Systems Design Engineer - Graduate Programme 2027

MBDA UK; West of England; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Joining bonus

Pension plan

Overtime

Annual leave

Flexi leave

Healthcare plan

Job summary

MBDA UK is offering a Systems Design Engineer Graduate Programme for 2027. The role involves integrating design viewpoints to meet customer requirements and coordinating with development teams across Land, Maritime, Air, and Cyber domains.

Successful graduates will join a two-year programme starting September 2027, with a base salary of £31,900 and a joining bonus of £3,000; benefits include pension, healthcare, annual leave, and potential overtime.

Qualifications

• Degree qualified in an Engineering, Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry, Maths, Technology, Computing or General Science discipline (minimum 2:2).

Responsibilities

• Bring together the full design viewpoint to meet customer requirements with innovative solutions.
• Coordinate with development teams to leverage expertise across domains.
• Develop functional architectures and verify design through lab tests and trials.

Education

Engineering, Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry, Maths, Technology, Computing or General Science (minimum 2:2)

Job description

Systems Design Engineer - Graduate Programme 2027

Systems Design is at the heart of the product lifecycle, providing an opportunity to experience every phase of development and collaborate across all engineering disciplines. From researching novel technologies and identifying customer needs, through concept development and performance assessment, to product verification in lab tests and firing trials - Systems Design underpins it all. Salary: £31,900 plus a £3000 joining bonus Dynamic Working: Up to 5 days per week on-site due to workload classification, depending on project 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 2nd November 2026 but may close earlier depending on application volumes.

What we can offer you

• 2 year Programme: starting September 2027
• Annual Salary Review
• Company bonus: up to £2,500 (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
• Healthcare Cash Plan: provides support with everyday health related costs - including medical, dental, optical, physio and health & wellbeing

Facilities: fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more…

The opportunity

Systems Design engineers are responsible for bringing the full range of design viewpoints together - ensuring customer requirements are met by proposing innovative solutions, honing in on the detailed design, and coordinating with development teams to make best use of their expertise. We offer exposure to a variety of engineering methodologies and processes across all domains - Land, Maritime, Air, and Cyber. Our Systems Design functions in Bristol are Weapon Systems, Command and Control Systems, Integration and Systems Validation, Emerging Portfolio and Capability, and Sparkworks. Depending on your home function and choice of placements, you may be involved in technology research, deriving requirements, brainstorming concept solutions, developing functional architectures, analysing system performance, conducting trade studies, or gathering verification evidence in the lab or through off-site trials - we cover the whole Systems 'V' Model! Systems Design is suited to those that enjoy the creativity and practicality of working with problems to arrive at logical solutions. Our people are adaptable and the role is varied and fast paced - innovation is the company value that we practice the most. We collaborate with people across all engineering fields and business teams, meeting suppliers and customers, and engaging with international MBDA colleagues. Systems Designers have a high-level view over the whole product definition and lifecycle, laying the foundations for the delivery of future weapons capabilities that achieve the best result for the Customer and MBDA.

What we’re looking for from you

Degree qualified in an Engineering, Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry, Maths, Technology, Computing or General Science discipline (minimum 2:2).

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.

Value and community

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