Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Placement Year

Babcock International Group; Leicester; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

Babcock International Group in Leicester invites you to join its Mechanical Engineering Placement Year within the Cavendish Nuclear business, delivering mechanical design and analysis for high‑integrity national projects.

You’ll contribute to calculations, review technical documentation, assist with safety case development, and work with multidisciplinary teams to support equipment upgrades and plant modifications.

Qualifications

• You must be studying an engineering degree in Mechanical, Structural, Materials, Motorsport, Mechatronics or Engine Systems; degree accreditation preferred.
• Security clearance requirements may apply, including BPSS and Security Check (SC) and related GOV.UK guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Join Cavendish Nuclear for a Mechanical Engineering Placement Year and contribute to mechanical design, assessment and delivery for national infrastructure.
• Support engineering calculations and review technical documentation.
• Assist with design substantiation and safety-case development in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.
• Contribute to activities such as equipment upgrades, decommissioning and plant modifications as appropriate.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

BPSS/SC clearance eligibility

Education

Engineering degree (accredited)

Job description

Programme title: Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Placement Year

Salary: £26,784

Location: Radar Road, Leicester

Application closing date: 20 October 2026

Start date: September 2027

Role ID: 74748

What You’ll Do

Join our Cavendish Nuclear business for a Mechanical Engineering Placement Year and play a key role in delivering safe, secure, and sustainable nuclear solutions that support the UK’s clean energy future.

During your placement year, you’ll contribute to the design, assessment and delivery of mechanical systems used across major nuclear programmes, while gaining strong understanding of project delivery and the role mechanical engineers play in supporting critical national infrastructure.

You’ll support engineering calculations, produce and review technical documentation, assist with design substantiation and safety case development, and work closely with multidisciplinary teams. You may also contribute to activities such as equipment upgrades, decommissioning, plant modifications and new build support.

This role offers exposure to technically challenging projects, alongside industry standards and nuclear safety requirements, and insight into how engineering principles are applied in practice.

As your confidence and capability grow, you’ll take on increasing responsibility and contribute more independently to project work. You’ll also build an understanding of professional engineering standards, helping to prepare you for future progression towards IEng or CEng status after graduation.

What You’ll Get Out Of It

Our placements are about more than work experience – they’re an opportunity to immerse yourself in life at Babcock, form meaningful connections, and develop skills that will set you up for your future career. You’ll work alongside supportive colleagues and gain guidance from experienced professionals every step of the way.

We value the fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that placement students bring to our team. We believe you have the potential to shape the future of our business. But we also understand that this placement is as much about you assessing what’s right for you as it is about us getting to know you. Perform well, and you could be considered for a position on our graduate programme – your journey with Babcock could just be getting started.

What You’ll Need

• You must be studying an engineering degree in one of the following disciplines: Mechanical, Structural, Materials, Motorsport, Mechatronics or Engine Systems. Our preference is that your degree is also accredited by the relevant institution.
• Many of our programmes are subject to Security Clearance and Trade Control restrictions which mean that your place of birth, nationality, citizenship, or residency you hold or have held may impact which programmes you are eligible for. For this programme, you must be able to achieve and maintain Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) and Security Check (SC) security clearance. For further details, visit GOV.UK and search 'United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels'.

Application process and important information

We’re a Disability Confident Employer. If you require additional support or adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know when you apply. Our team will contact you after receiving your application to discuss your requirements and the support available.

We’re committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone’s free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working - please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.