Plant Support Engineer Portsmouth Placement (13 months)

Joinimagine; Portsmouth (NH); Hybrid; USD 28,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working hours

Hybrid working options

Half day Fridays

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Job summary

Airbus Defence and Space Limited in Portsmouth offers an internship in Manufacturing Engineering within the Industrial Management Team. The placement focuses on Lean, MAIT improvements, and delivering measurable gains across the site.

You’ll work on dashboards, cost reduction, and collaboration with MAIT sites, with hybrid work and a 37-hour week for a 13-month program, beginning with an August/July start as noted.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate student for the whole placement period.
• Studying Mechanical/Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering or related field.
• Knowledge of problem solving and Kaizen approaches is a plus.
• Some coding or scripting knowledge is desirable.
• Strong communication and proactive mindset.

Responsibilities

• Define and deliver a credible 12-month improvement plan for the site.
• Reduce MAIT cost base and Ready for Bid Price through opportunities.
• Develop production dashboards and KPI visualization.
• Coordinate multi-project oversight for facility footprint and resources.
• Implement and mature the Operational Excellence System (OES).
• Deliver Lean improvements on quality, time and cost.
• Lead process streamlining and report project status and costs.
• Standardise Lean MAIT processes across sites.
• Promote Lean education within Portsmouth and other sites.

Skills

Communication skills

Coding & scripting knowledge

Proactive

Entrepreneurial mindset

Team collaboration

Education

Pursuing engineering degree (Undergraduate)

Job description

Job Description:

Start date:19 July 2027

Location:Portsmouth

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 ... 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 Portsmouth, where our team plays a crucial part in enhancing the Operational Excellence Maturity of the Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth 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:

During this placement, the activities you may undertake will include:

• Support with 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.

Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate the following:

• 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.

*This Job Request will be allocated to the projected Joint-Venture scope towards a leading European player in space.*

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.

#UK_PLA

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: Manufacturing Engineering

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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. As such, we will never ask for any type of monetary exchange in the frame of a recruitment process. Any impersonation of Airbus to do so should be reported to [e-mail].

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.