Industrial Placement Test Software Engineer

Leonardo; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Time to recharge: up to 12 flexi-days

Pension with up to 15% employer cont.

Mental health support

Private healthcare, dental, family and

gym discounts

Job summary

Leonardo’s Industrial Placement Programme offers a year with meaningful projects, working with subject matter experts in multidisciplinary teams across the product lifecycle. You’ll earn £26,228 and receive coaching from a dedicated team to achieve placement goals and personal development.

Successful completion may lead to a Graduate Development Programme offer. Expect to spend at least three days per week on site to maximise learning.

Qualifications

• Currently studying for a Bachelor’s/Integrated Master’s degree or higher (MSc/PhD).
• Eligible disciplines include Security, Computer Communication and Networks, Computer & Network Technology & Cyber Security.
• On-site presence encouraged; hybrid working arrangement is offered.

Responsibilities

• Develop software for test solutions across a varied product portfolio.
• Explore development lifecycle stages from requirements through to implementation, integration test and delivery.
• Build practical experience by working on real development and production test solutions for internal and external customers.
• Enhance technical capability through a mix of on-the-job learning and formal training aligned to business needs.

Skills

Self-motivated

Strong communication

Team player

Adaptable

Proactive

Education

Bachelor’s/Integrated Master’s degree or higher (MSc/PhD)

Job description

Job Description

Are you ready to make an impact and gain hands‑on experience working on real‑world projects from day one?

At Leonardo, we’re looking for summer placement students who want to be part of something extraordinary—shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

Our placements are designed to help you apply your studies in a practical setting, develop your technical skills, and gain valuable insight into how our business operates.

Our Industrial Placement Programme

Our Industrial Placement Programme offers you the chance to spend a year with us, working on meaningful projects alongside subject matter experts, within multidisciplinary teams, and across the product lifecycle. You’ll receive a salary of £26,228, with coaching and support from a dedicated team to help you achieve both your placement objectives and personal development goals.

Successful completion of a Industrial Placement with Leonardo may also lead to an offer on our Graduate Development Programme.

During your placement, we encourage you to spend at least three days each week on site to integrate with your team and maximise your learning experience.

During the programme, you will:

Develop the skills required to create software for test solutions, across a varied product portfolio.

Explore stages of the development lifecycle, such as requirements definition through to implementation, integration test and delivery.

Build practical experience by working on real development and production test solutions delivered to internal and external customers.

Enhance your technical capability through a combination of on-the-job learning and formal training, aligned to business needs and your career aspirations.

As an Industrial Placement Test Software Engineer, you will

• Gain experience in aspects of the software design lifecycle, such as requirements analysis; design, coding and unit test; integrating the software with the hardware target; acceptance test and delivery to the customer.
• Contribute to the creation of high quality and robust code; documenting and recording your work products; keeping them under configuration management and providing plans and reports on progress.
• Develop an understanding of complex products through close collaboration with Hardware and Firmware engineers to solve real integration problems on test systems.
• Have opportunities to taking an active role in engineering process improvement.
• Develop software solutions to control measurement instrumentation devices and fully automate testing of a unit under test.

What you’ll bring

Entry Requirements

Currently studying for a Bachelor’s/Integrated Master’s degree, or higher degree, such as MSc or PhD.

For this role, acceptable degree disciplines include:

Security, Computer Communication and Networks, Computer & Network Technology & Cyber Security.

Competencies we look for

• Be a self‑motivated individual, willing to take on new challenges and drive continuous personal development.
• Strong communication skills across a variety of mediums i.e. written, verbal, digital, etc.
• The ability to develop effective working relationships with peers and stakeholders.
• Adaptable to the ever‑changing demands that will be encountered within the role.
• Offer novel ideas and methods for solving technical problems, drawing on personal experiences and knowledge learned during academic studies.

Personal Attributes

• Enthusiastic and motivated
• Curious with a desire to learn
• Proactive and accountable
• Strong communicator and team player
• Adaptable and resilient
• Organised with attention to detail
• Positive and professional approach to work

Security Clearance

Many of our roles are subject to security and export control restrictions set by UK Government Security requirements and customer obligations. As a result, and in line with the UK Government Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) requirements, all successful applicants will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record declaration information and employment and/or education history verification for the previous five years.

For staff operating in more sensitive posts, there is an additional range of personnel security controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV). As part of this process, a range of factors may be considered, including an individual’s background, travel history, nationality, previous nationalities held and other information relevant to the vetting assessment.

To be eligible for National Security Vetting at SC level, applicants will generally be expected to have continuously resided in the UK for the previous five years. For DV clearance, this is typically ten years. In some circumstances, time spent overseas may be accepted, with additional overseas checks. Additional vetting requirements may apply upon appointment.

For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do, our teams are key contributors in shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you’re looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your wellbeing matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity.
• Tailored perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/company-benefits

We are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people, communities and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Primary Location

GB - Edinburgh

Contract Type

Fixed term

Hybrid Working

Hybrid