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Job Details
Engineering Support - Undergraduate Placement 2026
R29303

Contract type

Full time

Discipline

Customer Support and Services | Engineering and Design | Systems Engineering

Location

Stevenage

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00 Job Description

Engineering Support - Undergraduate Placement 2026

As an Undergraduate in Customer Support and Services (CSS) you will play a crucial role in ensuring our products are ready for action whenever our customers need them. Alongside your primary role at our sites in the UK, you'll have the opportunity to visit and interact directly with the Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force, gaining hands-on experience with all the support you need.

Your placement within our department could be at any point in the CADMID cycle; it could be working on a current development programme where you would be influencing the design of the System. Or it could be supporting an In-Service product, working to ensure the system remains operational with anything from resolving technical issues with the Design Team to supporting maintenance activities.  

Salary: £23,495

Dynamic (Hybrid) Working: 2-3 days per week on-site

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.

CLOSING DATE FOR THIS ROLE IS MIDNIGHT ON 5TH JANUARY 2026. (SUBJECT TO APPLICATION VOLUMES)

What we can offer you

  • 1 year placement: starting September 2026, allowing you to apply your university learning to real-world projects and technologies 

  • Company bonus: 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

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

The Opportunity

Our role within MBDA is unique – we support the development and delivery of the whole Weapon System; our mission is to understand everything that the user needs!

Every single system that MBDA delivers, from Meteor to Sea Viper, requires support to ensure that the Missile and surrounding systems remain operational for many years to come. CSS are the team at MBDA that make this happen; you will be a part of the team that makes this happen.

Your placement could be at any point in the CADMID cycle; for example, you could be working on a current development programme influencing the design of the System to ensure that it is supportable from the very first delivery. Or you could be resolving technical queries with the Design Team.

Throughout the year-long placement, you will gain hands-on technical experience, bridging the gap between classroom learning and practical application in the defence sector. Throughout all of this we'll make sure you receive structured training and support relevant for the role.

This placement is like no other – where else could you go from assisting in a workshop one week to assisting with repair activities on a ship the next?

What will you gain?

Throughout the year-long placement, you will learn how MBDA designs our systems to be supportable, and then how we ensure they stay supported whilst In-Service. You will gain experience as a member of the teams that are delivering on our contractual commitments, carrying out real world engineering support analysis and investigations to ensure our products can be relied upon for decades.

  • Work on a mix of design, development, troubleshooting, and repair tasks, gaining practical experience on a live Project with real impact across the entire product lifecycle.

  • You will be analysing operational scenarios to ensure our Systems can be used in the ‘real world' and not just in models or laboratories. This goes beyond the analysis of technical documentation and into direct contact with the Armed Forces to reflect their experiences back into our Products.

  • You will develop essential engineering skills as well as a broad understanding of how MBDA interacts with our customers. CSS excels in being able to provide placements that encompass both technical engineering as well as the opportunity to learn how a global player in the Defence Industry operates.

  • CSS is one of the few departments within MBDA that communicates at all levels within the business, as well as externally to all of our Customers. This unique opportunity will enhance your communication skills; requiring you to tailor your conversations based on your audience and your objective.

What we're looking for from you

  • Working towards a degree in an Engineering discipline.

  • A good understanding of engineering principles and the ability to communicate them clearly with both technical and non-technical people

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.

Follow us on LinkedIn (MBDA), X (@MBDA_UK), Instagram (MBDA_UK) and Glassdoor or visit our MBDA Careers website for more information



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00 Application Process

1. Submit an application

Our application form contains a few factual questions, some questions relating to the role you have applied for and a section for you to tell us all about you! 

2. Online assessment - Part One

Next in our process is part one of our online strengths assessment, completely tailored to our business and early careers schemes. After completing our assessment you'll receive a personalised report.

3. Online assessment - Part Two

Part two of our online assessments include three video recorded tasks which are authentic work scenario based activities which you could be doing on your programme - we refer to these as job simulations.

4. Assessment centre

Our strength based assessment centre is a half day virtual experience! You’ll get to work on a range of tasks, meet current programme members and people from the department you have applied for. All candidates receive feedback on their performance.

5. Offer

We’ll call you within a week of your assessment day to talk through your feedback and the finer details of your offer, as well as next steps.

00 Information

Training and Development

You’ll be able to choose between a variety of online learning platforms such as Percipio, YouLearn, Career Builder and Video Gateway. Each one is tailored to a specific type of learning. Speak to your line manager to find out more. 

We encourage new learning and will provide up to £150 in financial support per year if you wish to participate in further study in your own time. You’ll have access to our Learning Gateway, which hosts the formal course catalogue and is where you can select the right training for your role and future development. The catalogue displays which courses are being delivered virtually or are classroom based. If you want to lead a team, you might be interested in our management training, designed for people of all experience levels. 

Dynamic Working

The way we work is changing and your schedule will reflect that. For non-executive employees, we have a flexi-time scheme that allows you to choose, within certain parameters, when you start and finish each day and how you can use time you have accrued. If you have worked the time, you are also able to accrue and take up to 15 days of Flexi-leave per annum, in addition to the 25 days of annual leave provided and bank holidays.

Security Clearance

All employees at MBDA are required to hold UK Security or BPSS Clearance. 

For further information, please view our Security & Vetting page.

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00 Apply for this role

Engineering Support - Undergraduate Placement 2026 R29303

Contract type

Full time

We have detected you are using an IP outside of the UK

Before continuing your application, please note that as a defence industry employer, restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work will apply.

If you do not meet the necessary requirements, any application you submit will be rejected.

We only recommend continuing your application if you are confident of your right to work for us.

Please refer to our Security & Vetting policy for further information.