Senior Materials and Analytical Scientist

Would you like to use your skills and experience to play a key role in developing and understanding explosive systems? If so, AWE may just have the role for you!

Senior Materials and Analytical Scientist (Explosives)

Location: Reading

Salary: £42,520 - £50,000 (dependant on suitability and level of experience) plus allowances
Closing Date: 4th December 2023

As part of our People Promise, AWE (one of the best 25 big companies to work for in the UK) has a range of benefits to suit you. These include:

• Time to recharge your batteries with 270 hours of annual leave (plus every other Friday off work);
• Consideration for flexible working arrangements so that your work may fit in with your lifestyle. Just let us know on your application if you wish to work part time;
• Opportunities for Professional Career Development that include funding for the annual membership of a relevant professional body, access to mentors and training;
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services;
• A generous defined contribution Group Personal Pension (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your own contribution);
• Life Assurance;
• 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 for your family;
• A host of voluntary & core benefits to suit your health and wellbeing - more information available on our careers site.

The role offers a wide range of opportunities to develop your skills and broaden your knowledge of diverse technology areas. The main thrust of the role is to develop a mechanistic understanding of the processes determining the characteristics of detonators and explosive systems by experimental and modelling studies. The results of these studies will then be used to design, develop and characterise explosive systems. The development of an explosive system and the integration into a warhead design provides scope for collaboration with, for example, manufacturing engineers (in the development of new processes), analytical chemists and warhead integration engineers.

Applying your expertise, your work will focus on the analysis, assessment, and modelling of explosive systems and materials to underwrite the reliability, performance and safety of these systems. You will principally apply extant tools and techniques to novel problems, developing new approaches where current techniques are not available or suitable.

We would be interested in hearing from candidates who can demonstrate knowledge, skills or experience in the following:

• Minimum degree level knowledge in a relevant subject, post-graduate qualifications are desirable, with a focus on data analysis, numerical and computational physics and/or shock physics;
• Explosive materials, devices and properties (desirable);
• Effective communication skills, verbal and written, with the ability to build effective working relationships with multiple stakeholders
• Ability to work as part of a team;
• Good organisation skills with the ability to prioritise and deconflict tasks;
• A broad understanding of working with hazardous materials and equipment and health & safety associated with this.

In addition to the above you would be expected to have a deep specialist knowledge in one or more of the following areas:

• Engineering and/or scientific methods;
• Explosive properties;
• Shock physics;
• Development/application of high speed electrical and optical diagnostics;
• Data analysis;
• Application of analytical and numerical models;
• Statistical techniques for the analysis of data.

All candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role and be willing and able to work in explosives designated areas. Some UK and overseas travel may be required.

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