Graduate Vacuum Engineer

About us  

Fusion the process that powers the sun and stars is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner carbon-free energy that our world badly needs. UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy partnering with industryand research organisations to achieveground-breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the gridby developing the power stations of tomorrow and the skilled workforce to deliver them.  

What youll join 

Your degree got you this far. Where could fusion energy take you

If youre looking for your first graduate role and want a career thats meaningful challenging and packed with opportunities to grow UKAEAs Graduate Development Programme could be the perfect next step. Working alongside world-leading experts youll help advance groundbreaking fusion technology while building the technical professional and leadership skills needed for a successful career. This is your chance to be part of an industry thats helping create a sustainable future for generations to come.

How youll develop

• Help deliver innovative vacuum engineering solutions that support one of the UKs most advanced fusion experiments MAST-U.
• Work on a variety of real-world engineering projects from designing and specifying equipment to testing commissioning and improving system performance.
• Collaborate with experienced engineers and technical specialists to solve complex challenges while developing your technical project management and leadership skills through our accredited graduate programme recognised by IMechE IET and IoP supporting your journey towards professional registration.

What youll need

• Degree in Science or Engineering from 2025 to 2027
• Driven with a strong appetite to learn and take on new challenges
• Able to collaborate effectively and communicate clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Well organised and adaptable with the ability to plan and prioritise workload

Benefits 

We have a generous range of benefits (see the full list here) and highlights include:   

• 35227 base salary.
• Final salary defined benefit scheme with an equivalent of 21.5% employer pension contribution.
• 25 days annual leave plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days in addition to UK bank holidays.
• Flexible working options plus family-friendly leave provisions.
• Take part in our Skern Lodge residential to develop new skills and build your network.

Our commitment to ED&I 

UKAEAs mission is clean energy for all and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal. We are committed to equality diversity and inclusion and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM including women and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds while ensuring all appointments are made on merit.

UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email  if you have any questions or require any help or adjustments.

AI may be used for preparation purposes only. All responses submitted during interviews and assessments must be your own work.

To maintain a fair recruitment process candidates are limited to two applications across our Early Careers programmes. If you apply for multiple roles we may contact you to discuss which opportunities best match your skills and interests.

Applications are due to close at 23:59 on 8th November 2026. As were expecting strong interest we encourage you to apply early as the vacancy may close sooner if we receive a high volume of applications. More information can be found here. 

Qualifications :

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time