Join MBDA as a Mechanical Engineering Level 6 Degree Apprentice in Stevenage on a full-time, 4-year rotational programme. Earn a salary of £23,000 plus a £3,000 joining bonus while studying for a BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering at the University of Hertfordshire one day a week.
Requirements
Minimum of 5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English Language, Mathematics, and a Science or Technology subject.
Either three A Levels totalling 120 UCAS Tariff points (including Maths and a Technology or Engineering subject, with no grade below B) or a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Engineering at DDM (including distinction in Further Maths).
Must be a British Citizen or Dual UK national eligible for BPSS security clearance.
Skills & Responsibilities
Engineering fundamentals: Apply academic theory from university to practical placements spanning product design, simulation, manufacture, assembly, and testing.
Testing and validation: Prepare and support live missile trials, record and analyse data, and contribute to engineering reviews.
Environmental testing: Simulate extreme mechanical and climatic conditions to ensure safety and reliability using specialist equipment.
Lifecycle support: Gain experience across supportability, in-service teams, and technical publications to ensure complex systems remain effective.
Potential transition routes: People from academic backgrounds or technical support roles may bring analytical skills and enthusiasm for engineering, alongside meeting the mandatory GCSE and A Level or BTEC requirements.
Due to the location of the site and learning providers, applicants are encouraged to consider their home or rental location to ensure travel arrangements are manageable and travel time is minimised.
The qualification: You'll study for an Mechanical Engineering Degree Apprenticeship, which maps to the Product design and development engineer apprenticeship standard. Your final award will be a BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering.
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 20th November 2026 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 study onsite at University one day a week (with occasional virtual learning sessions); the rest of your working week will be in your home function with MBDA and you'll be putting into practice everything you’re learning in a real life environment, via placements tailored to the stream you'll be joining.
There are four streams within the Mechanical Degree Apprenticeship that you may join. During the recruitment process we will assess which role you are best suited for.
Integration and Missile Validation:
Get hands on experience preparing and supporting live missile trials across different testing environments
Learn about instrumentation, sensors, data acquisition and test equipment.
Support trials, record and analyse data, and contribute to trial reports and engineering reviews
Work alongside experienced engineers to understand how testing helps prove, validate and improve complex systems.
Engineering support:
Gain experience in how engineering products are supported throughout their entire lifecycle, from development through to in-service use.
Explore placements across areas including Supportability, In-service teams, Support Services, Human factors, Field support and Technical publications
Learn how engineers help customers keep complex systems available, reliable and effective
Develop an understanding of the wider engineering roles involved beyond the initial design and manufacture of a product.
Environmental Engineering:
Test advanced products in extreme mechanical and climatic conditions to make sure they can operate safely and reliably.
Experience simulating real world mechanical and climatic environments ranging from extreme cold and heat to vibration, shock, humidity and low pressure.
Gain experience across placements in mechanical and climatic testing, structural testing, trials, data analysis and facilities.
Use specialist equipment and facilities while applying your university learning to real engineering challenges
Mechanical Engineering:
Explore the full mechanical engineering lifecycle, from design and simulation through to manufacture, assembly and testing.
Gain experience across placements such as Mechanical Design, Future Concepts, Actuation, Analysis, Materials and Environmental Engineering
Develop critical skills alongside academic knowledge, using industry-standard tools such as Creo, Altair, Hypermesh and Ansys.
Work on increasingly complex projects as your skills and confidence grow
Regardless of the route you take, you'll benefit from a rotational programme that exposes you to the entire product lifecycle. You'll collaborate with a wide range of engineering functions and specialist teams; all while being supported by experienced colleagues.
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:
Following your GCSE's you must have completed one of the following qualification routes, equivalent to a minimum of 120 UCAS Tariff points:
A Levels: Three A levels totalling 120 UCAS Tariff points, including Maths and either a Technology or Engineering subject, with no individual grade below B
BTECs: A single Level 3 Extended Diploma in Engineering at a minimum grade of DDM, including a distinction in a Further Maths module.
The learning provider is not able to support T level qualifications for this apprenticeship.
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.
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