Graduate Mechanical Engineer

Copello; West of England; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Copello is seeking a Graduate Mechanical Engineer to join an aerospace and defence engineering team working on uncrewed aircraft, avionics and mission systems. You will split time between CAD, the lab and test sites, gaining real design responsibility from day one.

Ideal candidates have a 2:1 in Mechanical, Aerospace or Design Engineering, with SolidWorks experience and a hands-on, curious mindset to tackle thermal, structural and electrical challenges across disciplines.

Qualifications

• 2:1 or above in Mechanical, Aerospace or Design Engineering or related subject.
• Final-year students encouraged to apply.
• CAD experience through university projects or placements, ideally SolidWorks.
• Understanding of engineering drawings, materials, and basic structural and thermal principles.
• Interest in how mechanical, electrical and thermal systems work together.
• Hands-on engineering through placement, university team, competition or personal project.

Responsibilities

• Create 3D models and manufacturing drawings using SolidWorks.
• Carry out sizing calculations covering loads, fasteners, tolerances, mass properties and thermal performance.
• Design avionics and payload installations, airframe components and mechanisms.
• Consider harness routing, connector access, cooling and component temperatures as part of your mechanical designs.
• Support build, integration and environmental testing, including fit checks and instrumentation.
• Work with suppliers on prototype and small-production parts using machining, additive manufacturing and composites.
• Maintain drawings, BOMs and engineering change records.
• Take part in design reviews and present your work to the wider engineering team.

Skills

CAD experience

Hands-on engineering

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Education

2:1 in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or Design Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Job description

Graduate Mechanical Engineer - Aerospace & Defence-£28,000-£32,000

Start Your Career Working on Hardware That Flies

Are you a Mechanical, Aerospace or Design Engineering graduate looking for a role where you can design, build, test and see your work take flight?

Join an innovative aerospace and defence engineering team developing uncrewed aircraft, avionics and mission systems.

From your first months, you'll be given genuine design responsibility with support from experienced engineers. You'll split your time between CAD, the lab and test sites, working on hardware that can move from drawing to flight surprisingly quickly.

This is not a role where you'll be stuck behind a screen. You'll get hands‑on with real engineering problems and work across mechanical, electrical and thermal disciplines.

What You'll Be Doing

• * Create 3D models and manufacturing drawings using SolidWorks.
• * Carry out sizing calculations covering loads, fasteners, tolerances, mass properties and thermal performance.
• * Design avionics and payload installations, airframe components and mechanisms.
• * Consider harness routing, connector access, cooling and component temperatures as part of your mechanical designs.
• * Support build, integration and environmental testing, including fit checks and instrumentation.
• * Work with suppliers on prototype and small-production parts using machining, additive manufacturing and composites.
• * Maintain drawings, BOMs and engineering change records.
• * Take part in design reviews and present your work to the wider engineering team.

What We're Looking For

• * A 2:1 or above in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Design Engineering or a related subject.
• * Final-year students are encouraged to apply.
• * CAD experience through university, projects or placements — ideally SolidWorks.
• * Understanding of engineering drawings, materials and basic structural and thermal principles.
• * An interest in how mechanical, electrical and thermal systems work together.
• * Evidence of hands‑on engineering through a placement, university team, competition or personal project.
• * A practical, curious and methodical approach to problem solving.
• * Someone who asks questions, challenges assumptions and wants to learn.

Ready to Get Your Career Off the Ground?

If you want to design real hardware, get hands‑on in the lab, work alongside experienced engineers and see your work take flight, we'd like to hear from you.