Civil Engineering (Regulation) - Nuclear Graduates 2026

One Programme, Two Years, Three Secondments, Endless Opportunities

There has never been a more exciting time to join the nuclear sector. From energy generation to waste management, transport through to decommissioning, the Nuclear Graduates programme provides you with the opportunity to contribute to some of the biggest challenges facing our society.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has brought together leading businesses and organisations to create the award winning & professionally accredited Nuclear Graduates programme.

We are excited to announce that the sponsoring companies for the 2026 cohort are: Rolls-Royce, the Office for Nuclear Regulation, the Atomic Weapons Establishment, the Ministry of Defence - Defence Nuclear Enterprise, Great British Energy - Nuclear, and the Environment Agency.

Whether your passion lies within science, engineering or business, Nuclear Graduates will ensure that over two years you will gain an invaluable insight into the breadth of the UK’s nuclear sector, giving you the opportunity to contribute to innovative designs, systems, products, and services.

As a Nuclear Graduate, you will have the opportunity to see the nuclear sector from different perspectives, learning from leading experts on projects that have real impact. You will also receive a programme of professional development to enhance your skills and expertise, whilst also demonstrating a commitment to understanding the communities in which the nuclear sector works.

Being a Nuclear Graduate sponsored by ONR, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and security of the UK’s nuclear industry. As the nation’s independent nuclear regulator, ONR’s mission is to protect society by securing safe nuclear operations.

Civil engineering in ONR is concerned with the regulation of the design, construction, testing, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of a wide range of structures.

Civil engineering structures on nuclear sites provide important safety functions including containment, radiological shielding and supports the cooling safety function. They also provide protecting against many internal and external hazards challenges and some provide a security function.

Civil structures are usually the first elements with a safety and security function to be created on a new nuclear site and the last to be removed at the end of the facility’s life.

Civil engineering in ONR covers the whole lifetime of nuclear facilities, from the design, construction and commissioning of new structures, designed to the latest standards and construction techniques, to the regulation of ageing assets including demolition.

As part of the civil engineering, hazards and site safety team you will be working closely with the following disciplines:

External Hazards

External hazards in ONR are defined as natural or man-made events that could present a challenge to a facility that originate outside the boundaries of the site. Unlike an internal hazard, the nuclear site operator may have little or no control over the event.

Examples of external hazards include seismic hazards, aircraft impact, extreme weather, electromagnetic interference and flooding.

Nuclear Internal Hazards

Internal hazards are defined as hazards (to plant or safety related structures) that originate within the site boundary and are due to initiating events over which the site has some form of control.

Examples of internal hazards include internal fire, flooding, explosions, dropped loads, pipe whip, jet impact, internal missiles, to name a few.

Nuclear Site Safety

Nuclear site health and safety specialists at the ONR oversee a wide range of non-radiological health and safety hazards to ensure the protection of workers and others. Their work includes engaging with duty holders, assessing designs, and reviewing management arrangements and risk controls in major projects such as construction and decommissioning.

We are looking for individuals who have the capacity to display strong interpersonal skills in addition to their strong technical competencies. The role demands building and maintaining effective working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including licensees, government bodies, and international partners. We therefore look for individuals who can display an ability to influence and persuade, make sound judgements, have good communication, effective teamworking, as well as a self-awareness of their own limits.

We welcome applications from individuals with a Master’s degree (MEng) in:

• Civil Engineering

• Structural Engineering

If you’re passionate about making a difference in the safety of the nuclear sector and thrive in both technical and collaborative environments, we encourage you to apply.

Throughout your two-year journey on the Nuclear Graduates programme you will be employed by Energus whilst being supported by an industry leading sponsoring organisation.

At the end of your two-year programme, you will be supported in securing a role with your sponsoring organisation or within the wider nuclear sector.

Entry requirements

• A minimum of a 2:2 in a relevant degree subject.

• Candidates need to have the right to work in the UK by the start of their employment

• Successful completion of security clearance checks

• Applicants must be willing and able to travel and relocate. Energus head office is based in Workington, Cumbria, however role locations will vary dependent on sponsor location.

Start date: September 2026

Recruitment stages

The recruitment and selection process consists of the following stages:

• Online application form - please complete all required sections of the application to ensure this is submitted successfully.

• Psychometric assessment - called Neurosight, this will be sent via email.

• Online interview - a 20-30 minute video interview with representatives from one of the sponsoring organisations.

• Assessment centre – these will be delivered face to face and will involve various activities, alongside insightful information around the nuclear industry and our programme.

• Offer - following our assessment centres, we aim to issue outcomes within two weeks. Successful candidates will begin their exciting journey as a Nuclear Graduate, working with our dedicated Energus People & Skills team to complete security paperwork ahead of starting the programme in September 2026.

• Onboarding - we welcome all our graduates ahead of the start date, through social media groups and welcome sessions, ensuring you are prepared, and any support required is in place, providing you with the best start to your exciting future as a Nuclear Graduate.

Face-to-face assessment centres will take place in early 2026. If you are invited to an assessment centre and are unable to attend, unfortunately you may be unable to complete the selection process.

We encourage you to regularly check emails (including any junk mail/spam folders) throughout the selection process, all correspondence including selection invitation will be sent via email.

Closing Date: Friday 14th November 2025

Any applications received after this date will not be considered. We reserve the right to close a role early should we receive sufficient applications. We encourage that you apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment. Please note only one Nuclear Graduates application is required, please do not submit multiple applications.

Company Benefits:

• Salary £30,000 per year

• £5,500 individual travel budget (for traveling to training and meetings whilst on programme)

• £3,500 individual training budget

• Access to three secondments to give you experience across the breadth of the UK nuclear sector

• A dedicated team of experts to support your development and progress throughout your time on the programme

• A sponsor company lead to provide you with day-to-day support during your programme and with your secondments

• A dedicated mentor, assigned to you upon starting the programme who will stay with you throughout your Nuclear Graduates journey

• A comprehensive, tailored programme of professional development

• The support of a dedicated Nuclear Graduates programme team throughout the two years of your graduate programme. As Mental Health First Aiders the team are fully equipped to assist you through your Nuclear Graduates journey

• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays

• 6 discretionary days leave for study and relocation

• Energus contributory pension scheme

• Energus Employee Assistance Programme and DigiCare+

• EnergUS Extras, providing in-house news, wellbeing resources and employee discounts

• Membership of up to 2 professional institutions

• Access to an independent Employee Assistance Programme service offering a 24/7 support line

• Opportunity to participate in our Cycle2Work Scheme

As proud members of the Disability Confident Scheme, Energus aim to create a fair and accessible recruitment process for all candidates.  If you have a disability or health condition and require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process, please let us know – we will work with you to ensure your needs are met.  We are committed to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.