Science and Technology Facilities Council
Salary: £35,049 per annum + £1,000 welcome bonus
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: Full-time
Location: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX
Closing date: 19th October 2025
Assessment Centre: December 2025 / January 2026
Start date: September 2026
ISIS Neutron and Muon Source is a world-leading centre for research at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Our neutron and muon instruments give outstanding insights into the properties of materials on the atomic scale. ISIS provides a stimulating, creative and exciting environment which enables staff to contribute to a world-leading science facility and develop their careers in groundbreaking science, technology, and engineering.
As part of the ISIS Design Division Electrical (IDDE) group, our graduate will be supported to be responsible for the design, project management and delivery of new electrical engineering systems for the ISIS facility along with modifications to existing systems.
This will involve the design, implementation and commissioning of relay and PLC based electrical control, automation, safety and instrumentation equipment along with associated signal and low voltage power distribution cabling and containment. This will also involve creating electrical schematics for engineered systems along with design of ladder logic for PLC operation.
Work packages need to meet agreed specifications and adhere to structured project management techniques across the full system lifecycle.
Facility safety is of paramount importance, so a "Safe by design" approach is the baseline for all design work.
Graduate Scheme
The STFC Graduate scheme will give you the opportunity to really pursue your interests and passion early in your journey with us, supported by technical training and a broader programme of career support and training and development.
Our dedicated Graduate Development Team will provide the right combination of challenge and support throughout, helping you achieve your ambitions. We know that professional recognition is also important to you too, so we will provide mentoring and expertise to help you achieve valued qualifications or chartered status in your chosen field.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
* Design of full lifecycle, electrical design engineering solutions meeting agreed specifications
* Specification of control hardware and instrumentation
* Production of technical design, AutoCAD drawings and associated documentation
* Presentation of engineering designs for peer and stakeholder review
* Production of design risk assessments and method statements
* Establishing and maintaining effective lines of communication with colleagues across the ISIS facility
Person Specification
In order to apply for the role we are looking for the following:
Essential:
* Achieved, or be on course to achieve, a minimum 2:1 degree, in a relevant field of study (S)
* Have the right to live and work in the UK at time of starting employment(S)
* Ability to communicate well, both technically and non-technically (S&I)
* Good technical understanding of the fundamental principles of electrical engineering (I)
* Individual and team project work during degree (S&I)
* Ability to effectively apply knowledge to a wide range of technically ambitious electrical & control projects (S&I)
* Ability to read and understand technical information and act upon it as a design engineer (I)
* Basic understanding of design safety (S&I)
Desirable:
* Degree is IET Accredited for CEng (S)
* Awareness of the electrical engineering design and project management process (S&I)
* Basic understanding of control theory and control systems i.e. key features and operation (I)
* Evidence of electrical engineering project work outside of degree course or on industrial placement (S&I)
Employee Benefits
We are offering a permanent position with a whole host of benefits including:
* 30 days holiday (in addition to 10.5 bank holidays and privilege days).
* Flexible working hours.
* An excellent defined average salary pension scheme.
* Easily accessible public transport links/ free parking.
* Excellent learning and development opportunities.
* Cycle to work scheme.
Link to more benefits: https://stfccareers.co.uk/rewards-and-benefits/
As this job does not fulfil the UK Government minimum criterion for obtaining sponsored migrant worker status we will be unable to apply for sponsorship for anyone not eligible to work in the UK. At interview, all shortlisted candidates are required to bring with them identification documents and original documents that prove they hold or can obtain the right to work in the UK. You can check your eligibility here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y
Application Guidance
Please note that we can only accept a maximum of 2 applications per candidate.
Part of our application process involves submitting your CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter should address your suitability for the opportunity based how you meet each essential criteria stated in this advert.
Please note that we hold the right to close this vacancy early if a sufficient number of applications have been received.
We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers and business support team explore the unknown across every field you could think of. And they turn what they find into work that changes the world around us.
What could you achieve with the world-leading facilities and experts of one of Europe's largest research organisations by your side? Join us and discover what's possible!
UKRI - UK Research and Innovation
UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.
Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.
More information can be found at www.ukri.org .
Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI .
How we support EDI in the workforce
At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit 'How we support EDI in the workforce'.
Disability Confident Employer
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all applicants with a disability who opt into the disability confident scheme and meet the minimum criteria for the role. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
How to apply
Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the 'experience' section of the application.
UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion - a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.
The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council is a world-leading multi-disciplinary science organisation where curiosity-driven, blue-skies thinking meets practical, application-led science and engineering. Our goal is to deliver economic, societal, scientific and international benefits to the UK and its people - and more broadly to the world.
One of Europe's largest research organisations, we're trusted to support, enable and undertake cutting-edge projects in an amazing diversity of fields. Through world-class facilities and people, we're driving ground-breaking advances in science, engineering, computing and technology. Our research seeks to understand the Universe from the largest astronomical scales to the tiniest constituents of matter, yet creates impact on a very tangible, human scale.
For more information about STFC please visit https://stfc.ukri.org/
You can also visit our careers site https://www.stfccareers.co.uk/