Safety Case & Human Factors Graduate Programme
- Salary: £32,000 per annum
- Programme length: Two years
- Location: Various locations across England, Scotland and Wales
- Degree requirement: Minimum 2:2 in a relevant discipline
- Right to work: Applicants must have the right to work in the UK for the full programme
Important Nationwide Location Requirement
This is a nationwide rotational programme, not a permanent position at one location.
You will complete two 12-month placements, which may be based in completely different parts of the UK. For example, your first placement could be at Dounreay in the north of Scotland and your second at Dungeness in Kent.
Applicants must be genuinely willing and able to travel and relocate anywhere in England, Scotland or Wales. Relocation support will be available where required.
Please only apply if you are comfortable making this level of geographical commitment throughout the programme.
The Opportunity
Join a leading organisation within the UK nuclear sector and contribute to work that underpins one of the country’s most complex and nationally important environmental programmes.
During this two-year graduate programme, you will complete two 12-month placements across different organisations, teams and UK locations. You will gain experience within disciplines that help nuclear facilities operate, change and decommission safely.
Alongside your placements, you will participate in a structured graduate development programme designed to strengthen your technical knowledge, professional skills and long-term career prospects.
You will learn from experienced specialists, build a valuable professional network and gain broad exposure to safety-critical and highly regulated working environments.
The Role
As a Safety Case and Human Factors Graduate, you will help organisations understand hazards, manage risks and make informed decisions about complex nuclear operations and projects.
Safety Case professionals demonstrate that nuclear facilities, activities and proposed changes can be operated, modified and decommissioned safely. They develop the evidence, arguments and controls needed to meet legal and regulatory requirements.
Human Factors specialists examine how people interact with equipment, technology, processes and working environments. Their work helps improve human performance, reduce the likelihood of error and make complex operations safer and more reliable.
Working alongside experienced specialists and multidisciplinary teams, you may contribute to:
- Hazard identification and analysis
- Nuclear safety case development
- Qualitative and quantitative risk assessments
- Preparing and reviewing safety documentation
- Human performance and behavioural analysis
- Human factors assessments
- Evidence gathering and technical assessments
- Safety reviews and assurance activities
- Technical governance
- Regulatory compliance
- Operational planning
- Performance and process improvement
- Human-centred design
- Evaluating proposed operational or engineering changes
Your placements could include exposure to operational facilities, engineering teams, major projects and nuclear decommissioning programmes.
You will develop an understanding of how strong safety arguments, effective risk management and human-centred design support safe, reliable and effective operations.
About You
This programme would suit someone who enjoys analysing complex problems, evaluating evidence and helping organisations make informed decisions.
You may be particularly interested in:
- Nuclear safety
- Safety case development
- Risk assessment
- Human factors and human behaviour
- Organisational performance
- Regulatory compliance
- Safety engineering
- Operational improvement
You should be able to approach complex information logically, communicate your findings clearly and work effectively with people from different technical and professional backgrounds.
Previous experience within the nuclear sector is not required. You will receive structured training, professional development and support throughout the programme.
Eligibility Requirements
To be considered, you must:
- Hold, or be on track to achieve, a minimum 2:2 degree in a relevant discipline
- Have the right to work in the UK for the full duration of the programme
- Be willing and able to travel and relocate anywhere in England, Scotland or Wales
- Understand that your second placement may be in a completely different region from your first
- Be able to pass the required security clearance and vetting checks
- Demonstrate a respectful, collaborative, open-minded and performance-focused approach
Salary and Benefits
The programme offers:
- A salary of £32,000 per annum
- A comprehensive professional development programme valued at £9,900
- Support towards relevant professional accreditation, registration or chartership
- Membership of up to two relevant professional institutions
- Support from a dedicated mentor, programme lead and graduate network
- Funded travel and subsistence for approved training and development
- 25 days’ annual leave
- Bank holidays and six additional discretionary leave days
- A contributory pension scheme
- Employee assistance and wellbeing support
- A Cycle to Work scheme
- Relocation support where required
What Happens After the Programme?
At the end of the two-year programme, you will receive support to secure a suitable role within one of the participating organisations or the wider UK nuclear sector.
Security Requirements
Any offer will be conditional upon you providing evidence of your right to work in the UK and successfully completing the required security clearance and vetting checks.
Successful applicants must maintain the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information, follow all relevant security procedures and report any changes in circumstances that could affect their security clearance.
Application Information
All correspondence regarding your application will be sent by email. Please check your inbox regularly, including your junk and spam folders.
Applications may close early if a high volume is received, so early applications are encouraged.
Only one application to the wider graduate programme should be submitted. Multiple applications will not be considered.