Systems Design Engineer - Graduate Programme 2027
Systems Design is at the heart of the product lifecycle, providing an opportunity to experience every phase of development and collaborate across all engineering disciplines. From researching novel technologies and identifying customer needs, through concept development and performance assessment, to product verification in lab tests and firing trials – Systems Design underpins it all.
Salary: £31,900 plus a £3000 joining bonus
Dynamic Working: Up to 5 days per week on-site due to workload classification, depending on project
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 Monday 2nd November 2026 but may close earlier depending on application volumes.
Systems Design engineers are responsible for bringing the full range of design viewpoints together - ensuring customer requirements are met by proposing innovative solutions, honing in on the detailed design, and coordinating with development teams to make best use of their expertise.
We offer exposure to a variety of engineering methodologies and processes across all domains - Land, Maritime, Air, and Cyber. Our Systems Design functions in Bristol are Weapon Systems, Command and Control Systems, Integration and Systems Validation, Emerging Portfolio and Capability, and Sparkworks.
Depending on your home function and choice of placements, you may be involved in technology research, deriving requirements, brainstorming concept solutions, developing functional architectures, analysing system performance, conducting trade studies, or gathering verification evidence in the lab or through offsite trials - we cover the whole Systems ‘V’ Model!
Systems Design is suited to those that enjoy the creativity and practicality of working with problems to arrive at logical solutions. Our people are adaptable and the role is varied and fast paced – innovation is the company value that we practice the most.
We collaborate with people across all engineering fields and business teams, meeting suppliers and customers, and engaging with international MBDA colleagues.
Systems Designers have a high-level view over the whole product definition and lifecycle, laying the foundations for the delivery of future weapons capabilities that achieve the best result for the Customer and MBDA.
Degree qualified in an Engineering, Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry, Maths, Technology, Computing or General Science discipline (minimum 2:2).
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.
A world leader in missiles and missile systems.
Our multi-national organisation is made up of around 13,000 employees working across the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and the US, and is the first truly integrated European defence company.
As the European champion in our sector, our vision is to continue to grow our presence as a global player. Our mission is to achieve this by establishing ourselves as an industry leader; promoting co-operation and delivering technical and operational excellence to our customer.
Our values are:
• Innovation:
Ensuring operational and strategic advantage;
• Commitment:
Always delivering on our promises;
• Integrity:
A reliable and trusted partner with the highest professional and ethical standards;
• Passion:
Applying all our energy and focus to every task, recognising our role in providing mission critical capabilities;
• Team Spirit:
Harnessing our diversity and collective purpose to deliver competitive advantage to all of our stakeholders.
We have a rich heritage of designing and producing missiles and missile systems to meet the whole range of current and future operational requirements for the three armed forces (army, navy, air force). We are proud to be a trusted partner to our armed forces and work with them to deliver a cutting-edge portfolio of products.
