Site Engineering Summer Placement Programme 2026 – Decades of opportunity. One powerful start.

Looking for a placement where you’ll really feel valued? At Sellafield Ltd, you’ll be a part of one of the UK’s most significant missions – safely managing the nation’s nuclear legacy and building a cleaner, safer future.

With decades of projects ahead, this is your chance to gain experience at a company where purpose and development go hand in hand.

Our Summer Placement Programme

Our Summer Placement programme is comprised of 10 weeks of development. You’ll work on projects that might be a first in the nuclear industry where you can really make a difference, working with industry leading engineers. There’s no blueprint for the work we do – that’s why we need you.

You’ll receive dedicated support throughout your placement, and by the end you could be rewarded with a conditional offer on our graduate programme for the year you graduate. You can start to build professional networks and pave your own path to success.

You’ll gain real experience, working on live projects alongside industry experts. We don’t just look to build your technical skills, we’ll help you develop those personal and professional skills that can make you stand out from the crowd. You’ll be supported by experienced colleagues who truly want to see you succeed.

A placement with us means contributing to work that truly matters for the UK’s sustainable nuclear future. You can really make an impact, helping to protect our site and communities today and being a part of creating the future of our tomorrow. We’re an organisation with a clear purpose. Join 12,000 people united by one purpose – to create a clean and safe environment for future generations.

We’re looking for students to join our Engineering & Maintenance profession in 2026. To read more about them, head to their section on our programme areas page: https://careers.sellafieldsite.co.uk/graduates-placements/graduates/programme-areas/

We’re looking for undergraduate students who are:

• On track to achieve a minimum of a 2:1 Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Chemical Engineering based subjects
• Willing to relocate to West Cumbria for the duration of the placement
• Curious, motivated and ready to learn

Life in Cumbria

Our Site Engineering programmes are based in West Cumbria, right on the edge of the breathtaking Lake District National Park. It’s a place where your weekends can be filled with hiking, cycling, or kayaking, and your evenings end with sunsets over the fells. Away from the bustle of big cities you’ll enjoy fresh air, open space, and a lower cost of living – without missing out on communities, activities or connections. And when you do fancy a city break, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow are just a few hours away. It’s the perfect balance of career opportunity and quality of life.

Enjoy affordable housing and living costs that go much further than big cities. Rural doesn’t mean isolated, you’ll still find shops, restaurants and gyms – just without the city chaos.

What’s in it for you

• For Summer Placement students your competitive salary will be dependent on what age you are when you join us and be pro rata over the 10 weeks you’re with us. You’ll also receive holiday allowance that reflects your length of employment with us. Ages 18-20: £21,260 pro-rata. Ages 21 and over: £25,959 pro-rata

• During your placement with us you will get the opportunity to work towards objectives that if met, you will be offered the opportunity to return on our graduate programme once you have completed your degree. *Subject to their being a suitable graduate position available.

• All of our employees can benefit from our 18 support networks, including the Nuclear Autism Support Network, oneLGBTQ+ Network and Gender Balance Networks, to name a few.

Application Process

• Applications for our placement programmes will close on 2nd November 2025.

• You will be issued an assessment to complete, the date you receive this will depend on when you apply. You will be given a deadline to complete this by and will find out the result of your assessment mid-November.

• Video interviews will take place from 17th November to 5th December 2025. • *Please note, if you are unable to attend an assessment during these months you may be unable to complete our application process.

• Expected start date: July 2026 

• Sellafield has a proud vision of Diversity & Inclusion that aims to attract candidates into an inclusive and supportive workplace. We are recognised as a Level 3 Disability Confident Employer. Reasonable adjustments can easily be applied to each of our application stages, we want all candidates to feel empowered throughout their application journey – please reach out to us if there’s any support you need throughout our application process.

• You are advised to regularly check your emails (including any junk mail/spam folders) for correspondence related to this post, including assessment or interview invitations and any other type of correspondence relating to your application.

Additional Information

We encourage you to complete our immersive, realistic preview into the life of a placement student at Sellafield before you start your application. Completing this preview will take less than 10 minutes and will help you understand both the type of challenges you may encounter, and if you’re likely to enjoy working here.

Visit: https://rjp.neurosight.ai/enc/GstpeCB9sNwskEQJLRjkleVODpPp68wi0fFdn3D4eqs

*Please note – requires an iPhone updated to at least iOS 14, or an updated Android device. Also accessible on tablets or laptops – Chrome is the recommended browser, although Safari also works on iO4 14 or better

Applications for our placement programmes will close on Sunday 2nd November 2025.

Please be aware that this role is subject to achieving security clearance. This role requires higher level of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 of continuous residency in the UK. Factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the level of clearance you’re able to achieve.

Start your journey with us today. Gain experience today, help shape the future of our tomorrow.