Radioactive Waste Management Graduate Programme
Programme title: Radioactive Waste Management Graduate Programme
Salary: Minimum £35,000. Salary is dependent on location, role and qualifications.
Location: Bristol, Warrington or Newbury
Application closing date: 20 October 2026
Programme start date: September 2027
Role ID: 74601
What will you do on the programme?
As a graduate on our Radioactive Waste Management programme, you will contribute to the safe, compliant, and sustainable handling of radioactive materials.
Your work will span the full lifecycle of radioactive waste – from initial characterisation and treatment planning to packaging, transport, and long-term disposal. You’ll help shape environmental impact assessments, contribute to case reports, and support the development of disposal strategies that meet regulatory and environmental standards.
You could be working with multidisciplinary teams across a variety of nuclear projects. This might include working on projects at nuclear power stations, developing feasibility studies for new waste treatment facilities or helping clients assess and optimise disposal options, often engaging with stakeholders to develop practical mitigation strategies.
Projects will vary in scale and complexity. You might support large programmes involving multiple disciplines or contribute to smaller consultancy assignments with direct client interaction. Each placement will offer new challenges and opportunities to deepen your understanding of radioactive waste management while making a meaningful contribution to real-world outcomes.
Whatever you work on, your efforts will help protect communities, the environment, and future generations through safe and effective radioactive waste solutions.
How is the programme structured?
The Radioactive Waste Graduate Programme runs for two years and is designed to give you breadth and depth of experience.
You’ll rotate through placements every three to six months, giving you the chance to explore a variety of projects and teams in the Defence and Civil Nuclear sectors. These rotations offer opportunities to broaden your experience – and some may even take you to different locations – helping you build your professional network and deepen your understanding of how the business operates.
How do we develop and support you?
From day one, you’ll receive structured support, personalised training, and dedicated mentorship to help you excel throughout your programme and beyond.
You’ll join our Graduate Development Programme, featuring expert-led masterclasses on communication, personal branding, resilience, and wellbeing.
In addition, you’ll receive tailored technical training through in-house sessions covering key areas such as waste management, environmental protection, health physics, and radiological safety. The focus and scope of this training are customised to support your individual development needs, helping you work towards the membership requirements of a relevant professional institute.
What’s waiting for you after the programme?
Upon completing the programme, you’ll move into a permanent role within Radioactive Waste Management, where you can continue developing as a specialist in waste management, radiological protection or environmental safety.
From there, your development doesn’t stop. We’ll support you as you grow into more senior roles and take on greater responsibility. Through the Babcock Role Framework, you’ll have a clear view of how your career can progress, with mapped-out pathways, development opportunities and the tools you need to get wherever you want to go.
What rewards and benefits will you get?
We want you to feel supported, valued and excited about what’s ahead. That’s why we offer a comprehensive package designed to support your development, your wellbeing and your life outside of work too.
In addition to a minimum starting salary of £35,000, you’ll benefit from:
- A minimum of 25 days of holiday plus bank holidays
- Generous pension and employee share schemes
- Flexible benefits, including cycle to work scheme, discounts
- Wellbeing support, covering mental, physical, financial, and social wellbeing, with services like our Employee Assistance Programme, digital GP service, and health checks.
You’ll also have the chance to get involved in our STEM outreach activities and volunteering opportunities.
What do you need to apply?
- You'll need to have achieved, or be on track to achieve, a science degree in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, Environmental Science, Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Technology or Biochemistry.
- Many of our programmes are subject to Security Clearance and Trade Control restrictions which mean that your place of birth, nationality, citizenship, or residency you hold or have held may impact which programmes you are eligible for. For this programme, you must be able to achieve and maintain Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) and Security Check (SC) clearance. For further details, visit GOV.UK and search ‘United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels’.
Where will you be based?
Places on our Radioactive Waste Management Graduate Programme for September 2027 are available in our Cavendish Nuclear business in Warrington, Bristol and Newbury.
While you’ll join a specific location, placements at different sites across the UK are possible. We offer agile working, providing some flexibility; however, you can expect to spend several days each week on-site to support your role and development.
When you successfully complete the programme, you will continue at the location you started; therefore, it is important to consider this when applying.
Joining Cavendish Nuclear means getting involved in some of the most important engineering projects in the UK – and beyond. You could be involved in a wide range of complex waste management and decommissioning approaches and challenges. This might include assessing options for the treatment and disposal of waste from nuclear decommissioning projects, or contributing to environmental enhancement initiatives aimed at improving areas around client sites.
Whether you’re based in Bristol, Warrington, or Newbury – or occasionally working at client sites – you’ll be helping to clean up the nuclear legacy and shape a future where nuclear energy plays a vital role in protecting our nation, ensuring energy security, and meeting our net zero commitments.
Application process and important information
Applications are reviewed in the order they are received, and if there’s a high level of interest in this programme, we may close applications earlier than advertised. To give yourself the best chance of being considered, we recommend submitting your application and completing any required online assessments as soon as possible.
Please apply to one programme only. If we receive more than one application from you, we’ll assess the first one submitted. If your chosen programme becomes oversubscribed, we may contact you to discuss other programmes you could be eligible for.
We're a Disability Confident Employer. If you require additional support or adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know when you apply. Our team will contact you after receiving your application to discuss your requirements and the support available.
We’re committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone’s free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working – please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.
