Complex Warheads: Lethality Engineer - Undergraduate Placement 2025
Salary: £20,000 (pro rata)
Location: Stevenage
Working pattern: Due to the nature of this role and to allow you to be introduced to the business and your work effectively, you should plan to work onsite an average of 4 days a week.
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 Monday 4th November
The opportunity:
The Complex Warheads Centre of Excellence is a coordinated team situated across sites in Stevenage, Bolton and Paris and their role is to:
- Act as the company's design authority for warheads.
- Predict the lethal performance of various types of missile systems.
- Provide expertise in the skill areas of warheads, explosives, target detection and weapon lethality.
The Lethality team in Stevenage primarily undertakes modelling of the missile terminal engagement, the target detection, warhead detonation and lethal performance prediction.
This is an outstanding opportunity to join a niche group of engineers with mixed expertise, involved in assessing the lethal performance of various missile systems. 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 missile lethality that you would not develop anywhere else!
With support and mentorship from the team's engineers, you'll be involved in applying a bespoke set of modelling tools to evaluate and investigate the lethal performance of developing and future missile systems against a range of targets. Our in-house tools are principally fast running evaluation models written in MATLAB; however, other tools such as CAD design software are also used to provide inputs to our models.
Joining us will build your knowledge and enable you to apply an understanding of fuzing techniques, warhead technologies, lethal effects and lethality assessment modelling methods to various types of missile systems in development by MBDA.
You will be encouraged to work on your own or in a small team, with limited supervision, as required, on short tasks (typically a few weeks to a few months in duration). Some projects may include collaboration with other MBDA departments around Europe.
What we're looking for from you:
Currently studying towards a degree in an Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Computing or Applied Science discipline.
Our company:
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.
What we can offer you:
- 10 month undergraduate placement starting September 2025
- Fantastic site facilities, including subsidised meals and free car parking
- A placement that allows you to apply your university learning to real-world engineering projects and technologies
- Flexible working
We respect new perspectives and experiences, and we value our collaborative ways of working. We are committed to growing and supporting diversity in our workforce and ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to reach their potential. MBDA is proud of our employee-led networks including Gender Equality, Pride, Neurodiversity, Ethnic Diversity, Menopause Matters, Parents and Carers and Armed Forces.
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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