How Sarah Reinvented Her Career in Nuclear Engineering After a Decade Off

With a background in pharmaceutical research and development, Sarah faced the challenges of balancing family life and the desire to reignite her professional journey. Following a ten-year career break, Sarah re-entered the workforce through a STEM Returners Programme with Amentum UK, and is now a permanent member of their team as a Safety Case Engineer. 

After graduating from university with an engineering degree, I worked in the pharmaceutical industry for five years. I then took a career break to raise my children, and recently entered back into the workforce through the STEM Returners programme. I wasn’t sure that I’d ever be able to get back into the engineering field after taking so much time off, but STEM Returners really supported my transition. I am now a Safety Case Engineer with Amentum UK and International, and I’m enjoying learning about the nuclear industry through my new role.

My Work

I am part of the Safety Case team based in Gloucester where I work on a variety of nuclear safety tasks. To date I have been involved in the review and quality check of documentation for Generic Design Assessment (GDA) projects. This work has enabled me to brush up on my IT skills which has been an eye opener having had a number of years away from the workplace (it’s amazing how much has changed in 10 years!). Additionally, I have been attending Amentum’s New-to-Nuclear Academy which has been invaluable in providing the foundational knowledge required to understand how a nuclear power plant operates, as well as an introduction to the various elements involved in their design. This knowledge has helped me gain confidence in a new sector and role, and I’m looking forward to using this knowledge on future projects.

What Inspires Me

My kids inspire me to work hard and keep learning. I love that I get to show them that it’s possible to be a mum and have a career (and it’s even possible to jump into a completely new field!). 

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