Plant Support Engineer Stevenage Placement (13 months)

Prestwick Aerosystems; Stevenage; Hybrid; GBP 15,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £24,500

Flexible working hours

Hybrid working options

Half day Fridays

25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays

Job summary

AIRBUS Defence and Space Limited in Stevenage offers an internship in Industrial Management to support a 12-month improvement plan across MAIT. You will help optimise costs and drive Lean initiatives, collaborating with MAIT sites in Portsmouth and abroad.

The role targets undergraduates in Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering or related fields, with exposure to PPS, Kaizen, and visual management. A flexible, hybrid work setup is available and a focus on transferable Lean skills is expected.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate student for the full duration of the placement.
• Majoring in Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical/ RF, PM or Health & Safety.
• Experience with PPS, Kaizen, and visual management in production and office environments.
• Some coding and scripting knowledge.
• Good communication skills.
• Creative and entrepreneurial mindset.
• Open minded and proactive.

Responsibilities

• Define and deliver a credible 12-month site improvement plan.
• Review and reduce MAIT cost base and readiness for bid price through improvement opportunities.
• Develop production dashboards and KPI visualisation to improve industrial efficiency.
• Coordinate multi-project oversight for efficient use of facility footprint and resources.
• Implement and mature the Operational Excellence System (OES) with the Industrial team.
• Deliver Lean Improvement Projects on Quality, On Time and On Cost (5S, VSM, Flow Analysis, KPIs).
• Lead and support process streamlining.
• Report status of Improvement Projects and control costs and schedules.
• Standardise Lean MAIT processes across Stevenage and Portsmouth.
• Promote Lean education and awareness across sites where possible.

Skills

Practical Problem Solving

Coding Knowledge

Communication Skills

Creativity

Entrepreneurial Mindset

Education

Undergraduate in STEM

Tools

Dashboards

KPI Visualization

Job description

Job Description: Start date: 19 July 2027 Location: Stevenage Duration: 13 months Applications close on 25 October 2026! We love your interest in joining Airbus! There is no limit on the number of positions you can apply for, however, please be aware that you can only progress in the selection process for one position at a time. We recommend reviewing all available opportunities and applying to those that best match your experience and aspirations.

AI Guidance: We know you might be thinking about using AI to help you in your application - before you do, please read our guidelines on the use of AI for recruitment at Airbus https://www.airbus.com/en/careers/faqs#using-ai-in-your-application.

Benefits

• Salary: £24,500 37 hours per week
• Flexible working hours
• Hybrid working options available depending on the role
• Half day Fridays!*
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays *subject to completing full hours prior to this

About us

The Industrial Management Team is at the heart of our mission to deliver spacecraft faster, more affordably, and to the highest quality. We are responsible for driving a wide range of improvement activities, from minor process enhancements to major research and development projects. This role is based in Stevenage, where our team plays a crucial part in enhancing the Operational Excellence Maturity of the Stevenage site. We achieve this through the implementation of our Operational Excellence System (OES), Lean methodologies, and by fostering a culture of continuous improvement. We also define and manage the Stevenage Manufacturing, Assembly, Integration, and Test (MAIT) Improvement Plan, ensuring we meet our savings commitments and business expectations by successfully delivering key projects. You'll be working closely with colleagues across our sites in Portsmouth, Stevenage, Friedrichshafen, Ottobrunn, and Toulouse, as well as with the wider Industrial community. You will build valuable relationships with your counterparts in other MAIT sites to share expertise and best practices. In addition, you will collaborate with our colleagues in Airbus Commercial and Airbus Defence and Space Transformation Teams.

What you will be doing

• Support HO Industrial Management and Key product Owners to define and deliver a credible 12 month improvement plan for the site;
• Responsible for continually reviewing and reducing the “MAIT Cost Base” and “Ready for Bid Price” through improvement opportunities generated by MAIT and other business units. This is for all MAIT customers; Mechanical Platform (T-BD), Antennas, Mechanisms & ENS;
• Support in the development of production dashboards and KPI visualisation to support industrial efficiency;
• Support in multi-project oversight to aid in coordinating efficient use of facility footprint and resources;
• Implement and mature the Operational Excellence System (OES) within MAIT working closely with the central Industrial team;
• Deliver Lean Improvement Projects on Quality, on Time and on Cost. (5S, Visual management, VSM, Flow Analysis, KPIs);
• Drive specific problem solving/improvement activities;
• Lead and support the streamlining of processes;
• Report the status of the Improvements Projects and controlling of cost and schedule;
• Responsible for standardisation of Lean MAIT Processes, documentation and working methods across Stevenage and/or Portsmouth;
• Responsible for the promotion of Lean education and awareness in Portsmouth ensuring a standardised approach with other sites where possible.

Requirements

Our placements are open to Undergraduates only. Therefore it is mandatory for candidates to be an undergraduate for the whole duration of the placement. Please inform your graduation date on your application. *Your application should include a CV along with a Cover Letter outlining your motivation and suitability for the role.*

• Studying towards a degree in Mechanical or Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical/Radio Frequency, Project management or Health & Safety;
• Understanding in Practical Problem Solving (PPS), running Kaizen workshops, implementing visual management in production and office environment;
• Experience in improvement projects;
• Some knowledge of coding and scripting;
• Good communication skills;
• Creative and inventive, that are able to think outside the box and has an entrepreneur mind set;
• Open minded, and proactive.

SECURITY CLEARANCE

You will be subject to a BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standard) check. You may also need to gain UK SC-level Security Clearance or Export Control, depending on the role.

Contact

Please let us know if you need us to make any adjustments to allow you to access and participate fully in the recruitment process. If you wish to discuss this further please contact us. Any information disclosed will be treated in the strictest confidence.

This job requires an awareness of any potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company’s success, reputation and sustainable growth.

Company

AIRBUS Defence and Space Limited

Employment Type

Internship

Experience Level

Student

Job Family

Improvement & Performance Management

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Airbus is committed to achieving workforce diversity and creating an inclusive working environment.

We welcome all applications irrespective of social and cultural background, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation or religious belief.

Airbus is, and always has been, committed to equal opportunities for all.

At Airbus, we support you to work, connect and collaborate more easily and flexibly. Wherever possible, we foster flexible working arrangements to stimulate innovative thinking. Airbus pioneers sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. The Company constantly innovates to provide efficient and technologically-advanced solutions in aerospace, defence, and connected services. In commercial aircraft, Airbus offers modern and fuel-efficient airliners and associated services. Airbus is also a European leader in defence and security and one of the world's leading space businesses. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions and services worldwide.

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