Systems Engineering Industrial Placement (Customer Support)

Job Description:

The opportunity:

Are you ready to apply your studies to real-world engineering challenges and gain hands-on experience from day one?

At Leonardo, we're looking for industrial placement students who are curious about how complex systems work, enjoy solving problems and want to gain experience working on projects that make a real-world difference. You'll have the opportunity to apply what you've learned at university, develop your technical and professional skills, and gain valuable insight into how engineering is delivered within industry.

We have several exciting opportunities for Systems Engineering Industrial Placements within our Customer Support and Service Solutions (CS3) line of business. CS3 operates across the UK, developing and delivering innovative support solutions and services that help our customers keep critical capabilities available wherever and whenever they are needed.

Systems Engineering in CS3 is varied, and your role will cover one or more of the following areas:

• Support Solution Design: Help to understand customer needs and develop the support solutions and services that enable complex equipment to remain available and effective throughout its life. This could involve requirements, modelling, analysis and conceptual design, including work associated with Typhoon and the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
• Technical Support: Develop hands-on engineering experience through the testing, investigation and repair of some of our in-service equipment across helicopters and fast jets. You could work with electronic-based systems and associated test equipment, while developing your understanding of how individual products and equipment contribute to the wider support system.
• Digital: Help to develop, maintain and support digital tools used by our customers. These tools support activities such as asset and logistics management and decision-making, using capabilities including data processing, reporting and visualisation. You will gain experience of how digital technologies and data can be used to understand customer problems and improve support solutions and services.
• CS3 Engineering Capability Development: Help us improve how we engineer and deliver support solutions across CS3. You could explore new technologies, analyse and visualise data, develop engineering methods and tools, or investigate new approaches that improve the services we provide to our customers.

You do not need to decide which of these areas is right for you before applying. During the application process, we'll explore your interests, strengths and aspirations with you to help identify where you could be the best fit.

During our 12-month Industrial Placement Programme, you will work alongside experienced engineers and subject matter experts on challenging project work, contributing to real technical and customer problems while developing your skills and understanding of engineering in industry.

You won't be expected to know everything when you join. Throughout your placement, you'll receive coaching and support from your team and our dedicated CS3 Early Careers Manager. As your knowledge, experience and confidence grow, you'll have opportunities to take greater ownership of your work and apply what you have learned at university in a practical environment. Alongside your main role, you will also have the opportunity to take part in a project with other early careers colleagues, giving you further experience of collaboration and working across different areas of the business.

You will gain a broad range of experience that you can take back into your academic studies and future career. There will also be opportunities to get involved in STEM activities with local schools.

Our aim is for your Industrial Placement to be an important step in your engineering career with Leonardo. Successful placements may lead to an opportunity to return to Leonardo after completing your studies, including through our Graduate Programme.

This role can be based at either our Luton or Edinburgh site. It is likely to include some travel within the UK and potentially overseas, providing opportunities to work directly with our customers and gain an understanding of their operational environment. Leonardo also operates a Custom (hybrid) working model that allows employees to split their time between attending the workplace and working remotely, subject to the needs of the role, team and customer.

What you'll do as a Systems Engineering Industrial Placement (Customer Support):

Depending on your specific role, you will have the opportunity to do a combination of the following:

• Use and develop your technical knowledge to investigate problems, generate ideas and contribute proactively within your team.
• Develop practical Systems Engineering skills in the design, development, integration and verification of complex systems and support solutions, while building your understanding of the processes and technologies involved.
• Apply your academic knowledge to real engineering challenges across the engineering lifecycle, developing your understanding of how high-quality technical work is delivered within cost and schedule constraints.
• Work collaboratively with engineers and specialists from multiple disciplines, learning from their expertise and contributing your own ideas and perspectives.
• Work with customers and stakeholders to understand their needs, operational context and the problems they need us to solve.
• Help to capture, analyse and manage customer and stakeholder requirements, and understand how these influence the design and development of a solution.
• Use data analysis, modelling, visualisation and dashboards to support engineering decisions and communicate insights.
• Complete your work to a high standard and in accordance with appropriate engineering processes, procedures and standards.
• Identify opportunities to improve engineering processes, methods and tools, and contribute ideas for how we can work more effectively.

The exact activities will vary depending on the team and area you join, giving you the opportunity to develop a broad understanding of Systems Engineering while building your technical knowledge and practical experience.

What we need from you:

You will need:

• A minimum predicted 2:2 degree classification in a relevant subject. Preferred disciplines include Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science or another STEM subject.
• An interest in engineering and enthusiasm for developing your understanding of Systems Engineering in an industry environment.

We are also looking for people who can demonstrate some of the following through their studies, university projects, work experience, extracurricular activities or other experiences:

• Curiosity and a logical approach to solving unfamiliar problems.
• Self-motivation and a proactive approach to learning and problem solving.
• The ability to consider both the detail of a problem and the wider system or context.
• A collaborative approach and willingness to learn from, and share ideas with, people from different technical and professional backgrounds.
• The ability to organise and prioritise your work and take ownership of tasks, seeking guidance where appropriate.
• Confidence to ask questions, constructively challenge ideas and speak up when something doesn't look right.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical information and ideas to different audiences.
• A willingness to seek feedback, learn from experience and develop increasing independence as your knowledge and confidence grow.
• An enthusiasm for contributing ideas and exploring different ways to solve technical and customer problems.

You do not need previous experience of the defence or aerospace industry. We are interested in your potential, your approach to problem solving and your willingness to learn. This is not an exhaustive list, and we encourage you to apply even if you don't yet have experience in all of the areas above. We recognise that an Industrial Placement is an opportunity to develop your skills and experience. A positive attitude, curiosity and a willingness to learn are some of the most important qualities we're looking for.

Security Clearance 

Many of our roles are subject to security and export control restrictions set by UK Government Security requirements and customer obligations.  As a result, and in line with the UK Government Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) requirements, all successful applicants will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record declaration information and employment and/or education history verification for the previous five years. 

For staff operating in more sensitive posts, there is an additional range of personnel security controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV).  As part of this process, a range of factors may be considered, including an individual's background, travel history, nationality, previous nationalities held and other information relevant to the vetting assessment. 

To be eligible for National Security Vetting at SC level, applicants will generally be expected to have continuously resided in the UK for the previous five years. For DV clearance, this is typically ten years.  In some circumstances, time spent overseas may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.  Additional vetting requirements may apply upon appointment. 

For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting 

Why join us 

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do, our teams are key contributors in shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.  

We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive. 

·         Time to recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year. 

·         Secure your future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution. 

·         Your wellbeing matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity. 

·         Tailored perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more. 

For a full list of our company benefits please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/company-benefits 

We are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people, communities and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Start your extraordinary career – apply now!

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