Graduate Trainee - Project Controls

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.

Graduate Trainee - Project Controls 

Programme 

Evolve Graduate Programme 

Salary 

£31,000 starting salary plus benefits 

Location 

Aldermaston and/or Burghfield, Reading area, 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 Controls Evolve Graduate Programme develops the analytical and performance-management capability needed to support complex projects and programmes. You will help teams plan work, establish credible baselines, monitor progress, forecast future outcomes and understand the effect of risks and changes. 

Across placements, you may support major programmes, infrastructure projects and business teams. You will start with an induction before joining a project environment, where mentors and experienced colleagues will help you apply analytical skills to live delivery challenges. 

Key activities and responsibilities 

• Help create, review and maintain project plans and schedules, including activity durations, dependencies and milestones. 

• Track delivery against agreed baselines and help teams understand whether projects are progressing as planned. 

• Support cost analysis and forecasts so teams can understand current performance and likely future outcomes. 

• Assess how risks, opportunities and proposed changes could affect time, cost, resources and delivery. 

• Turn project data into clear monthly reports, trends and insights that support decisions. 

• Help estimate the time, cost, people and resources needed to complete project activities. 

• Use technical information, which may include engineering drawings, to support realistic planning and control. 

Learning and development 

• How large projects are broken down into manageable activities, resources and costs. 

• How schedules, milestones and dependencies are created and maintained. 

• How project baselines are set and used to measure progress. 

• Cost forecasting, variance analysis and performance reporting. 

• How risks, changes and emerging issues influence time, cost and delivery. 

• How data, statistics and digital tools support project decisions. 

• How to communicate analytical findings clearly to project teams and senior stakeholders. 

• Exposure to detailed analysis, using systems, tools and emerging technologies to interpret data, identify patterns and support informed decision-making. 

Potential technical exposure 

• Work breakdown structures and project coding. 

• Schedule creation, logic, durations, dependencies and milestones. 

• Baseline management and progress measurement. 

• Cost forecasting, estimates and variance analysis. 

• Risk, opportunity and change-impact analysis. 

• Monthly performance reporting and data visualisation. 

• Technical information and engineering drawings used in project planning. 

Behaviours and qualities 

• Analytical: You enjoy working with data, identifying patterns and testing assumptions. 

• Detail focused: You can work accurately and understand why reliable information matters. 

• Logical: You use structured thinking to solve problems and reach clear conclusions. 

• Collaborative: You can work with project, engineering and business teams to understand delivery needs. 

• Organised: You can manage priorities, plan ahead and meet deadlines. 

• Constructive: You are willing to question existing approaches and suggest evidence-based improvements. 

Entry requirements 

• You must hold, or be on track to achieve, a minimum 2:2 degree classification, or equivalent. 

• An analytical degree such as Engineering, Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Finance, Economics, Data Science or a related numerate discipline is particularly suited to this pathway. 

• 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 and/or Burghfield in the Reading area, depending on placement and business needs. 

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. 

• Placement mentors and experienced Project Controls colleagues. 

• A buddy, typically from an earlier Graduate cohort. 

• A vibrant Early Careers community and access to employee networks. 

• Structured business, behavioural and technical development. 

Recruitment process and key dates 

• Online application: Applications open on 2 November 2026. Apply for the pathway that best matches your interests and goals. 

• 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, expected to run during 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, Occupational Health 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 onsite at Aldermaston and/or Burghfield, depending on placement and business needs. Successful candidates must complete the required Occupational Health pre-employment assessment. 

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]

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.