Calibration & Maintenance Engineer - Undergraduate Placement 2026

MBDA UK Ltd; Bolton; Hybrid; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defense organization is seeking a Calibration & Maintenance Engineer for a 1-year undergraduate placement in Bolton. The role involves hands-on work with various technologies and collaborating with experienced engineers. Candidates should be pursuing a relevant engineering degree. The position offers a competitive salary, hybrid working options, and numerous company perks.

Benefits

Company bonus based on performance

Pension contribution up to 14%

25 days annual leave, with options to purchase more

Flexi leave up to 15 additional days

Subsidized meals and free parking

Qualifications

• Must be pursuing a degree in Engineering or related fields.
• Technical skills in electronics and optics are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with teams on electronics and RF technologies.
• Conduct hands-on work with equipment on the shop floor.

Skills

Hands-on approach

Technical documentation

Fault diagnosis

Education

Working towards a degree in Engineering or Physics

Job description

Calibration & Maintenance Engineer - Undergraduate Placement 2026

As a Calibration & Maintenance Engineer, you'll collaborate with experienced engineers across the UK. Working on a range of technologies, including electronics, optics, and RF, your hands-on approach combined with office-based technical work will see you play a pivotal role in delivering outstanding manufacturing standards.

Salary: £23,495

Dynamic (Hybrid) Working: 5 days per week on-site due to workload classification.

Security Clearance: British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship. Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team.

CLOSING DATE FOR THIS ROLE IS MIDNIGHT ON 5TH JANUARY 2026 (SUBJECT TO APPLICATION VOLUMES)

What we can offer you

• 1 year placement: starting September 2026, that allows you to apply your university learning to real-world projects and technologies
• Company bonus: based on company performance and will vary year to year
• Pension: maximum total (employer and employee) contribution of up to 14%
• Overtime: opportunity for paid overtime
• Annual Leave: 25 days plus option to purchase extra holiday
• Flexi Leave: up to 15 additional days
• Facilities: fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more

The opportunity

Calibration & Maintenance (C&M) is part of our Operations directorate, covering different aspects of support for all equipment used for both product manufacture and test.

C&M Engineers work closely with several collaborative functions such as Product Design, Test Equipment Design, Test Engineering and Quality Assurance to support our key customer; Manufacturing Operations.

In the time spent within C&M you will conduct two, five month placements working with the following teams:

• Electronic Engineering - Bespoke Test Equipment commissioning & repair
• Electrical Calibration - Bespoke Test Equipment & Calibration of Commercially Available Test Equipment (TE)

Daily activities in C&M are varied and could see you working hands on with the equipment on the shop floor and in the lab, to working in the office on technical documentation and drawings.

Our work involves diagnosing and fault finding on Test & Process Equipment and analysing fault related data. You could also get involved in authoring instructions and specifications, or draft and publish drawing packs.

You will have the opportunity to both assist and lead several activities during your placements.

What we're looking for from you

Working towards a degree in Engineering (incl. General, Mechanical, Manufacturing/Production, Aeronautical/Aerospace, Civil, Electrical/Electronic and Software) or Physics, Astronomy, Mathematics, Computing or Applied Science.

Our company: Peace is not a given, Freedom is not a given, Sovereignty is not a given

MBDA is a leading defence organisation. We are proud of the role we play in supporting the Armed Forces who protect our nations. We partner with governments to work together towards a common goal, defending our freedom.

We are proud of our employee-led networks, examples include: Gender Equality, Pride, Menopause Matters, Parents and Carers, Armed Forces, Ethnic Diversity, Neurodiversity, Disability and more...

We recognise that everyone is unique, and we encourage you to speak to us should you require any advice, support or adjustments throughout our recruitment process.

Follow us on LinkedIn (MBDA), X (@MBDA_UK), Instagram (MBDA_UK) and Glassdoor or visit our MBDA Careers website for more information.

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