These case studies give you an idea of what it's like to work at AWE...
Marie - Print Room/Data Capture Supervisor (Joined January 2006)
"I already knew from friends who worked here that AWE was a big organisation that offered excellent training, so it was clear to me that the long-term career prospects were good. And even though it is a big place, it’s extremely friendly too - from day one I was welcomed like I’d been here for years.
In my current role I’m responsible for eight members of staff, making sure that they have everything they need for their jobs and for the department to run smoothly. We’re really busy at the moment, so one of my biggest priorities right now is to recruit two new members of the team to help out. With the high levels of security vetting for every employee, the recruitment process can take six months or more, so you have to plan ahead.
The level of training is exceptional. In ten months I’d already been on eight in-house training courses and one external course. That sums it up really."
Andrew - Health Physics Group Leader (Joined April 2006)
"As Health Physics Group Leader, I’m responsible for the team which monitors the workplace to detect radiation and radioactive materials. As well as advising AWE’s operations and project teams, we also deploy experienced, trained staff around the business as and when they’re needed. It’s a very rewarding job because you know that the service you provide is essential and without it the site as a whole couldn’t function.
I was at AWE fifteen years ago when it was still part of the MoD and it’s been interesting to come back and note the changes. Today, there’s a real commitment to having a modern management approach. What hasn’t changed is the unique nature of the work we do here. I’d say that the mix of scientific projects, manufacturing operations and decommissioning programmes is broader than anything you’d find at other UK employers. For anyone in the world of Health Physics this means that obtaining a RPA certificate of competence (the professional requirement for practitioners in the radiological field) is more possible at AWE than with many other employers."
Graham - Product Assurance Improvement Manager (Joined June 2006)
"I’m responsible for developing and implementing a Quality Management System, initially through Problem and Process Management. A large part of that involves setting up training systems, creating the relevant materials and then delivering the training.
What I find most rewarding about my job is the opportunity to make a difference. It’s great to see a need, deliver the training and then watch the trainees go away and use the tools and techniques they’ve been given.
Speaking personally, I feel like I’ve hardly stopped training since I arrived. It’s all extremely well organised – you can see all the available courses on the intranet and book yourself on the ones that are right for you."
Pauline - Assurance Adviser (Joined July 2006)
"Being an Assurance Adviser means making sure that the members of the Business Area are aware of, and complying with, the various company and legal requirements that apply to them. This is a new and challenging post for me and AWE is a very different environment to the MoD where I used to work.
Every day I’m dealing with a variety of different people from across the organisation, which has meant a really steep learning curve. However, in the few months I’ve been here I’ve already attended lots of training courses, which have helped me to increase my knowledge and network with other employees. It really helps that everyone is so helpful and welcoming. But even more than that, everyone I’ve met has been so positive about their future at AWE, which has made me really positive about mine."
David - Senior GIS Engineer (Joined October 2005)
"As Senior GIS Engineer, part of my role is to make sure that the AWE site maps are configured for all of our various facilities. It’s quite a technical field and we’ve had lots of training specific to GIS and the software we use. We’d also had the opportunity to attend talks and conferences both at AWE and off-site.
As a team, we’re also developing our in-house skills and equipment so we can carry out our own highly accurate geographical surveying. The site is undergoing lots of structural change at the moment, so there’s a constant and varied demand for our services, which keeps life challenging but interesting."
Jason - Systems Engineer (Joined September 2006)
"My current role involves working with colleagues from AWE and external agencies to set out the requirements of our various engineering projects. The aim is to produce a comprehensive set of specifications that have been formally agreed by all the stakeholders involved with the project. Once that has been agreed I’ll move on to modelling systems that will eventually allow the specialist teams to carry out their roles and complete the project.
Working here, you’re surrounded by people who are among the best in their fields. That means I always have a wealth of experience to draw on. As well as helping me to get the job done, I’ve found it’s also speeding up my development and teaching me new skills all the time. The amount of training on offer here helps too – I’ve had more training the first few months at AWE than I did in a year at my old job!"
Alison - Senior Engineering Manager (Joined July 2005)
"I live quite close to AWE and, as an Engineer, I have always been interested in what happens here. I was attracted too by the programme of investment planned for AWE and how my career could benefit from working on such a variety of interesting and challenging projects. With a young family, working near to home meant the work life balance was easier to control, and that was a factor for me too.
As Senior Engineering Manager, I’m responsible for delivering the design of a number of facilities at AWE. I ‘m currently looking after some major projects, with a team of staff and supply chain to manage. An interesting aspect of my role is stakeholder management. Liaising with the various bodies internally and externally means I get to meet a lot of different people, all with valid but differing views. It’s satisfying to resolve those differences because it means the end result is better, safer working conditions for us all."
Rob - Principal Structural Engineer (Joined April 2006)
"I’m a Structural Engineer in the Design Authority, an internal body which reviews and regulates all civil, structural and architectural design carried out at AWE. For the most part, that means working with internal and external designers and scientists to make sure everyone’s following the legislation and delivering the facilities that AWE needs to function.
I enjoy the varied nature of the work, the colleagues I work with, and the technical challenges the work offers – much of what we do involves state of the art technology. It’s also a great, friendly working environment and there are plenty of opportunities to develop yourself and further your career. Training-wise, the focus so far has been on blast design and I’ve been able to really hone my skills in this area. It’s good to know that, when the time comes to develop new skills, the opportunities will be there."
Neil - Deputy Facility Manager (Joined June 2006)
"One of the things that attracted me to AWE was the fact that it’s a one-off – there’s nothing else like it in the private sector. It’s also a large company with an excellent reputation for training, so I knew it would be a good place to develop my career.
My job involves deputising for the Facility Manager, taking some of the ‘strain’ from his workload and helping to develop and improve our sites. AWE is a very complex place in terms of procedures and also the engineering and science work we do, so there was a lot to learn when I joined. Now that I’m more familiar with everything, I can focus on getting the job done and contributing to the change that’s going on here."
Debbie - Head of Reward (Joined May 2005)
"Being responsible for the business’s reward strategy covers pay, pensions, recognition and other benefits for the thousands of people who work at AWE. As well as overseeing my own team, I also get involved in a range of projects across the business.
Coming from the Financial Services field, one of my biggest challenges was understanding AWE, how we got to where we are today and our next steps in terms of reward strategy. One of our key goals is to make pay and the value of benefits visible and better understood by all staff.
It’s an exciting time to be here as there are massive changes ahead. This means there are lots of opportunities to be involved in the re-engineering of the business and to make your mark. The team I work with, both peers and reports, are inspired by what’s happening and relishing the challenge."
Jo - Organisation Development Consultant (Joined October 2005)
"Our work here in the Organisation Development team is all about making changes that will help the organisation, teams and individuals to function better. I have an occupational psychology background and liked the fact that this job gave me the chance to apply my knowledge in an organisation that was going through significant change.
I’m keen to reach chartered status so the wide variety of projects here is also a big help in gaining the experience I need. This year I’ve been involved in everything from carrying out Employee Opinion Surveys to working with the HR team on employee loyalty and quality management models. Added to that, there’s a real training culture at AWE and you’re encouraged to go for whatever’s relevant and will help you develop."
Chris - Materials Chemist (Joined February 2006)
"I came from an academic role so I was attracted by the idea of carrying out scientific research in a commercial environment. I chose AWE because it was doing some of the most interesting work in my chosen field and it gave me the chance to apply my experience in real-world applications.
A lot of my time is spent on the synthesis and characterisation of organic materials or planning synthetic strategy and the development of future target materials. It’s given me a lot of opportunity to develop my practical skills. We are also working to develop links with universities for possible collaborations so I’m still in regular touch with colleagues in academia."