Engineering Analyst - Blast Specialist

What if you could work with remarkable people on extraordinary things? What if the end result was something a little bit special? What if your role was mission critical?

For nearly 70 years, AWE has been at the forefront of nuclear weapons research and development. We have a critical mission: to provide the warheads for the UK's ultimate deterrent - Trident. We also use our unique skills to provide wider UK government with counter-terrorism and nuclear threat reduction solutions.

It takes a special sort of person to work at AWE. What if that person was you?

AWE currently have an excellent opportunity for an Engineering Analyst to develop their career and work within our Warhead engineering function. You will be supporting challenging weapons related projects throughout the lifecycle as well as contributing analysis on a wide variety of other projects which underpin and enable the crucial work we do at AWE.

Salary: £33,850 - £55,000 (Dependant on experience)

Location: Reading / Basingstoke / Newbury Area

AWE (one of the best 25 big companies to work for in the UK) offers an attractive array of benefits which include:

• Market leading contributory pension scheme

• Generous holiday entitlement (270 hours a year, inclusive of bank holiday's, plus every other Friday off)

• Flexible working hours

• Salary sacrifice scheme

• Consideration for either full time or part time hours. Just let us know on your application if you wish to work part time

Within this role, you will be responsible for:

• Performing blast analyses as required to meet AWE programme needs. This will include simulation of both large-scale nuclear blast and conventional explosive effects

• Analysing and assessing the structural response/damage resulting from blast events

• Carrying out research and method development on new techniques to help improve blast analysis efficiency and accuracy

• Evaluating both blast and structural codes and maintain an awareness of major developments in industry

• Providing modelling support to related trials or tests

• Planning and carrying out validation exercises using supporting trials to help improve model accuracy and confidence

• Collaborating with key stakeholder in the blast analysis domain

• Developing collaborative workflows and techniques to improve the ability to interface with other modelling teams

The successful candidate should also have the following:

• Ideally a degree level in Physics or Civil, Mechanical or Aerospace engineering or related discipline

• Demonstrable experience of delivering analyses to time and quality requirements

• Ability to interact and articulate with customers and other stakeholders on complex analysis subjects in a clear, easy to understand manner.

• Ability to understand and translate customer requirements into analysis deliverables

• Proven experience in the application of hydrocodes

• An understanding of explosive detonation and blast effects

• Experience of modelling, ideally; detonation, blast propagation and resulting structural response

• An understanding of Eulerian and Lagrangian techniques

• Knowledge of model verification/validation and quality assurance procedures

• Experience of material characterisation and calibration of material models/Equations of State

Whilst not considered essential, candidates would also benefit from experience of:

• Scripting and coding in languages such as Python and C++

• Using commercial and/or government hydrocodes such as AUTODYN, BlastFoam, SHAMRC CTH and ALE3D

• Using commercial FEA codes, in particular ANSYS, ABAQUS and LS-DYNA

• Using Linux based HPC systems and batch submission systems such as SLURM and MOAB

Candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role and be able willing to travel internationally for partnering opportunities once restrictions on travel are lifted.

Please note that you must be a British National to apply for a role at AWE.

AWE plays a crucial role in the defence of the United Kingdom, by providing and maintaining the warheads for the country's nuclear deterrent. We are a centre of scientific, engineering and technological excellence, with some of the most advanced research, design and production facilities in the world. Our unique expertise also assists the UK Government in developing and delivering a range of innovative and integrated support services, including national nuclear security and counter-terrorism solutions.

AWE is an equal opportunities employer. We value diversity and welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from sections of the community which are currently under-represented at AWE, including women, BAME and people with disabilities.

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