Graduate Airframe Engineer

Graduate Airframe Engineer

Location: Warton/Samlesbury (Lancashire) Start Date: 7th July 2025

Come and join us in BAE Systems Air, where we have a long and proud heritage in the development, manufacture, upgrade, and support of world-leading combat and fast jet trainer aircraft. Today, we operate globally across multiple markets to support our customers – wherever, whenever, and whatever their challenges may be. We support them throughout the entire life cycle of the air sector, from design, development, and production, to the provision of aircraft, training, support, and maintenance.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity, rewards integrity and merit, and empowers you to fulfill your potential. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and particularly from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our industry, including women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

What You Will Be Doing

The Airframe Engineering Capability enables Graduate engineers to develop a practical understanding and application of the Airframe engineering principles required to design, develop, and maintain fast jets and unmanned air systems that meet our customer requirements. These principles run throughout the Engineering Life Cycle, from initial concept through to disposal.

The role of a Graduate Airframe Engineer will be within one of our four Engineering disciplines: Aerodynamics, Design, Materials, and Structural Engineering.

Duties and Responsibilities

• The Aerodynamics discipline delivers aerodynamic solutions that meet customer requirements and that maintain, develop, and apply aerodynamic capability to our aircraft programmes. Aerodynamics work makes use of various Ground and Flight Tests together with High Performance Computer modelling to support the development of aerodynamic solutions.
• The Design Engineering Discipline is responsible for producing the integrated airframe design definition and physical product design dataset to enable product manufacture, through-life support, qualification, and certification. The discipline consists of design engineers with a wide range of skillsets and capability to deliver designs that meet our customers’ requirements.
• The Materials Engineering Discipline is responsible for materials and process technical support, capability for materials development and manufacturing activities. Supporting the delivery of fit-for-purpose materials and process solutions throughout design and manufacture, supporting facility and material qualification, standardisation and product safety.
• The Structures Engineering discipline is responsible for the definition of initial airframe structural definition and then to ensure the ongoing structural integrity of BAE Systems Air products. Supporting the Air sector products includes the use of a range of analysis techniques such as structural sizing and analysis, Finite Element Analysis, Fatigue, Durability and Damage Tolerance analysis, Qualification, and Certification.

Skills

As a minimum requirement you will need to have obtained, or be predicted to obtain, a 2:2 in your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Aerospace related degree or any STEM subject.

Opportunities for Growth and Development

We encourage employees to explore projects beyond their primary responsibilities, providing them with diverse experiences. With a wide range of products and a multinational presence, there are ample opportunities for employees to engage in various projects and initiatives.

Community Involvement

In addition to professional development, BAE Systems values community engagement. Employees are encouraged to participate in community projects, STEM initiatives, and employee resource groups, offering valuable learning experiences outside of their regular roles.

Retention and Career Development

Recognising the importance of retaining talented individuals, we offer sponsorship, career development support, and high-potential development programs. These initiatives aim to help employees plan their careers effectively and provide opportunities for accelerated development for those who demonstrate aspiration, ability, and performance.

Benefits

You’ll receive benefits including a competitive pension scheme, enhanced annual leave allowance, and a company-contributed Share Incentive Plan. You’ll also have access to additional benefits such as flexible working, an employee assistance programme, Cycle2work, and employee discounts – you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

On commencement of employment, you will be paid a one-off non-consolidated lump sum payment of £2,000 (the “Welcome Payment”). The Welcome Payment is subject to the normal deductions and will be paid with your first salary payment. This provides you with the perfect opportunity to ease your transition, whether this be relocation cost, securing housing, ensuring smooth and reliable transport needs, anything to help kick-start your career in BAE Systems.

Inclusivity within our Recruitment Process

We want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder, etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Our Environmental Responsibility

As a future-focused business, we’re committed to changing the world we live in for the better. Our target is to achieve net zero emissions by 2030, we’re innovating new ways to develop on-site renewable electricity and setting ambitious targets for water consumption and waste generation.

Export Control/Security

Please be aware that many roles working for BAE Systems will be subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors including your nationality, any previous nationalities you have held, and your place of birth may limit those roles you can perform for the organisation.