Science and Technology Facilities Council
Salary: £35,049 per annum
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
We are excited to offer the chance for a graduate IT Infrastructure Engineer to work in the Infrastructure Section within the ISIS Controls Group, part of the ISIS Electrical Systems Division. Based at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory on the growing Harwell Campus, the Group provides both large-scale distributed and stand-alone control systems throughout the ISIS Target, Accelerator, and Neutron/Muon beamlines.
The controls group comprises of 30 members, where a graduate will join a diverse and encouraging team of engineers that work closely with software developers, embedded electronics and programmable logic practitioners. A great opportunity to learn from and network with colleagues!
The facility utilises a large number of Machine Automation Controller (MAC) & Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)-based machine interlock, plant and drive control systems within the Target, accelerator and instrument beamlines.
There will also be an opportunity to participate in the current and future projects within the Controls Group.
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
* Maintain and develop the controls system infrastructure.
* Update and enhance monitoring and other support systems.
* Support foundation level systems to allow the wider Controls teams to operate successfully.
* Work on software development projects in languages such as Python, C and C++, including interfacing to hardware.
* Assist with keeping the ISIS accelerator controls system operational.
* Maintain a professional standard in all areas of work, ensuring full documentation of work undertaken and aware and adherence to all relevant safety measures.
* Solve problems individually and collaboratively as part of a team.
* Use version control to maintain a suitable history of changes
* Have a good awareness of health & safety.
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)
* Show familiarity with core networking concepts (ipv4, DNS, DHCP, VLAN, switches) (S&I)
* Appreciation of the requirements for networked computers used in an infrastructure environment (S&I)
* Able to interpret programming languages and discern what the code is trying to do (S&I)
* Appreciation of what is involved with container-based development (S&I)
* Apply practical problem-solving reasoning to issues (S&I)
* Able to communicate with a group and convey understanding within a work setting (I)
Desirable:
* A familiarity with the Docker environment particularly Docker Swarm (S&I)
* Able to provide example of and use a versioning system (S&I)
* Able to write code using a recognised programming language (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/