Manufacturing Engineer - Undergraduate Placement 2026

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

Job summary

A leading defense organization is offering a Manufacturing Engineer - Undergraduate Placement, starting in September 2026. This role involves applying theoretical knowledge to real-world projects, working with tooling, production processes, and supporting manufacturing operations. Candidates should be studying a relevant degree in Physics, Maths, or Engineering. Attractive benefits include a competitive salary, pension contributions, and flexible leave options.

Benefits

Company bonus based on performance

Pension contributions up to 14%

Paid overtime opportunities

25 days annual leave plus extra holiday options

Flexi leave up to 15 additional days

Subsidized meals and free parking

Qualifications

• Studying towards a degree related to Manufacturing or Engineering.
• Ability to translate technical information into actionable tasks.
• Drive to find improvements and cost savings in production.

Responsibilities

• Support the design and producibility of products.
• Manage tooling, build instructions, and manufacturing costs.
• Oversee industrial validations and support operations.

Skills

Engineering Mind-set

Problem solving

Education

Studying towards a degree in Physics, Maths, or Engineering

Job description

Overview

Manufacturing Engineer - Undergraduate Placement 2026

Manufacturing Engineering is part of the 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: £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.

CLOSING DATE FOR THIS ROLE IS MIDNIGHT ON 5TH JANUARY 2026 (SUBJECT TO APPLICATION VOLUMES)

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...

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

• Studying towards a degree in Physics or Maths or various Engineering degrees (Aerospace, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Systems, Electrical/Electronic and General).
• An 'Engineering Mind-set'. This is the ability to take technical information and turn it into something that can be used in building our products, the ability to find improvements and cost saving in the production of our products, the problem solving when something needs fixing.

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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