Summer Placement - Engineering

Leonardo; Luton; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology company in the UK is offering a Summer Placement Engineer position in Luton. This opportunity is tailored for current students pursuing a relevant degree and includes hands-on experience in software, systems, hardware, or firmware disciplines. Successful candidates will enhance their technical skills while working with experienced engineers on real projects. The placement begins on June 29, 2026, and offers a supportive environment with mentoring and development opportunities.

Benefits

25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays

Award-winning pension scheme

Free access to mental health support

Access to online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn

Qualifications

• Minimum of a predicted 2:2 grade in a relevant degree discipline.
• Preferred degree disciplines include Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or other STEM subjects.

Responsibilities

• Support real projects while applying knowledge gained during studies.
• Deliver small packages of work to time, cost, and quality.
• Communicate with team members to share knowledge.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Ability to solve technical problems

Computer literacy

MATLAB / Simulink experience

Passion for engineering or science

Education

Relevant degree discipline

Tools

MS Office suite

Job description

Job Description : Your impact

At Leonardo, we have an exciting opportunity for a Summer Placement Engineers to join our team within the Electronic Warfare (EW) and Future Combat Air (FCA) lines of business.

This opportunity is based at Capability Green, Luton. The engineers based at this site work with the latest technology to develop a wide range of products for both manned and unmanned aircraft platforms, including airborne sensors, protection, countermeasure, and integrated mission systems.

The Engineering Summer Placement Programme

We have created a programme across our UK sites that not only increases your technical skills but gives you the opportunity to work alongside experienced engineers across our business on meaningful real-life projects. Throughout your summer placement, you will receive coaching and support from a dedicated team of subject‑matter‑experts to work in multidisciplinary teams to gain experience across the product lifecycle.

Our ultimate aim is to see you through your undergraduate years, and successful placements may result in an offer to return for further placements or for an offer on our Graduate Development programme.

Our Engineering Summer Placement Programme commences on the 29th June 2026 and lasts for nine weeks. During the programme, there may be options to extend your placement with us.

We also offer a Systems Engineering Summer Placement based out of Luton within our Customer Support and Service Solutions (CS3) line of business. The CS3 placement focuses on developing innovative solutions to support and sustain front‑line capability for our customers. For more details on that opportunity, please refer to role reference number R0021298.

As a Summer Placement Engineering, you will

Be involved in a variety of tasks in one of the following engineering disciplines – Software, Systems, Hardware, Firmware, Microwave or Antenna Engineering.

Provide support to real projects, placement students will be required to apply knowledge gained while studying in a practical way.

Undertake activities including designing, testing, qualifying, and supporting technology across our range of products.

The challenging tasks will involve communicating with other team members to gain information before completing objectives and examining outcomes.

Working as part of an established engineering community, and supported by a team of experienced engineers, you will be responsible for :

• Delivering small packages of work to time, cost, and quality.
• Working within a team to achieve project targets, collaborate across multiple disciplines and solve problems.
• Communicating with team members to share knowledge.
• Gaining an understanding of the EW domain to support the development of relevant products and technologies.
• Completing tasks to a high standard in accordance with appropriate processes and procedures.
• Using the opportunity to develop engineering skills. A supervisor will be available to provide mentoring whilst working as a fully integrated member of the team.

What you’ll bring

All our Summer Placement roles require a minimum of a predicted 2 : 2 grade in a relevant degree discipline. For technical roles please note that our preferred degree disciplines include Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or other STEM subject degrees.

Competencies we look for

• Excellent communication skills are essential, both written and verbal.
• Ability to solve technical problems.
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) related degree.
• Computer literacy and the ability to use the MS Office suite of tools.
• MATLAB / Simulink experience beneficial.
• A strong passion / interest in engineering and / or science.

Personal attributes

• Self‑motivated with drive and enthusiasm.
• Able to use own initiative to achieve overall objectives.
• Able to work under pressure and achieve challenging deadlines within an environment of changing priorities.
• Thorough, seeing job through to completion while maintaining high standards.
• Able to work flexibly and be readily adaptable to situational changes, in keeping with our custom working policy.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre‑employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC). For more information and guidance please visit :

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do, key contributors in shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that supports your wellbeing, learning and development, and work–life balance :

• Time to recharge : Our employees are entitled 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays. As a Summer Placement student you will receive this allowance pro rata.
• Secure your future : Award‑winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution
• Your wellbeing matters : Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee‑led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity)
• Never stop learning : Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn learning.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit :

We are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people, communities, and customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Be part of something bigger - apply now