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Working at MBDA

  • Company employees
    7000
  • Gender diversity (m:f)
    74:26

Hiring in

  • Spain
  • United Kingdom

Office locations

Join MBDA as a Manufacturing Engineering Level 6 Degree Apprentice in Bolton on a 4.5-year full-time apprenticeship. Combine practical rotations in manufacturing engineering with studying for a BEng (Hons) in Engineering Manufacturing from Lancaster University, earning a starting salary of £23,000 plus a £3,000 joining bonus.

Requirements

  • Minimum of 5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English Language, Mathematics, and a Science or Technology subject.
  • 120 UCAS Tariff points from either 3 A Levels (grades A*-C including Maths and a Science/Technology/Engineering subject), a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in a Science or Technology subject (minimum DDM with distinction in Further Maths), or an Engineering T-Level (minimum merit).
  • Must be a British Citizen or Dual UK national eligible for BPSS security clearance.

Skills & Responsibilities

  • Engineering Manufacturing: Design and validate tooling, instructions, and production lines to support the assembly, integration, and test of defense products.
  • Process Development: Collaborate with teams to develop new manufacturing processes and assess production costs.
  • Operational Support: Provide day-to-day support to shop floor operators building products.
  • Academic Commitment: Balance hands-on engineering placements with studying 1 day a week towards a BEng (Hons) degree.
  • Potential transition routes: People from technical school backgrounds or general engineering foundation courses may bring foundational STEM knowledge, alongside meeting the specific GCSE and UCAS entry requirements.

Job description

Manufacturing Engineering Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship 2027

Salary: £23,000 plus a £3000 joining bonus

Duration: 4.5 years

Work Location: Bolton

Learning provider: Blackpool College

Due to the need to attend your MBDA site and the training provider as required for your apprenticeship, applicants need to ensure their home or rental location is appropriate, travel arrangements are manageable and travel time is minimised as required for your role.

The qualification: You'll study for a Manufacturing Degree apprenticeship; your final award will be a BEng (Hons) degree in Engineering Manufacturing from Lancaster University.

Find out more details on the course here https://www.blackpool.ac.uk/course/en00084

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.

This role is scheduled to close for applications at midnight on Friday 22nd January 2027 but may close earlier depending on application volumes.

What we can offer you:

  • Fully funded qualification starting September 2027
  • Paid travel expenses to and from your place of study
  • Annual pay reviews
  • Healthcare Cash Plan: provides support with everyday health related costs – including medical, dental, optical, physio and health & wellbeing
  • 25 days annual leave (plus holiday purchase) and up to 15 days flexi leave
  • Study leave during exam periods

Programme structure - your work at MBDA:

You'll be at college 1 day a week, the rest of your week you will be at MBDA understanding the role of a Manufacturing Engineer. Manufacturing Engineering is part of the Operations directorate based at our Manufacturing Centre of Excellence. Manufacturing consists of Assembly, Integration and Test of all our products for the company. The products we make are delivered directly to the customer/end user and therefore manufacturing are imperative to the delivery aspects of MBDAs business.

All of our apprenticeships at MBDA involve placements to help you understand more about our business. This apprenticeship will involve placements that rotate around different manufacturing engineering teams, with potential opportunities to do placements at other MBDA sites. You'll have the opportunity to work within the following areas:

  • Circuit Card Assembly
  • Seekers and Datalinks
  • Inert Missile
  • Actuators and Control Equipment
  • Platform Equipment and Cables

Manufacturing Engineers work closely with a range of teams to influence designs and are responsible for ‘how’ we build our products. This means you could get involved in and learn more about:

  • Any tooling required to build our products.
  • Instructions on how to build our products.
  • The cost of manufacture of our products.
  • The industrial validations of our production lines and our suppliers.
  • Day-to-day support of our operators building our products.
  • The architecture of the production lines.
  • Developing new manufacturing processes.

Every single day for a Manufacturing Engineer is different, combining a mix of time spent on the shop floor and office based working. There are also opportunities to travel to other MBDA sites and countries, plus visiting suppliers. You'll have the opportunity to work in the following

Throughout your programme you'll be completing assignments and sitting exams for your university studies. There will also be incredible opportunities to bring your technical knowledge to schools and colleges as a STEM ambassador - making handling your diary the key requirement for balancing your work load.

This is a fantastic opportunity for you to join an apprenticeship scheme that has developed winners of some of the most prestigious apprenticeship awards in the UK!

Our collaborative approach and culture of sharing knowledge will be key to your development. We trust each other to thrive and support one another to learn, meaning when you join us, you’ll bring a different perspective to how we see the future!

What we’re looking for from you:

This role has specific qualification and subject criteria so please make sure you carefully check your eligibility against this criteria before applying otherwise your application will not be considered. If you are currently studying and predicted to meet these requirements by the start date you are welcome to apply.

GCSEs:

A minimum of 5 GCSEs at minimum grade 4.

This must include:

  • English Language
  • Mathematics
  • Any Science or Technology subject

After GCSEs:

After your GCSEs you must have completed one of the following and achieved 120 UCAS Tariff points:

  • A Levels: 3 x A levels including Maths and either a Technology, Engineering or Science based subject. Applicants must have achieved grades A* to C. Grades below a C will not be considered.
  • BTECs: BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in a Science or Technology based subject at a minimum grade of DDM, including a distinction in a Further Maths module.
  • T Levels: T-Level in an Engineering subject with a minimum merit grade.

Please note: We look at entry criteria based on your top three full A Levels or equivalent qualifications (BTEC/T Level). We do not include UCAS points gained from an Extended Project Qualification. Additionally, as an employer we set our own entry criteria based on the requirements of this role. This means that the criteria above may differ from the university.

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.

Apply now
MBDA

Manufacturing Engineering Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship 2027

Bolton
On-site
£23,000 plus a £3,000 joining bonus

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