Graduate Spacecraft Systems Engineer Review

Varied. On the graduate programme, if you are proactive to pursue your interests there are many opportunities to acquire additional training, involvement in company outreach and complete placements/rotations into surrounding business areas. I began working in the Cyber division of the company, but on the graduate programme have completed a rotation into Space Systems.

My time in Cyber exposed me to an area of the company that I had little awareness of, and offered a route to build experience in the disciplines of Systems Engineering across a variety of early phase projects. Following this with a placement in a Spacecraft Systems Engineer allowed me to directly apply elements of what I had studied in my BSc and MSc, working with a smaller R&D team to scope and size potential products for the future.

Rotations typically arise due to a need for extra work and a dedicated individual to complete/contribute to a given project over a 3 or 6 month period. Over this time, my work has informed upcoming projects and regularly requires me to engage with different members of the team and the site, so also provides a platform on which to further develop your professional network.

The leading perk at Airbus Defence & Space from my time so far is that the business works on 'Flexi' time, meaning that if you accrue additional hours within a month, you will be able to exchange this for time off. In addition, internal mobility is readily available across divisions (even after the graduate programme) and can be a great way to explore areas of the business and continue your professional development.

Through the access to training material, senior members of staff and application of relevant skills, I feel the role is preparing me well t have a range of career options which I can pursue

Support can vary, as it can in any company, with the specific individuals you report to. Airbus has an annual cycle of individual and team reviews with the objective of ensuring regular contact between your relevant Line Manager or HR representative. Mentor and Buddy systems are often available through the Graduate Programme structure - but once again these in general will be accessed by those who pursue them and once established are incredibly valuable from my experience.

Well supported particularly with the Flexi-Time resource that helps maintain a balance within typical working hours.

The company is very inclusive, and all those I have engaged with are positive and interested in supporting those around them. Remote working varies by site, my initial role required 5 days/week presence in the office, whereas my current role does not require this.

Airbus is an inclusive and disability-concious employer - Disability is not a barrier at Airbus, and I have seen first hand how people in the business are supported in their efforts to champion initiatives that promote equal opportunity whether this is in social diversity, LGBTQ+, and female representation

Yes

Based on my experience, I have had access to a wealth of support through mentorship, surrounding team members and my fellow cohort, as well as training material for both soft and technical skills. I've also been able to pursue my interests thus far, and shape my journey as a graduate to meet where I hope for my career to progress. From my experience in the UK, Airbus is one of the most prominent provider of infrastructure and capabilities for the space sector, and so the business offers a clear path to contribute to this exciting sector

There were some areas of the job description for the role I applied to which were left slightly less defined, and so the types of projects I was engaged in varied from expectations slightly. The structure of the Graduate Programme however provided me with a route to pursue topic areas which aligned with my personal passions or areas of interest within the role