Graduate Trainee - Project Management and Delivery Programme
Salary £31,000 starting salary plus benefits. Location Aldermaston, near Reading, Berkshire - onsite. Duration Two years. Start date September 2027. Working pattern 9-day working fortnight.
About AWE
We are a team of remarkable people, united by one extraordinary mission: keeping the UK safe and secure. Our work supports the UK's independent nuclear deterrent and wider national-security capabilities through science, engineering, technology and specialist expertise.
Programme purpose
The Project Management and Delivery Evolve Graduate Programme is designed to develop future Project Managers and delivery leaders. You will contribute to complex programmes, build practical understanding of how projects are led and governed, and develop the professional confidence to take increasing responsibility. You may work with teams supporting major infrastructure, science, manufacturing and national-security programmes. The programme combines real project responsibility with structured leadership, business and behavioural development.
Key activities and responsibilities
- Support Assistant Project Managers (APMs), Project Managers and, where appropriate, Programme Managers in delivering complex work safely and effectively.
- Help organise activities, milestones, resources and dependencies to keep delivery moving.
- Contribute to project governance, reviews, decision-making and clear reporting.
- Help identify, assess and respond to risks and opportunities that could affect delivery.
- Build relationships across technical, operational, commercial and corporate teams.
- Take ownership of meaningful work and build the confidence to influence outcomes.
Learning and development
- How complex projects and programmes are structured, governed and delivered.
- How Project Managers balance scope, time, cost, quality, risk and stakeholder needs.
- Project planning, coordination, governance and decision-making.
- Risk and opportunity management within a highly regulated environment.
- How to communicate clearly, influence stakeholders and support collaborative delivery.
- Leadership, business awareness and the behaviours needed for a future project-management career.
Career development and progression
You will build broad project-delivery experience, learning primarily from experienced Assistant Project Managers (APMs) and Project Managers, with some exposure to Programme Managers, while developing transferable leadership, stakeholder and decision-making skills. Following successful completion, you will be well positioned to progress towards a Project Management or delivery role with increasing responsibility.
Behaviours and qualities
- Proactive: You take ownership, show initiative and follow through on commitments.
- Curious: You ask questions and want to understand how complex projects fit together.
- Collaborative: You build constructive relationships and value different perspectives.
- Organised: You can manage priorities and help keep activities on track.
- Adaptable: You respond positively to change, challenge and feedback.
- Professional: You act with integrity, accountability and respect.
Entry requirements
- You must hold, or be on track to achieve, a minimum 2:2 degree classification, or equivalent, in any subject. A degree in Project Management or Business Management may be particularly relevant, but it is not essential.
- You must be available to join AWE in September 2027.
- You must be a British National and willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance.
- You must be able to work onsite at Aldermaston, near Reading, Berkshire.
Salary and benefits
- £31,000 starting salary.
- A market-leading contributory pension scheme.
- 270 hours of annual leave, including bank holidays.
- A 9-day working fortnight, giving you every other Friday off.
- A salary-sacrifice benefit scheme, Life Assurance and employee discounts.
- A welcome payment and the option of an interest‑free £1,000 loan.
- Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
- Regular Graduate pay reviews and structured career progression.
Support and community
- A dedicated line manager and Evolve pathway lead.
- A buddy, typically from an earlier Graduate cohort.
- A vibrant Early Careers community and access to employee networks.
- Structured leadership, business and behavioural development.
- Opportunities to learn from experienced project professionals across AWE.
Recruitment process and key dates
- Applications open on 2 November 2026.
- Online assessment: If eligible, complete numerical, verbal, logical and cognitive reasoning assessments. Practice materials will be available.
- Virtual assessment centre: Successful candidates will be invited to a virtual assessment centre planned for November 2026.
- Pre-assessment support: Attend guidance webinars so you know what to expect and can prepare.
- Offer and clearance: Successful candidates will move into the offer and security‑clearance stages before joining in September 2027.
Security and onsite-working requirement
You must be a British National and willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance. The role is based onsite at Aldermaston, near Reading, Berkshire.
Inclusion and reasonable adjustments
AWE aims to create workplaces where differences are recognised and celebrated, diverse contributions are encouraged and employees feel able to be themselves. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the application process, with inclusion information handled in accordance with GDPR.
Use of external technologies
As part of our recruitment process, AWE may use a trusted third‑party AI‑enabled technology provider, Spotted Zebra Solutions Ltd, to support the assessment of candidates. These tools ingest categories of personal information including your application data, responses to assessment questions and interview responses, and help us evaluate information relevant to the recruitment process, such as skills, competencies, interview responses, assessment results and role suitability. They may generate recommendations or summaries to support recruiters and hiring managers. In some cases, you may interact directly with an AI‑enabled tool during the interview or assessment process. The purpose of these tools is to improve the consistency, efficiency and quality of our recruitment process. The outputs generated are reviewed by authorised AWE recruiters and hiring managers and are used alongside other relevant information as part of the overall recruitment process. Please note: recruiting decisions will be made by recruiting and hiring teams only. If you would like to request an additional human review, share your point of view, or contest a decision, you can contact us at [email protected]
What we do is vital to national nuclear security
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. 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.
#J-18808-Ljbffr