Theoretical Physicist

If you’d like to be considered for this opportunity we encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment as if applications are high the role will close before the closing date given.

Theoretical Scientist

Closing Date: 4th June 2025

Location: RG7 4PR, located between Reading and Basingstoke, with free onsite parking.

Due to the classified nature of the work involved, there are limited opportunities to work from home in this role. It is anticipated that the successful candidate will spend the majority of their time working on site at AWE Aldermaston.

Package:

• Junior Physicists (recent graduates): £28,420 - £37,000 (depending on your suitability, qualifications, and level of experience)

• Experienced Physicists (PHD or graduates with post-graduate experience): £36,640 - £47,500 (depending on your suitability, qualifications, and level of experience)

Working pattern: AWE operates a 9-day working fortnight. We will consider flexible working requests so that your work may fit in with your lifestyle. Just let us know your preferred working pattern on your application.

Let us introduce the role

AWE has an exciting Theoretical Scientist role to support our deterrence programmes as we expand our mission space. This role will develop the right candidate with their scientific career, offering exciting opportunities to develop our radiation detection and uncertainty quantification capabilities.

The Radiation Science Group is tasked with supporting the hardness and vulnerability aspects of our deterrence mission space, identifying, assessing, and understanding threats to the deterrent and looking to the future and the next generation of systems.

The group uses a model-based engineering approach to support core missions, with the models being underpinned by science lead activities, i.e., developing and validating new models and codes, verifying them through experiments and assessing the certainty associated with the methods. The role therefore encompasses skills from experimental, theoretical and computation branches of physics and is a great opportunity for the right candidate with a passion for physics.

This role would support the whole group by independently assessing the experimental and modelling activities undertaken and seeking to increase our confidence in our overarching assessments.

The expectation is the right candidate would be trained and grow into this role, developing knowledge in statistical analysis and coding/modelling languages (e.g. Python, C, C++, Matlab, MCNP, Geant4).

Broad understanding of various physics concepts including material properties, radiation field analysis, electronic systems, electromagnetic phenomena and a strong mathematics or statistics background preferred but not essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Owning the development of the areas and expanding the capabilities in accordance with programme needs.

• Using appropriate software and data capture tools to record data and suitable analyses.

• Providing suggestions for improvements for team workflows with a view to being able to expand this to all workflows within the group.

• Optimising experimental and trial designs and supporting (potentially leading) the delivery teams.

• Working safely, securely, and cleanly to the appropriate quality standards.

• Analysing scientific data to assess confidence and uncertainties in the data and the methods used to obtain the data.

Who are we looking for?

Whilst not to be considered a check list, candidates should be able to demonstrate some of the following:

• Essential - Degree level knowledge in Physics, Mathematics or statistics

• Desirable - post-graduate qualifications connected with working on radiation detection and/or statistical methods.

• Strong communication skills, verbal and written, excellent team working ability, proactive, and highly organised.

• Willing to travel and work at other UK and overseas sites as required.

You’ll need to have the ability to work calmly and constructively in a priority changing environment and be able to manage your own workload. You will also have initiative, enthusiasm, a flexible approach, and ability to work to tight deadlines.

Some reasons we think you’ll love it here:

AWE has wide range of benefits to suit you. These include:

• 9-day working fortnight – meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.

• Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions).

• Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.

• Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body.

• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.

• Life Assurance (4 x annual salary).

• Discounts – access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending.

• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.

The 'Working at AWE' page on our website is where you can find full details in the 'AWE Benefits Guide'.

#LI-KT

Next steps:

Everyone who works at AWE brings unique skills and perspectives to the table. We recognise that great people don’t always ‘tick every box’. That’s why we focus on your potential, your fit with our values, your transferable skills as well as your experience. Even if you don’t meet every point above, but you feel that this role and AWE are a great fit for you, please go ahead and apply, we’d love to receive your application.

Important things you need to know:

• We encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment if applications are high and the role therefore closes.
• You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE. The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. 
• We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments/accommodations during the process.
• Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide will be stored in accordance with GDPR and kept separate from your application form and CV, and the information will not be shared with anyone involved in interviewing or making hiring decisions.

Please note that you must be a British Citizen to apply for a role with us.