Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Summer Internship

targetjobs UK; West of England; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Babcock in Bristol is offering a 12-week Mechanical Engineering Summer Intern placement within the Submarine Support Engineering (SSE) Mechanical Team. You’ll contribute to system performance modelling, maintenance optimisation, and investigations, while running your own project and supporting other engineers.

You will work on CAD models, feasibility studies, and analyses to gain hands-on experience in submarine engineering and gain insight into how Royal Navy submarines are supported and kept

Qualifications

• Undergraduate studying mechanical engineering.
• Security clearance BPSS and SC required.
• UK national due to security requirements.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on novel technologies and support engineering investigations.
• Perform feasibility assessments and develop engineering tools.
• Create CAD models and carry out thermal, flow or stress analyses.
• Support maintenance optimisation and future submarine support projects.

Skills

CAD modelling

Thermal analysis

Stress analysis

Research

Education

Undergraduate student in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CAD software

FEM tools

Job description

Location: Babcock Technology Centre, Bristol

Application closing date: 20 October 2026

Start date: June 2027

What you’ll be doing

As a Mechanical Engineering Summer Intern, you’ll spend 12 weeks working within the Submarine Support Engineering (SSE) Mechanical Team. This team focuses on maintaining in-service submarines and provides technical engineering support to the Ministry of Defence.

You’ll have the opportunity to contribute to a wide range of engineering projects, including system performance modelling and analysis, maintenance optimisation, engineering investigations, future submarine support, waterfront production and manufacture, and researching novel technologies. You’ll run your own project and support other engineers, gaining valuable experience and insight into real-world engineering challenges.

Your work will involve core engineering activities such as conducting research on novel technologies, performing feasibility assessments, producing engineering tools, creating CAD models, or carrying out thermal, flow or stress analyses. The placement is tailored to your interests, allowing you to apply your academic knowledge in practical settings while building new skills and experience.

You’ll work alongside experienced engineers who will support you in developing your technical knowledge of submarine systems, engineering principles and processes, as well as problem-solving skills. You’ll also gain insight into how Babcock operates and how different roles contribute to maintaining the capability, availability and safety of Royal Navy submarines.

What you’ll get out of it

Our internships 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 interns bring to our team. We believe you have the potential to shape the future of our business. But we also understand that this internship 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 an undergraduate studying a mechanical engineering degree.
• 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’.
• Under applicable national security legislation, this post may only be occupied by a UK national. This legal requirement is independent of our recruitment policies, and all eligible applicants will be assessed fairly and without discrimination.

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.