Summer Placement Materials Engineer

Job Description:

Your impact 

Are you ready to make an impact and gain hands-on experience working on real-world projects from day one? 

At Leonardo, we’re looking for summer placement students who want to be part of something extraordinary —shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety. 

Our placements are designed to help you apply your studies in a practical setting, develop your technical skills, and gain valuable insight into how our business operates. 

Our Summer Placement Programme 

Our 13 weeks Summer Placement Programme gives you the chance to work in the Materials Testing Laboratory; a lab that supports the production of our world leading radar and electro-optic products. Working under the guidance of experienced Material Engineers, you will be introduced to state-of-the-art methods, technology and equipment used to characterise materials and analyse failures. You will explore all aspects of the materials test lifecycle, which may include requirements analysis, design of samples, implementation of new processes, sample testing, and product support.

Throughout your placement, you’ll receive coaching and support from a dedicated team, with the potential to return for future placements or progress onto our Graduate Development Programme. 

The programme will run from 01/06/2027 to 27/08/2027.

We expect you on site to integrate with your team and maximise your learning experience with the laboratory equipment. 

As a Summer Placement Mechanical Engineer you will:

·         Be immersed in a busy materials laboratory environment, gaining practical experience across a wide range of material characterisation and testing activities that support critical engineering programmes. You will contribute directly to cutting-edge failure analysis on various materials, components and hardware. Including, additively manufactured metallic materials; where you will help to develop sample preparation techniques and document new laboratory processes.

·         Gain a broader understanding of the Materials & Processes Department; working alongside experienced engineers and scientists to see how materials engineering influences the performance, safety and reliability of advanced aerospace systems.

·         Have the chance to gain a wider knowledge of the business through various awareness sessions.

·         Be given responsibility for delivering a specific project task, providing an excellent opportunity to develop your technical, project management and soft skills.

What you’ll bring

·         Be enrolled on a Bachelor’s/Integrated Masters degree from an accredited degree course.

·         Relevant engineering or science work experience, such as summer placements or internships.

·         Experience with technical writing and project planning.

·         Strong analytical, modelling skills and laboratory skills.

·         Evidence of successfully working in a team.

·         Experience of working in a laboratory and following laboratory procedures is desirable.

For the Summer Placement Mechanical Engineer role, the acceptable degree programmes are typically:

·         Engineering Materials

·         Materials Science

·         Mechanical Engineering

·         Chemical Engineering

·         Aerospace Engineering/Manufacturing/Technology

·         Physics

·         Applied Physics

·         Engineering Physics

·         Engineering Management

This is not an exhaustive list, and we are keen to hear from you even if you might not have experience in all the above. The most important skill is a good attitude and willingness to learn.

Security Clearance 

Many of our roles are subject to security requirements and, where applicable, export control restrictions arising from UK Government requirements and customer obligations many of our roles are subject to security and export control restrictions set by UK Government Security requirements and customer obligations.  As a result, and in line with the UK Government Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) requirements, all successful applicants will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record declaration information and employment and/or education history verification for the previous five years.  

For staff operating in more sensitive posts, there is an additional range of personnel security controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV).  As part of this process, a range of factors may be considered, including an individual's background, travel history, nationality, previous nationalities held and other information relevant to the vetting assessment.  

To be eligible for National Security Vetting at SC level, applicants will generally be expected to have continuously resided in the UK for the previous five years. For DV clearance, this is typically ten years.  In some circumstances, time spent overseas may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.  Additional vetting requirements may apply upon appointment.  

For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting 

Why join us 

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do, key contributors in shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety. 

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that supports your wellbeing, learning and development, and work–life balance: 

·         Time to recharge: Our employees are entitled 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays. As a Summer Placement student you will receive this allowance pro rata. 

·         Secure your future: Award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution 

·         Your wellbeing matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity.

·         Never stop learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn learning. 

For a full list of our company benefits please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/company-benefits  

We are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people, communities, and customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know. 

Be part of something extraordinary – Apply now!

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