Theoretical Scientist

If the following job requirements and experience match your skills, please ensure you apply promptly.

Closing Date: 8th May 2025

Location: RG7 4PR, located between Reading and Basingstoke, with free onsite parking. Due to the classified nature of the work involved, there are limited opportunities to work from home in this role. It is anticipated that the successful candidate will spend the majority of their time working on site at AWE Aldermaston.

Package:

• Junior Scientist (recent graduates): £29,490- £37,000 (depending on your suitability, qualifications, and level of experience)
• Experienced Scientist (PhD or graduates with post-graduate experience): £38,020- £47,500 (depending on your suitability, qualifications, and level of experience)

Working pattern: AWE operates a 9-day working fortnight. We will consider flexible working requests so that your work may fit in with your lifestyle. Just let us know your preferred working pattern on your application.

Let us introduce the role: AWE is currently recruiting for a Theoretical Scientist to join the Environments and Transport (EAT) Team which sits within our Radiation Science Group (RSG). This role is ideally suited to a Physicist with interest in developing physics codes and modelling the interaction of radiation (photons, electrons, and neutrons) with matter. Working within the Radiation Science Group, the successful candidate will be part of a team applying and developing radiation effects tools to solve the interaction of nuclear radiation environments with complex geometries. This role provides excellent development opportunities and the chance to collaborate with partners in the UK and overseas. You will gain an understanding of Monte Carlo and deterministic radiation transport techniques, work with developers to ensure these are robustly implemented, and develop our future physics codes using modern software practices. You will apply these using AWE's High-Performance Computing (HPC) platforms to our core product and to our experimental programmes, utilising meshing tools to support Finite Element Analysis (FEA).

Who are we looking for? We do need you to have the following:

• A strong degree in Physics or a related discipline, with a focus on modelling or code development.
• Although not essential, a PhD or relevant post-graduate experience would be beneficial for this role.
• A willingness to travel overseas is essential to participate in modelling workshops and peer reviews.

Whilst not to be considered a tick list, we'd like you to have experience in some of the following:

• An understanding of how radiation interacts with matter.
• Familiarity with radiation transport codes, such as MCNP, OpenMC, or Geant4.
• Developing physics codes and models.
• Programming languages such as Python or C++.
• Linux and High-Performance Computing (HPC).

You’ll need to have the ability to work calmly and constructively in a priority changing environment and be able to manage your own workload. You will also have initiative, enthusiasm, a flexible approach, and ability to work to tight deadlines.

Some reasons we think you’ll love it here: AWE has a wide range of benefits to suit you. These include:

• 9-day working fortnight - meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.
• Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions).
• Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.
• Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body.
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
• Life Assurance (4 x annual salary).
• Discounts - access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending.
• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.

The 'Working at AWE' page on our website is where you can find full details in the 'AWE Benefits Guide'.