Year in Industry- Computer Scientist

Computer Scientist Year in Industry Placement 2027

Salary £24,500 per annum plus benefits

Location Aldermaston, near Reading, Berkshire; onsite

Contract 12-month Year in Industry placement

Start date August 2027, exact induction date to be confirmed

Working pattern Full time, 9-day fortnight; every second Friday off

Why AWE

AWE has a critical mission: supporting the UK’s nuclear deterrent and using specialist expertise to provide counter-terrorism and nuclear threat reduction solutions for the wider UK government. Scientific Computing and Data Science provides the computing, software engineering, data science and digital research capabilities that underpin scientific discovery and technical delivery across AWE. This placement gives you the chance to turn what you have learned at university into practical experience. You will contribute to real technical work in a unique multidisciplinary environment, alongside experienced computer scientists, software engineers, data scientists and high-performance computing specialists.

What you’ll work on

• Advanced scientific modelling.
• High-performance computing, also known as HPC.
• Data analysis and data science.
• Software development and software engineering.
• Digital research and computing capabilities that support science and technical delivery.

What you’ll gain

• Hands-on experience of real technical problems and projects.
• The opportunity to learn directly from subject matter experts.
• Skills that are transferable across technology, science, engineering and many other industries.
• A deeper understanding of your chosen subject area.
• Support from a line manager and mentor throughout the placement.
• A corporate induction to help you settle in.
• On-the-job training, plus classroom-based or online learning where relevant to your role.
• Experience of an undergraduate group project focused on delivering a real business outcome.
• Opportunities to connect with other placement students and AWE graduates and start building your professional network.
• The possibility of applying to return through the AWE Graduate Programme, subject to opportunities and selection.

Who can apply

• Computer Science
• Software Engineering
• Data Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Mathematics
• Other numerate STEM disciplines

You must be on track to achieve a minimum 2:2 degree classification, or be able to demonstrate equivalent academic performance to date, before starting the placement.

You must be available to join AWE in August 2027. The exact induction date will be confirmed before publication or appointment.

You must be a British National, hold a UK passport and have lived in the UK for the 10 years required to apply for Developed Vetting clearance for this role.

You must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance.

Salary and benefits

• £24,500 annual salary.
• A market-leading contributory pension scheme.
• AWE will contribute between 9% and 13% of pensionable pay depending on your own contribution.
• A 9-day working fortnight.
• You will work a 41-hour week followed by a 33-hour week, giving you every second Friday off.
• 270 hours of annual leave each year, including an allowance for bank holidays.
• Access to an employee discounts portal, offering everyday savings across retail, hospitality and leisure.
• The opportunity to learn from subject matter experts from day one while supporting real projects and technical delivery.

Security requirements

You must be a UK national holding a UK passport to be eligible to apply to AWE. You must have lived in the UK for 10 years to apply for Developed Vetting (DV) clearance for this role.

Diversity and inclusion

AWE aims to create an inclusive workplace where differences are recognised and valued. If you need reasonable adjustments during the application process, you should tell the recruitment team so appropriate support can be considered. Any inclusion information will be handled for this purpose in accordance with data protection requirements.

Important things you need to know

You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE. The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments/accommodations during the process. Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process.

We are at the start of a once in a generation – possibly two generations – programme to design and produce a replacement warhead for the UK’s continuous at sea deterrent. We will do this while continuing to deliver the Trident programme as well as managing ambitious state-of-the-art capital and construction projects – some of which have never been done before.

We are recruiting right across the business: from technical roles in engineering, science, manufacturing and industrial work to business roles in areas such as IT, project management/ controls, commercial, human resources and facilities management. We also have our Evolve graduate programme, or you may be interested in an apprenticeship with our award-winning Skills Academy.

What we do is vital to national nuclear security. Keeping our nation, everyone, our environment and everything around us safe and secure is a top priority for us. So, as you would expect, that brings with it a high level of safety and security that you will see across our sites and in how everyone who works here operates.

We are always looking for high calibre people to join our team, so why not explore the opportunities we currently have on offer. Whatever stage of your career, AWE is an exciting and challenging environment to develop your skills and achieve your potential.