Materials & Systems Modeller - Year in Industry Programme 2026

Starting salary £23,500 + plus benefits and welcome bonus | Office based in Aldermaston, nr Reading, Berkshire.

We are offering a rewarding and exciting one-year placement as an Undergraduate Materials & Systems Modeller at AWE - a role where you will make a genuine contribution to keeping the UK safe and secure.

Entry Requirements

We are interested in applications from candidates working towards a degree in:

• Mathematics (with modelling experience), Physics, Computer Science Materials Science, Chemistry students who can demonstrate strong maths or programming skills.

• Before starting with the business, you will need to be able to provide evidence that you have attained a minimum of a 2:2 in your degree so far by August 2026.

• You must be able to Join AWE in August 2026. We recruit on a rolling basis which means as soon as our positions have been filled, we will close.

What to Expect on the Programme

This role desk and lab based, so you can expect to work across these environments.

Materials and Analytical Science at AWE supports the life cycle of warhead components and technologies to ensure the reliability of the UK's strategic deterrent and national security mission. A nuclear warhead contains a vast range of materials including metals, ceramics, inorganic salts, rubbers, foams, adhesives, high explosives and radioactive substances. Materials and Analytical Science is critical to understanding and predicting the behaviour of these types of materials under various conditions.

As an undergraduate student within the Modelling Team in Materials and Analytical Science, you will get the opportunity to work in an exciting part of AWE through projects which may include working on a range of models and codes, utilising several coding languages, helping deliver our mission.

Most importantly we are looking for enthusiastic individuals keen to get involved and work on interesting research and tasks. The Modelling Team work on the full model development lifecycle. Some of the projects you may get to work on include:

• Working with other Materials and Analytical Scientists to characterise material ageing processes, proposing approaches to model the observed trends

• Using a variety of statistical techniques to analyse experimental data

• Writing, developing and running codes written in a range of languages (e.g. MATLAB, Mathematica, OpenFOAM and R)

• Utilising computational techniques for parameter optimization

• Verifying and validating codes by identifying suitable test cases, determining analytical solutions where appropriate

Benefits:

• £23,500 salary

• Holiday entitlement of 270 hours of leave annually including bank holidays

• Excellent work/life balance and a vibrant and welcoming grad social scene

• 9-day working fortnight - so every other Friday off

• A salary-sacrifice benefit scheme

• A welcome payment

• Potential to secure a Graduate role for when you finish university, subject to availability

• Access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending across retail, hospitality and leisure

• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme

• Access to our Occupational Health Services

Application Process:

Our process is designed to be simple, fair and transparent:

1. Online Application – Opens 15th September. Explore the option and apply for one pathway that best suits your interests and goals.

2. Online Tests – If shortlisted, you’ll complete numerical, verbal, logical and cognitive assessments. Practice materials will be available to ensure you know what to expect.

3. Virtual Assessment Centre – Successful candidates will be invited to virtual AC’s running Nov–Dec 2025, with pre-assessment webinars to guide you.

You must be a British National, able to start in August 2026, and eligible for security clearance. Applications close on Friday 24th October, but will close earlier if we receive enough applications, so apply early.

Support & Inclusion:

We welcome diverse applicants and strive to create a workplace where differences are recognised and celebrated. We encourage requests for reasonable adjustments if required, to ensure you feel able to perform your best. Any information you share will be used only to support you through the process in line with GDPR.

Why AWE?

• Build leadership skills, self-awareness, and teamwork.

• Join a vibrant early careers community with events, ERGs and networking opportunities.

• Benefit from continual support: a line manager, pathway lead, and ‘buddy’ to guide your journey.

Who We’re Looking For:

Curious, problem-solvers with integrity, resilience, and a collaborative mindset. You’ll thrive if you’re eager to grow and ready to apply your skills to real-world challenges.