Manufacturing Operator Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship 2027 - Bolton

MBDA; Bolton; On-site; GBP 12,000 - 18,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully funded qualification

Travel expenses paid

Annual pay reviews

Healthcare cash plan

25 days annual leave

Study leave

Job summary

MBDA in Bolton offers a Level 3 Engineering Fitter Apprenticeship designed to train hands-on operators in our Manufacturing Operations. You will begin with initial training at our facilities and progress into manufacturing placements while studying at Wigan and Leigh College.

You’ll typically attend college one day per week, with travel costs reimbursed. The remainder of the week is spent on site in assembly, integration and test, contributing to our missions for Army, Navy and Air Force

Qualifications

• GCSE Maths at Grade 5 minimum.
• GCSE English Language at Grade 4 minimum.
• An additional 3 GCSE's at Grade 4 minimum to include a Science or Technology subject.

Responsibilities

• During your first year you'll complete your initial training within our Manufacturing Operations Training Facility, before moving directly into your manufacturing placements, whilst studying at Wigan and Leigh College.
• Whist you can typically expect to be at college one day per week, there may be times when you will need to be there more often; we will reimburse travel costs to your place of learning.
• The remainder of your working week will be onsite. You’ll be working in our Manufacturing Team as an Operator - MBDA 'Manufacturing' consists of the Assembly, Integration and Test of all our products for the company.
• The products we make are delivered directly to our customers which could be Army, Navy or Airforce and therefore Manufacturing are vital to MBDA's business.
• Integral to the build of each and every one of our range of products are our Operations community. They work with our Engineers to deliver on our commitment to our customers. They maintain the integrity of each and every one of our builds through the specialist work they do.
• You will be part of a team of operators in a fast-paced but friendly and inclusive manufacturing environment. The team has a great mix of people, all striving to deliver technical excellence and maintain product output.

Education

Level 3 Engineering Fitter Apprenticeship

Job description

This is a hands on role and as such, the majority of your work will be conducted on site. Our Bolton site operate shift patterns. In order to maximise time working with experienced team members in the manufacturing facilities, you may be expected to start as early as 7am on a regular basis. There is the opportunity for an early finish on a Friday (college dependant).

Learning provider: Wigan and Leigh College

Due to the need to attend your MBDA site and the training provider as required for your apprenticeship, applicants need to ensure their home or rental location is appropriate, travel arrangements are manageable and travel time is minimised as required for your role.

The qualification: You'll study for a Level 3 Engineering Fitter Apprenticeship, which aligns with IET EngTech professional recognition.

Find out more details about the course here: https://www.wigan-leigh.ac.uk/course-detail/appr/engineering-fitter-apprenticeship/1567/

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.

This role is scheduled to close for applications at midnight on Friday 22nd January 2027 but may close earlier depending on application volumes.

What we can offer you

• Fully funded qualification starting September 2027
• Paid travel expenses to and from your place of study
• Annual pay reviews
• Healthcare Cash Plan: provides support with everyday health related costs - including medical, dental, optical, physio and health & wellbeing.
• 25 days annual leave (plus holiday purchase) and up to 15 days flexi leave
• Study leave during exam periods

Programme structure - your work at MBDA

• During your first year you'll complete your initial training within our Manufacturing Operations Training Facility, before moving directly into your manufacturing placements, whilst studying at Wigan and Leigh College.
• Whilst you can typically expect to be at college one day per week, there may be times when you will need to be there more often; we will reimburse travel costs to your place of learning.
• The remainder of your working week will be onsite.
• You’ll be working in our Manufacturing Team as an Operator - at MBDA 'Manufacturing' consists of the Assembly, Integration and Test of all our products for the company.
• The products we make are delivered directly to our customers which could be Army, Navy or Airforce and therefore Manufacturing are vital to MBDA's business.
• Integral to the build of each and every one of our range of products are our Operations community. They work with our Engineers to deliver on our commitment to our customers. They maintain the integrity of each and every one of our builds through the specialist work they do.
• You will be part of a team of operators in a fast-paced but friendly and inclusive manufacturing environment. The team has a great mix of people, all striving to deliver technical excellence and maintain product output.

You'll get to experience placements within the following teams:

• Printed Electrical Circuit Manufacturing
• Cable Manufacturing
• Missile Assembly including Actuators and Control and AIT
• Missile Integration including Platforms
• Missile Test
• Calibration & Maintenance

This opportunity would suit anyone that has a keen interest in how things work and is looking to learn and shape a career around a practical skill. We are looking for anyone with a love for hands-on work, who wants to contribute to the delivery of our products. Further opportunities during the completion of your apprenticeship may lead to more specialist roles, such as electro‑mechanical dual skilling, and you could even end up leading a team in the future!

What we're looking for from you

• This role has specific qualification and subject criteria so please make sure you carefully check your eligibility against this criteria before applying otherwise your application will not be considered.
• If you are currently studying and predicted to meet these requirements by the start date you are welcome to apply.

GCSEs:

They must include:

• GCSE Maths at Grade 5 minimum
• GCSE English Language at Grade 4 minimum
• An additional 3 GCSE's at Grade 4 minimum to include a Science or Technology subject

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.

Application Process

1. Submit an application: Our application form contains a few factual questions, some questions relating to the role you have applied for and a section for you to tell us all about you!

2. Online assessment - Part One: Next in our process is part one of our online strengths assessment, completely tailored to our business and early careers schemes. After completing our assessment you'll receive a personalised report.

3. Online assessment - Part Two: Part two of our online assessments include three video recorded tasks which are authentic work scenario based activities which you could be doing on your programme - we refer to these as job simulations.

4. Assessment centre: Our strength based assessment centre is a half day virtual experience! You’ll get to work on a range of tasks, meet current programme members and people from the department you have applied for. All candidates receive feedback on their performance.

5. Offer: We’ll call you within a week of your assessment day to talk through your feedback and the finer details of your offer, as well as next steps.

Before continuing your application, please note that as a defence industry employer, restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work will apply.

If you do not meet the necessary requirements, any application you submit will be rejected.

We only recommend continuing your application if you are confident of your right to work for us.

Please refer to our Security & Vetting policy for further information.