< Back to search
MBDA • Stevenage | Bristol | Bolton | United Kingdom

Mechanical Architect

Employment type:  Full time
Salary:  From £54,000 per annum
Apply now

Job Description

Missile Architecture is excited to offer multiple opportunities for experienced Mechanical Architects, with roles available within the Deep Strike Programme.

The roles of responsibility, will include leading architect activities of mechanical design and problem solving for a wide variety of complex weapons and weapon systems, working closely with multi-disciplinary teams across such as mechanical engineering, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain. You will be expected to provide technical, drive design maturity, and act as a key interface with internal and external stakeholders.

Salary: Circa £54,000+ depending on experience

Dynamic (hybrid) working: 3 to 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:

  • Company bonus: Up to £2,500 (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
  • Flexi Leave: Up to 15 additional days
  • Flexible working: We welcome applicants who are looking for flexible working arrangements
  • Enhanced parental leave: offers up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave -enhancements are available for paternity leave, neonatal leave and fertility testing and treatments
  • Facilities: Fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more…
  • Healthcare Cash Plan: The Healthcare Cash Plan benefit provides the option to claim cash back on everyday healthcare expenses such as optical, dental, health and wellbeing and more.

The opportunity:

An opportunity has arisen within Missile Architecture for a skilled Mechanical Architect to join our dynamic team within Deep Strike programme.

As Mechanical Architects, we play a pivotal role in all stages of missile life-cycle, from initial feasibility studies to series production and ongoing in-service support. Your key responsibilities will include capturing and managing requirements to ensure missile performance meets specifications, deadlines, and budget targets. You will be responsible for justifying designs, coordinating verification activities to demonstrate performance, and ensuring that functional and mechanical requirements are implemented across all missile sub-assemblies.

The primary duties of a Mechanical Architect incorporate:

  • Analysing the overall product structure, mechanical interfaces, and architecture.
  • Conducting architectural trade-offs in collaboration with key stakeholders.
  • Promoting adherence to key design principles such as modularity, reusability, and design for assembly.
  • Assessing technology maturity and design complexity at the missile level.
  • Defining and managing hardware requirements at the missile and sub-system levels.
  • Providing support during product design and program phase gate reviews.
  • Managing technical relationships with suppliers and stakeholders to ensure on-time and on-budget delivery.
  • Tracking and managing assigned budgets effectively.
  • Providing technical guidance and oversight to engineers within the team.

Join us in this challenging and rewarding role where you can make a significant impact on the future of missile technology and defence systems.

What we're looking for from you:

  • Ideally educated to degree level, or equivalent experience with significant industry experience.
  • Proven ability to lead mechanical design work packages within multi-disciplinary teams.
  • Strong experience across full product life cycles, from concept to in-service support.
  • In-depth knowledge of design proving and qualification activities.
  • Strong communication skills with the ability to influence, negotiate, and make technical decisions.
  • Ability to work in an international environment and understand cultural issues.
  • Experience engaging with and developing suppliers and external partners.
  • Ability to manage priorities, assess risk, and mentor less experienced engineer.
  • Experience of electro-mechanical & mechanical design.
  • Dedication to work towards delivery timelines and budgets.
  • Knowledge of broader engineering fields, such as Materials, Tolerancing, Configuration Control, Environmental, Six Sigma & Lean Design, Systems Engineering, V-model, DFMEA.
  • Ideally experience with Microsoft Office, such as Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

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.

Company benefits

25 days annual leave + bank holidays
Adoption leave – up to 26 weeks
Annual bonus – all employee bonuses paid in Feb/March
Annual pay rises – performance (+ inflation) increases each year
Bike parking – secure parking at all sites
Buddy scheme – buddies when onboarding
Buy or sell annual leave – buy up to 5 extra days
Coffee discounts – discounted on site cafes and canteens
Company shutdown periods – Christmas closures and bank holidays
Compassionate leave
Cycle to work scheme
Dental coverage – salary sacrifice options
Electric Car Salary Sacrifice – MyCarScheme - including electric vehicles
Electric vehicle charging unit loan – electric charging points at all UK sites
Employee assistance programme
Employee discounts
Enhanced maternity leave – up to 26 weeks
Enhanced paternity leave – available after 26 weeks service
Enhanced pension match/contribution
Enhanced sick pay – increases with length of service
Faith rooms
Family health insurance – salary sacrifice options
Fertility treatment leave
Gym membership – Discounted gym on site in Stevenage, or discounts for local gyms across UK
Health insurance – salary sacrifice options
In house training – In house L&D team
L&D budget
Language lessons
Learning platform – access to multiple learning resources
Menopause support
Mental health first aiders
Mentoring – available to all employees. Includes women in leadership options
Neo-natal leave – up to 12 weeks
On-site catering
On-site gym
On-site wellness room – reflection rooms available to employees
Open to compressed hours
Open to job sharing
Open to part time work for some roles
Open to part-time employees
Optional unpaid leave
Personal development budgets – up to £150 towards non-work training courses
Professional subscriptions – full membership funding available
Referral bonus – up to £3,000 for a successful referral
Reservist leave – up to 3 weeks off for training (2 weeks on full pay)
Restaurant discounts – discount/cashback employee platform
Salary sacrifice
Share options
Shared parental leave – up to 26 weeks
Teambuilding days
Technology Loan – salary sacrifice options available
Time off in-lieu
Travel loan – season ticket loans for public transport
Volunteer days – up to 2 days a year for team-based volunteering
Pregnancy loss leave

Working at MBDA

Company employees:

6000

Gender diversity (m:f):

73:27

Hiring in countries

Spain

United Kingdom

Office Locations

Awards & Accreditations

Best Work-Life Balance

Top 5 - Best Work-Life Balance

Flexa awards 2026

Other jobs you might like