Graduate Project Planner

Fusion, the process that powers the sun and stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs. UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research organisations to achieve ground breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid by developing the power stations of tomorrow and the skilled workforce to deliver them.

As a Graduate Project Planner, you will work with stakeholders to clearly define all aspects of a project and establish key milestones that determine what needs to be done, when, and how, ensuring outcomes can be achieved with the resources available. You will lead on all elements of project planning, including developing, updating, and monitoring schedules, identifying tasks, activities, interdependencies, and outputs, and tracking progress with the project team throughout the project's lifecycle. Your core responsibilities include:

• Lead on planning activity and work with the project to support delivery of the business case benefits and outcomes. Support capability building and the use of best practice in planning and reporting.
• Challenge and test project assumptions to ensure that plans are realistic and achievable. Development of breakdown structures, quality criteria, product descriptions and monitoring strategy. Support the project manager to identify options to optimise delivery through resource smoothing, resource levelling and rescheduling of activities.
• Ensure that stakeholder responsibilities and needs are understood and addressed in reporting arrangements. Develops peer networks across the department.
• Monitor and analyse planning and scheduling information, reporting progress, slippage and highlighting areas of risk and opportunity.
• Provide advice on planning processes throughout the lifecycle of the project.

As part of the 20% dedicated to training and development, you will complete a core suite of activities aimed at enhancing your professional and business skills, with flexibility to tailor the programme to both your personal development and the needs of your specific role.

• Degree in STEM or Business from 2025 or '26
• Confident with all Microsoft applications including Excel, Word and Powerpoint
• Driven, with a strong appetite to learn and take on new challenges
• Able to collaborate effectively and communicate clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Well organised and adaptable with the ability to plan and prioritise workload

A full list of our benefits can be found here but highlights include:

• £35,227 base salary
• Final salary defined benefit scheme with an equivalent of 21.5% employer pension contribution
• 25 days annual leave, plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays
• Flexible and hybrid working options

UKAEA's mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds who want to help us achieve our mission. We are under-represented from some groups and so want to encourage applications in particular from women in STEM, people from Black British Caribbean and African backgrounds and from Pakistani and Bangladeshi British backgrounds. Our Executive team, supported by our 'Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) and Wellbeing and our EDI Networks actively promote Inclusion and takes steps to increase diversity within our organization. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.

UK Atomic Energy Authority is committed to being accessible. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions or require help or adjustments to compete on a fair basis, for example, changes to the way we interview or share information.