Software Engineer - Undergraduate Placement 2026

• 1 year placement: starting September 2026, that allows you to apply your university learning to real-world projects and technologies
• Company bonus: 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
• Annual Leave: 25 days plus option to purchase extra holiday
• Flexi Leave: up to 15 additional days
• Facilities: fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more...

The opportunity

The Software team at MBDA deliver software for the next generation of weapons in an ever evolving environment to support those on the battlefield! Our teams provide a range of products from high integrity real time software running on our weapon systems, software infrastructures (i.e. DevOps) and production test software to support functional test & manufacturing. We use a variety of programming languages, software tools and software lifecycle methodologies to achieve this.

You will get exposure to aspects of a software development lifecycle, a chance to collaborate with others in the annual multi-national Software Engineering Challenge and opportunities to travel. Enabling you to develop some of the skills necessary to become a well-rounded software engineer.

• Work closely with other teams in a variety of development stages within our weapons systems including both embedded and front end software development on a range of platforms, such as Windows and Linux, utilising C, C++, C# and Java.
• Learn about the functional and technical robustness of project deliverables
• The importance of technical documentation.
• Work with other departments within the company, learning a general overview of the business.

Currently studying towards a degree in Engineering (incl. General, Mechanical, Manufacturing/Production, Aeronautical/Aerospace, Electrical/Electronic, and Software), Computing, Maths, Physics or Astronomy discipline., Applying all our energy and focus to every task, recognising our role in providing mission critical capabilities

At MBDA we value the contributions that our employees make every day towards our purpose. That's why we have lots of benefits in place to ensure that working at MBDA is rewarding in every sense.

We are always working to improve our offering, and rewards may differ depending on your role, so please make sure to ask our recruiters for more info when applying.

Annual Bonus

25 Days Annual Leave (plus holiday purchase)

Dynamic Working

Enhanced Parental Leave

Pension Scheme

Extracurricular Learning Budget

Employee Assistance Programme

Free Financial Advice

Share Incentive Plan

Subsidised Gym Membership

Cycle to Work Scheme

Discounts and Vouchers

Health and Dental Insurance

Costco Membership

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., 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. Through our combined expertise, we design and deliver innovative missiles and missile systems that help protect our future. We feel proud of the role we play in supporting the armed forces who protect our nations. We partner with our governments to work together towards a common goal defending our freedom., Stevenage: Our UK head office is located in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. With Stevenage train station just a few minutes walk away, and our site just a few minutes drive from the A1(M), our people come to work from towns in every direction.MBDA Stevenage has a campus-like community feel to it, with all the facilities you need on site including ample parking, a coffee shop, and a large cafeteria serving nutritious, seasonal meals every day. We also have an on-site (subsidised) gym, and a range of sports and social clubs to join. Bolton: Bolton is home to our state-of-the-art manufacturing site. Here you will find skilled Fitters, Engineers, Procurement specialists and many more dedicated teams helping us deliver our products in time and to the highest standards. Located just a short drive from Bolton, Wigan, Horwich and Chorley, the site is an easy commute for many, and has a subsidised restaurant on site, using fresh, seasonal ingredients to produce nutritional and delicious dishes., "At MBDA you always have to bear in mind that we are all a part of a very important process that defends our freedoms." - Balpreet, Supportability Engineer, Customer Support and Services. We share a unique responsibility that brings purpose to everything we do. We feel proud of the role we play in supporting the armed forces who protect our nations. We partner with our governments to work together towards a common goal defending our freedom. We believe in our values, code of ethics and have conviction in what we do. It's with a shared sense of purpose that we trust, value and respect the contribution that all of our colleagues bring every day.