you achieve valued qualifications or chartered status in your chosen field.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• To deliver engineering solutions for scientific requirements
• To be involved in each aspect of the delivery process from engineering concept design procurement installation/commissioning testing to final reporting
• Produce concepts designs and engineering drawings using 2D & 3D CAD systems
• Create and manage specifications based on customer requirements
• Produce calculations to validate designs
• Present designs for peer and stakeholder review
• Present work both in writing and verbally to a wide range of audiences
• Procure manufactured items and bought out components
• Oversee testing commissioning and quality assurance

Person Specification

In order to apply for the role we are looking for the following:

Essential:

• Achieved or be on course to achieve a minimum 2:1 degree in a relevant field of study (S)
• Have the right to live and work in the UK at time of starting employment(S)
• Ability to produce good clear written communications with appropriate attention to detail. (S)

• Ability to communicate well both technically and non-technically (I)

• Good technical understanding of the fundamentals of engineering (I):

  • Thermodynamics

  • Mechanics

  • Materials

  • Manufacturing methods

  • Exposure to project management

• Individual and Team Project working during degree / work placement (S)

Desirable:

• Degree is IMechE/IET Accredited for CEng (S)

• Highly motivated (S)

• Innovative and inquisitive (I)

• Relevant industrial experience and/or positions of responsibility (S)

• Proactive approach to learning and professional development (S)

Employee Benefits

We are offering a permanent position with a whole host of benefits including:

• 30 days holiday (in addition to 10.5 bank holidays and privilege days).
• Flexible working hours.
• An excellent defined average salary pension scheme.
• Easily accessible public transport links/ free parking.
• Excellent learning and development opportunities.
• Cycle to work scheme.

Link to more benefits: note if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK as part of your sponsorship application you and any dependants travelling with you will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information please visit or contact

Application Guidance

Please note that we can only accept a maximum of 2 applications per candidate.

Part of our application process involves submitting your CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter should address your suitability for the opportunity based how you meet each essential criteria stated in this advert.

Please note that we hold the right to close this vacancy early if a sufficient number of applications have been received.

We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Together our scientists technologists engineers and business support team explore the unknown across every field you could think of. And they turn what they find into work that changes the world around us.

What could you achieve with the world-leading facilities and experts of one of Europes largest research organisations by your side Join us and discover whats possible!