In-Service Support Engineer

MBDA; Bolton; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company bonus

Pension (up to 14%)

Overtime opportunities

Flexi Leave (up to 15 days)

Flexible working

Enhanced parental leave (26 weeks)

Site facilities

Healthcare cash plan

Job summary

MBDA is seeking an In-Service Support (ISS) Engineer to ensure the continuous operational availability, reliability, and safety of deployed defence systems. You will act as the engineering link between frontline operators and design teams, diagnosing complex faults and overseeing investigations.

The role involves working in a small team with the Product Support Manager while engaging with many internal and external stakeholders. A proactive, mission-critical mindset is essential for success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or extensive relevant experience in mechanical, electrical, aerospace, systems engineering or related field.
• 3+ years in engineering support, sustaining engineering or systems integration, preferably defence/aerospace/maritime.
• Strong debugging, fault-finding and root-cause analysis skills across multi-disciplinary systems.
• Familiarity with defence standards, configuration control and safety-critical processes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with engineers and military operators.

Responsibilities

• Oversee repairs and fault investigations, or system-level issues reported from the field.
• Provide rapid engineering solutions to ensure minimum downtime.
• Calculate spares and repairs to maintain equipment availability.
• Review data to identify reliability trends and work with design/software/manufacturing teams to address them.
• Review and update engineering documents and repair schemes to high defence standards.
• Monitor and address component obsolescence issues.
• Act as technical point of contact for military end-users and procurement agencies.

Skills

Problem solving

Communication

Debugging

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical/electrical/aerospace/systems engineering

Tools

PLM software

Configuration management

Job description

Bolton

Working in a small team with the Product Support Manager, but interacting with a broad set of internal and external stakeholders. the In-Service Support (ISS) Engineer plays a critical role in ensuring the continuous operational availability, reliability, and safety of deployed defence systems and equipment

Location

Bristol, Bolton or Stevenage (We may be able to offer a relocation package for this role)

Dynamic (hybrid) working

2 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

• Company bonus: Up to £2,500 (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
• Flexi Leave: Up to 15 additional days
• Flexible working: We welcome applicants who are looking for flexible working arrangements
• Enhanced parental leave: offers up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave -enhancements are available for paternity leave, neonatal leave and fertility testing and treatments
• Facilities: Fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more
• Healthcare Cash Plan: The Healthcare Cash Plan benefit provides the option to claim cash back on everyday healthcare expenses such as optical, dental, health and wellbeing and more.

The opportunity

Working in a small team with the Product Support Manager, but interacting with a broad set of internal and external stakeholders. the In-Service Support (ISS) Engineer plays a critical role in ensuring the continuous operational availability, reliability, and safety of deployed defence systems and equipment. Acting as the primary engineering link between front-line military operators and the design team, you will help diagnose complex technical faults, manage Technical Queries to a resolution and oversee engineering investigations. This role is ideal for a proactive engineer who thrives in high-stakes, mission-critical environments and enjoys a mix of technical problem-solving and stakeholder management.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational Support & Troubleshooting: Oversee repairs and fault investigations, or system-level issues reported from the field. Provide rapid engineering solutions to ensure minimum operational downtime.
• Sustaining Engineering: Calculate Spares and Repairs requirements ensuring availability of equipment is maintained.
• System Monitoring: Review all elements of data to identity reliability trends, collaborating with design, software, and manufacturing teams to recommend solutions to trends identified.
• Technical Documentation: Working with the Technical Authors, review, and update critical engineering documents, technical manuals, repair schemes, and modification instructions to high defence standards.
• Obsolescence Management: Monitor and address component obsolescence issues.
• Stakeholder Liaison: Act as the technical point of contact for military end-users, procurement agencies (such as DE&S or equivalent), and internal project managers.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Education: A Bachelor's degree or extensive relevant experience in Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, Systems Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline (or equivalent practical military engineering experience).
• Experience: Minimum 3+ years of experience working in an engineering support, sustaining engineering, or systems integration role—ideally within the defence, aerospace, or maritime sectors.
• Problem Solving: Strong debugging, fault-finding, and root-cause analysis skills across multi-disciplinary, complex systems.
• Defence Standards: Familiarity with strict industry regulations, configuration control practices, and safety-critical engineering processes.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical issues to both engineers and military operators.

Desirable Attributes

• Prior military or operational experience working directly with armed forces equipment.
• Familiarity with integrated logistic support (ILS) principles and reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety (RAMS) methodologies.
• Experience with configuration management and product lifecycle management (PLM) software.

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 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.

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