Graduate Design Engineer Review
at Sellafield Ltd
Graduate Scheme
Mechanical Engineering
Risley, Cheshire
Review Submitted: September 2025
Overall Rating
4.5 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4.5/5
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Overview of the Role
4.4/5
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Experience & Company Culture
5/5
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Recommendations & Advice
Overview of the Role
Overall, how would you describe your experience at Sellafield Ltd?
Welcoming, engaging and supportive.
The scheme has given me plenty of opportunity to try out different areas of the business and work with different people who on the whole had my best interests in mind.
I have had support in my development throughout and been given responsibility to deliver real work from day 1.
I am also a part of a large intake of graduates, some of whom I had completed my industrial placement year (also at Sellafield) with. I consider some of this cohort to be close friends on this basis.
The scheme has given me plenty of opportunity to try out different areas of the business and work with different people who on the whole had my best interests in mind.
I have had support in my development throughout and been given responsibility to deliver real work from day 1.
I am also a part of a large intake of graduates, some of whom I had completed my industrial placement year (also at Sellafield) with. I consider some of this cohort to be close friends on this basis.
What are the main responsibilities of the role and which elements of the role do you enjoy the most?
I have rotated through 4 areas during the scheme:
- Alpha Capability: a centre of expertise for containment of alpha contamination. Here I enjoyed the tasks of getting into detailed engineering decisions and understanding how they relate to safety requirements. During this I also did a lot of 'graduate wide' training, which served me well throughout.
- Studies: the pre-project phase of the business, assessing feasibility of projects from a wide range of perspectives. I enjoyed this as it was very different to my other work and gave me a chance to work in a different part of the project lifecycle.
- Alpha Remediation: a design team supporting ongoing 'remediation' projects on site. I enjoyed this as I was immediately given responsibility to risk assess work that was going on week by week - hence being intimately involved in the basic delivery of the business' aims.
- Infrastructure Reliability (site based): My last secondment involved a role change to Reliability Engineering rather than Design engineering, where I was based in Cumbria. I enjoyed this as again I felt more closely connected to the delivery of work and it has given me good experience of and connections with people who will be developing the reliability strategy for designs I contribute to.
- Alpha Capability: a centre of expertise for containment of alpha contamination. Here I enjoyed the tasks of getting into detailed engineering decisions and understanding how they relate to safety requirements. During this I also did a lot of 'graduate wide' training, which served me well throughout.
- Studies: the pre-project phase of the business, assessing feasibility of projects from a wide range of perspectives. I enjoyed this as it was very different to my other work and gave me a chance to work in a different part of the project lifecycle.
- Alpha Remediation: a design team supporting ongoing 'remediation' projects on site. I enjoyed this as I was immediately given responsibility to risk assess work that was going on week by week - hence being intimately involved in the basic delivery of the business' aims.
- Infrastructure Reliability (site based): My last secondment involved a role change to Reliability Engineering rather than Design engineering, where I was based in Cumbria. I enjoyed this as again I felt more closely connected to the delivery of work and it has given me good experience of and connections with people who will be developing the reliability strategy for designs I contribute to.
To what extent does your role give you the opportunity to contribute meaningfully and feel valued by your team?
4/5
Throughout I was given tasks that supported the delivery of whichever team I was in and was given the freedom to add my own opinion and contribution to these tasks.
The only reason it is 4/5 rather than 5/5 is through lack of experience it was at times harder to progress things independently.
The only reason it is 4/5 rather than 5/5 is through lack of experience it was at times harder to progress things independently.
How does your compensation package - including perks & benefits - fairly remunerate you for the work you do?
5/5
The salary of the graduate scheme and then the Design Engineer role which I will 'graduate' into is fantastic compared to other opportunities. 30 days holiday is also excellent, with the opportunity to buy more if desired.
Other benefits included are beneficial too like the pension package and access to the Aviva health app (online GP appointments, therapy appointments, diet advice and more).
Other benefits included are beneficial too like the pension package and access to the Aviva health app (online GP appointments, therapy appointments, diet advice and more).
How well do you feel the role is preparing you for your future career?
5/5
Very well.
I have had the freedom to rotate around different areas of the business, building different knowledge, skills and a network.
I have had the freedom to rotate around different areas of the business, building different knowledge, skills and a network.
How would you rate the extent to which you were developing new or existing skills through formal training and your day-to-day role?
4/5
The balance of formal training and role delivery work well to develop my skills. The MPDS scheme (chartership) ensures my work is aligned with my professional development and various internal and external training schemes are supported and funded (provided appropriate justification). A fair amount of training is also rolled out across the scheme.
Experience & Company Culture
How is the support you receive?
4/5
My support network is quite broad. I am part of a large cohort of mechanical design engineers on this intake who support each other.
I was also given a graduate buddy in the year above, a chartership mentor and my formal line management rotated placement to placement. There is also a scheme lead who oversaw my development across the full 2 years through an appraisal process.
I was also given a graduate buddy in the year above, a chartership mentor and my formal line management rotated placement to placement. There is also a scheme lead who oversaw my development across the full 2 years through an appraisal process.
How is your work-life balance?
5/5
I work 37 hours a week with the policy of 3 days a week in the office (though early on I tended to be in more as a personal preference).
I am not expected to be available outside of my working hours and personal boundaries are respected.
I am not expected to be available outside of my working hours and personal boundaries are respected.
What is the organisational culture, values and general atmosphere like?
4/5
My experience has been excellent with respect to culture and welcoming nature. As mentioned, flexible working is largely embraced and maintaining a good relationship with my various managers has been easy and thus supported this flexibility.
How would you rate Sellafield Ltd initiatives when it comes to equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility?
4/5
On the whole I believe the EDI policy of Sellafield to be very good. Support networks for minority groups are in place and appear well subscribed. Particularly the support around neurodiversity and associated flexible working/attitudes to those with different diagnoses is excellent.
However some EDI issues have been experienced by others within my cohort. My honest opinion is the root cause of these issues have been individual poor behaviour rather than policy problems and for the most part they have been dealt with appropriately.
However some EDI issues have been experienced by others within my cohort. My honest opinion is the root cause of these issues have been individual poor behaviour rather than policy problems and for the most part they have been dealt with appropriately.
How would you rate Sellafield Ltd CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiatives?
5/5
By definition as a government company working to clean up the nuclear waste of our country's first steps into nuclear power and armaments, I consider our day role to be socially responsible.
Volunteering is actively supported and actually required of graduates on the scheme and outreach in the local community/schools and other groups is well set up. For example, I am a registered STEM ambassador and have done multiple volunteering things in local schools.
We also run an excellent work experience programme which I was able to lead the mechanical section of.
Volunteering is actively supported and actually required of graduates on the scheme and outreach in the local community/schools and other groups is well set up. For example, I am a registered STEM ambassador and have done multiple volunteering things in local schools.
We also run an excellent work experience programme which I was able to lead the mechanical section of.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Sellafield Ltd to a friend?
Yes
Why?
The purpose of the business makes work feel rewarding and satisfactory.
The people I work with are motivated, welcoming and supportive - with management in positions that I would aspire to in future.
The benefits and salary are second to none at this point in early careers.
The people I work with are motivated, welcoming and supportive - with management in positions that I would aspire to in future.
The benefits and salary are second to none at this point in early careers.
How well did the role match your expectations based on the recruitment process?
5/5
I was recruited via the industrial placement scheme. I completed 12 months of this between my 3rd and 4th year of university so had a very good expectation of what this job would be.
When considering the recruitment & onboarding process, have you any specific tips or advice you would give to others applying to Sellafield Ltd?
If possible, do the industrial placement scheme/summer internship and preferably as part of a masters degree in engineering. This will set you up very well for the chartership development scheme that all mechanical engineers complete.
Where applying straight for the graduate role, an appreciation of the country's nuclear history and typical challenges associated with working in the industry would be desirable. Do some pre-research about this and what the company does.
Also, have some form of beneficial extra curricular activity which developed or shows evidence of either technical or human (soft) skills that would make you a good person to work with.
Where applying straight for the graduate role, an appreciation of the country's nuclear history and typical challenges associated with working in the industry would be desirable. Do some pre-research about this and what the company does.
Also, have some form of beneficial extra curricular activity which developed or shows evidence of either technical or human (soft) skills that would make you a good person to work with.
