Electronic Manufacturing Test Engineer - Undergraduate Placement 2026

MBDA UK Ltd; Bolton; Hybrid; GBP 24,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defence organisation in Bolton seeks an Electronic Manufacturing Test Engineer for a 1-year undergraduate placement starting September 2026. The role involves hands-on testing, collaboration with various teams, and contributing to process improvements. Ideal candidates are pursuing degrees in Engineering or related fields. The position offers a competitive salary of £23,495, and benefits including company bonuses and generous annual leave.

Benefits

Company bonus

Pension contribution up to 14%

Paid overtime

25 days annual leave plus extra holiday options

Flexi leave up to 15 days

Subsidised meals and free parking

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a degree in Engineering (General, Mechanical, Manufacturing, etc.) or Physics.
• Ability to work collaboratively and communicate effectively.
• Experience with technical documentation and analysis preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support Manufacturing Operations through collaboration with Product Design and Quality Assurance.
• Engage in hands-on testing on the shop floor and in the lab.
• Assist in diagnosing non-conforming products or equipment.
• Draft and publish technical documentation.
• Analyze production and test data for improvements.

Skills

Teamwork

Problem-solving

Technical documentation

Data analysis

Education

Working towards a degree in Engineering or related field

Job description

Overview

Electronic Manufacturing Test Engineer - Undergraduate Placement 2026
Join the MBDA team and become a key player in ensuring our top-notch manufacturing standards. As a Test Engineer, you'll collaborate with expert engineers across the UK, working on a range of cutting-edge technologies including electronics, optics and RF. Your hands-on approach, combined with office-based technical work, will see you play a pivotal role in maintaining MBDA's excellence. From drafting drawings to introducing new equipment, process improvements are at the heart of what you'll do, all while contributing to the successful testing and programming of complex systems.

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.

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...

Closing date: for this role is midnight on 5th January 2026 (subject to application volumes).

The opportunity

Manufacturing Test Engineering is part of the Operations Directorate in MBDA. We have engineers deployed across three of our UK sites supporting the manufacturing process throughout the whole build cycle from sub-systems to the final product for launch platforms and weapon systems. We support the testing and programming of systems, from circuit cards through to missiles; working with varied technologies including, but not limited to, electronics, mechatronics, optics and RF. Within Manufacturing Test Engineering you'll be working within a team of Engineers who have varied experiences and expertise, who work together to support a set of equipment. You'll have the opportunity to learn from these Engineers throughout your scheme as you participate in two, five month placements.

Responsibilities

• Test Engineers work closely with several collaborative functions such as Product Design, Test Equipment Design, Manufacturing Engineering and Quality Assurance to support our key customer, Manufacturing Operations.
• Daily activities vary from working hands on with the product on the shop floor and in the lab, to working in the office on technical documentation and drawings.
• Assisting in diagnosing and fault finding non-conforming products or equipment
• Authoring instructions and/or specifications
• Drafting and publishing drawing packs
• Analysing test and production related data
• Assisting in introducing new products and equipment into Manufacturing
• Process improvements

What we're looking for

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.

#LI-CB1