Manufacturing Engineer - Graduate Programme 2026

MBDA UK Ltd; Bolton; Hybrid; GBP 32,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defence organization in Bolton is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer for their Graduate Programme starting in September 2026. The role involves collaboration with design teams and day-to-day support of production operators. Successful candidates will require an engineering degree and will benefit from a salary of £31,500 plus a bonus. The program offers excellent career progression and hybrid working conditions.

Benefits

£3,000 joining bonus

Up to £2,500 company bonus

25 days annual leave plus extras

Flexi leave up to 15 additional days

Pension contributions up to 14%

Subsidised meals and free car parking

Qualifications

• An engineering degree in relevant disciplines such as Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical/Electronic.
• Ability to translate technical information into usable insights for product development.
• Willingness to participate in training for tools if necessary.

Responsibilities

• Develop tooling and instructions for product assembly.
• Support operators on the production floor.
• Analyze product cost and manufacturing efficiency.

Skills

Engineering Mind-set

Problem solving

Understanding of manufacturing processes

Education

Engineering degree (minimum 2:2)

Tools

Simul8

SAP (MRP)

Creo (Engineering Drawing tools)

Job description

Manufacturing Engineer - Graduate Programme 2026

Manufacturing Engineering is part of our Operations directorate based at our Manufacturing Centre of Excellence. Manufacturing consists of Assembly, Integration and Test of all our products for the company. The products we make are delivered directly to the customer/end user and therefore manufacturing are vitally important to the delivery aspects of MBDA's business.

Salary: £31,500 plus a £3,000 joining bonus

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: Midnight on 3 November 2025

What we can offer you

• 2 year Programme: starting September 2026
• Salary reviews throughout the Programme
• 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
• Annual Leave: 25 days plus option to purchase extra holiday
• Flexi Leave: Up to 15 additional days
• Excellent career progression and development opportunities
• Facilities: Fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more...

The opportunity

Manufacturing engineers work closely with design to influence the producibility of designs. They are also responsible for the 'how' we build our products including being responsible for:

• Any tooling required to build our products.
• Instructions on how to build our products.
• The cost of manufacture of our products.
• The industrial validations of our production lines and our suppliers.
• Day-to-day support of our operators building our products.
• The architecture of the production lines.
• Developing new manufacturing processes.

Each day for a manufacturing engineer is different, it is a mix of time spent on the shop floor and office based working. There are also opportunities to travel to other MBDA sites and countries, plus visiting suppliers. As part of dynamic working there may be opportunities to do some work remotely, however due to the nature of the job, there will always be a requirement to work on site some of the time.

In Manufacturing, you are also able to not only see but also be part of the realisation of our products.

What we're looking for from you

• An engineering degree (Physics, Mathematics or Engineering disciplines such as Aerospace, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Systems, Electrical/Electronic and General) to a minimum 2:2
• An "Engineering Mind-set": the ability to translate technical information into usable insights for building our products, identify improvements and cost savings, and solve problems when things need fixing
• Training in the use of tools will be provided as necessary, but previous use of tools such as Simul8, SAP (MRP), Creo (Engineering Drawing tools), Configuration Control would be advantageous

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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