Mechanical Engineer - Undergraduate Placement 2027

MBDA UK; Stevenage; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company bonus

Pension 14% total contribution

Overtime paid

25 days annual leave + buy extra

Flexi Leave

Healthcare Cash Plan

Job summary

MBDA UK is offering a Mechanical Engineer undergraduate placement for 2027. The role involves hands-on experience in design, analysis and testing across missile and defence projects.

You'll rotate across areas like CAD-based design, future concepts, and actuation systems while pursuing a Mechanical Engineering degree. The position requires current undergraduate status in Mechanical or Aeronautical Engineering, on-site work, and eligibility for BPSS clearance.

Qualifications

• Current undergraduate studying towards a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering or a comparable subject.

Responsibilities

• Mechanical Design: involve in all stages of design from concept through manufacture using CAD tools.
• Mechanical Future Concepts: contribute to early lifecycle studies from concept to R&D.
• Mechanical Analysis: perform stress and thermal analyses with FEA and lab testing.
• Actuation Systems: work in a multi-disciplinary team on electro-mechanical design of actuation systems.
• Materials and Processes: advise on material properties and lab assessments.

Education

Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering student

Job description

Mechanical Engineer - Undergraduate Placement 2027

The Mechanical Engineering department develops physical solutions from concept through development and certification to production on missiles and weapon systems. The nature of complex weapons and the environments they operate in present an extensive scope of unique and interesting mechanical engineering challenges.

Salary: £24,460 Dynamic working: 3 to 4 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. This role is scheduled to close for applications at midnight on Monday 4th January 2027 but may close earlier depending on application volumes.

What we can offer you

• 1 year placement: Starting September 2027, that allows you to apply your university learning to real-world projects and technologies Perform well on your placement and you could secure a graduate role before your final year
• 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…
• 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: The Mechanical Engineering department develops physical solutions from concept through development and certification to production on missiles and weapon systems. The nature of complex weapons and the environments they operate in present an extensive scope of unique and interesting mechanical engineering challenges. With hands‑on work experience from all placements – interaction with hardware is highly encouraged to help further understanding of our products. This could mean use of rapid prototyping facilities, getting involved in external manufacture or participating in assembly builds and laboratory tests. You'll learn from our engineer’s knowledge in complex weapons and Defence technology across all departments. During your placement, you’ll get the opportunity to work in different areas of Mechanical Engineering in two 5 months placements.

You could experience placements in some of the following areas:

• Mechanical Design – Be involved in all stages of design from concept development through to manufacture. This role relies on CAD tools and gives opportunity to be involved in laboratory test programs.
• Mechanical Future Concepts – Positioned at the cutting‑edge of missile technology, gain experience in the early stages of the product lifecycle from concept generation to research & development (R&D) studies.
• Mechanical Analysis – Develop specialist technical solutions to aid the design process. With Finite Element Analysis (FEA) tools and laboratory testing, conduct detailed stress and thermal analysis on structures and mechanical systems.
• Actuation Systems – Working within a multi‑disciplinary team on the electro‑mechanical design of fin, wing and seeker actuation systems. The role is broadly similar to the Mechanical Design placement with the added possibility of working in a cross‑discipline, international team.
• Materials and Processes – Advise design teams in the principles of materials science, and evaluate their ideas against material compatibility; this offers the chance to get involved in top‑tier research of novel materials as well as practical lab based assessments.

What we’re looking for from you

Current undergraduate studying towards a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering or a comparable 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.

What we do matters. Because defence matters. As a leading company in the defence industry we support our nations by delivering essential military capabilities, both for today and the future.

We are proud to be an award-winning employer and are proud of the growing diversity of our workforce. Our people are the ones who drive our constant innovation and deliver against challenging targets.

Whatever you background, we welcome your application to MBDA UK and look forward to speaking with you soon.