Warheads Engineer Placement 2026

Warheads Engineer Placement 2026

The Complex Warheads Centre of Excellence is a coordinated team and the company's design authority for Warheads. We support Warhead development throughout the product lifecycle; starting with concept design, design definitions, assessment, technical specification, test equipment and maturity of concepts, into manufacture.

Salary: £23,495

Dynamic (Hybrid) Working: 4 days per week on-site due to workload classification

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.

What we can offer you

• 1 year placement: starting September 2026, that allows 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

The team develops, designs and tests Warheads for MBDA missiles.

• We predict the lethal performance of various types of missile systems through modelling of missile terminal engagement, target detection, Warhead detonation and lethal performance prediction.
• We provide expertise in the skill areas of Warheads, energetic materials, target detection and weapon lethality.

Through this placement you'll:

• Work closely with the team in a variety of stages within the product lifecycle
• Learn how to produce detailed design definitions, carry out concept assessment using modelling simulations
• Support the team to analyse and assess performance data collected during trials
• Support the design and planning for trials.

This is an outstanding opportunity to join a niche group of engineers with specialised expertise. The skills we utilise are not typical in academia and so joining the team presents an opportunity for you to develop knowledge in numerous aspects of Warhead development that you would not acquire anywhere else!

Joining us will build your knowledge and enable you to apply an understanding of Warhead technologies and their lethal effects to various types of missile systems in development and in service.

You may be encouraged to work independently, with limited supervision, or part of a small to medium team, as required.

Some projects may include collaboration with other MBDA departments across the UK and Europe. This role may require you to travel.

What we're looking for from you

• Working towards a degree in an Engineering, Mathematical or Applied Science subject area such as Aeronautical, Aerospace, Mechanical or Systems Engineering, Physics, Chemistry or Mathematics discipline.

Application Process

• 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!
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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.

How to apply

To apply for this role and to find out more, please click on the apply button. Please note that applications may close before the application deadline, so apply early to avoid disappointment.