Academy Engineer - Mechatronic Engineering Higher Apprenticeship

Thales; Belfast City District; Hybrid; GBP 22,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £24,000 per annum

Performance pay uplifts

Holiday entitlement 201 hours/year

Pension contribution

Health care plan

Hybrid/flexible working

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Thales in Belfast offers a Mechatronics Engineering Apprenticeship combining on‑the‑job experience with higher education. You’ll rotate through engineering functions, learn how to balance cost and performance, and advance toward a degree while earning a salary.

The programme includes college time, a clear path to a BEng in Mechatronic Engineering, and a strong focus on practical skills, teamwork, and professional development in a supportive environment.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated enthusiasm for engineering and willingness to learn.
• Ability to manage time effectively and study while working.
• Interest in Mechatronics blending mechanical, electronics and software.

Responsibilities

• Support engineering teams to meet deadlines and budgets.
• Learn and apply mechatronic engineering skills in real projects.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to solve problems.

Skills

Self-motivation

Time management

Engineering curiosity

Teamwork

Education

Higher Level Apprenticeship (Level 5)

Foundation Engineering Degree in Mechatronics

BEng in Mechatronic Engineering

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Engineering

Job description

Turn your curiosity into a career.

If you're passionate about engineering, eager to learn, and looking for an apprenticeship that combines academic study with exciting on-the-job experience, we'd love to hear from you. Our Mechatronics apprenticeship will let you explore different types of engineering before you make an informed decision to specialise in relevant disciple of engineering.

Benefits of the programme:

• Earn a salary while studying for your apprenticeship
• Gain hands-on experience in a real engineering environment
• Receive job-specific training and development
• Achieve a recognised engineering qualification
• Tuition fees for approved training providers are fully covered
• Secure a permanent role from the start of your apprenticeship

About the Role

As an Engineering Apprentice, you’ll be learning and building real mechatronic engineering skills - This will help you can grow into a confident, positive, and flexible engineer. You’ll develop a strong technical base and get the chance to work on challenging engineering problems as part of a supportive team.

Mechatronics is where mechanical engineering, electronics, and software come together - so you’ll learn how to think through design, how to create solutions, and how technology helps make systems work automatically.

In this role, you’ll help the team deliver solutions to meet deadlines, quality expectations, and budget. You’ll learn how good engineering decisions are made - balancing performance, cost, and manufacturability all while working with different parts of the business.

How this helps you grow:

• Build practical, transferable engineering skills: you won’t just learn theory - you’ll learn how designs are made ready for real-world production.
• Become more confident in engineering problem-solving: you’ll work with guidance, but you’ll also learn how to break down challenges and find solutions.
• Understand how engineering decisions are made: you’ll see how cost, quality, and performance trade-offs come into the design process.
• Learn through teamwork: you’ll collaborate with people from different disciplines and begin building professional communication skills.

What You Will Learn

• How our business works, especially across Engineering, including software, hardware, and systems
• Engineering and the wider business, together - you’ll be exposed to other functions outside Engineering, so you fully understand how we’re set up and how decisions get made
• Learning from the people who make it all happen - you’ll work with key stakeholders across the business, alongside experienced, long-tenured experts and our leadership teams
• Building your network - you’ll join a large community of future talent (including apprentices, graduates, and interns), helping you grow through connections and shared learning
• Growing your capability through rotation - you’ll develop through a designed pathway with internal rotational programmes, ensuring you get the right experience in the right teams

Apprenticeship Programme

You will be studying towards a Level 5 Higher Level Apprenticeship, Foundation Engineering Degree (FdEng) in Mechatronics with our partners at the South Eastern Regional College in Bangor. During the 3 year programme you will follow an initial rotation plan and then specialise in a particular engineering function.

You will be given 1 day per week to attend college lessons, lectures and tutorials on campus. The other 4 days you will be working in engineering departments, embedding your college learning in a real-life engineering environment.

On successful completion of the Higher-Level Apprenticeship, there will be scope to progress onto the BEng in Mechatronic Engineering at Ulster University.

Entry Requirements

• 56 UCAS tariff points including: A Levels (A2): Typical grade profile CC (to include 1 from Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Design & Technology, Engineering, Electronics or Double Award Science/Applied Science)
• Or BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Engineering with overall award profile MPP or Diploma in Engineering with overall award profile MM
• 5 GCSEs at grade A-C (9-4) or above including English and Maths

We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who are motivated, committed and keen to learn. You will be a self-starter, able to demonstrate time management skills, working on your own, using your initiative and have a genuine interest in Engineering and Thales. Successful candidates will show self-discipline and an aspiration to achieve a degree qualification.

Please Note: due to funding obligations (i) applicants who already hold a relevant degree will not be eligible for this programme (ii) this opportunity is available in Belfast and open to all Northern Ireland residents.

Benefits

• Competitive salary of £24,000 per annum
• Performance-related pay uplifts
• Holiday entitlement of 201 hours a year (plus a company day and bank holidays)
• Contributory Company Pension
• Health Care Cash Plan
• Hybrid/flexible working options
• Employee assistance programme
• Learning and development support
• Employee discounts and wellbeing initiatives
• Life Cover
• 80 Hours Volunteering per year (first two years)

About the Company

Thales is an equal opportunities employer and diversity, and inclusion are integral to the success of Thales.

Because of the work we do at Thales, all roles are subject to security requirements.

To be considered for this position, you must have the permanent right to work in the UK and be able to successfully complete and maintain UK Government security checks, including Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) screening and Security Clearance (SC), which is a government background check, before starting employment.

To be eligible for SC clearance, you will typically need to have lived in the UK continuously for the last five years. As part of the vetting process, you will be asked to provide evidence of your identity, right to work in the UK, any time spent overseas during the last five years, and your employment and/or education history.