Industrial Placement - Systems Engineer

UK CITIZENSHIP REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION: Yes

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

Salary: £25,000

Programme start date: September 2027

Security clearance: Security Check (SC)

Travel required: Approximately 10%

Location: New Malden, London

Working arrangement: Site-based requirements apply, with flexible working options subject to the role and programme needs

Hours: Full-time

Requisition ID: R10251097

What’s your possible? At Northrop Grumman UK, you’ll be part of a team driving innovation where it matters most, solving tomorrow’s challenges and shaping the technology solutions of the future. We call it Defining Possible. This mindset goes beyond our customer solutions; it’s the foundation for your career development and the impact we have within the community. This is more than just a job. It’s a mission.

Ready to gain practical systems engineering experience by working on critical technology that supports the UK’s submarines? As an Industrial Placement Systems Engineer, you will contribute to the development of Platform Management Systems for the UK’s fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. Your work will support the effective delivery of systems engineering activities across the engineering lifecycle, helping to ensure these complex systems meet customer requirements.

Working within the Integrated Systems team and alongside multidisciplinary project teams, you will support systems engineering activities from requirements through to acceptance, including verification and validation. You will take responsibility for assigned activities and deliverables while learning how technical scope, schedules and budgets are managed across strategically important national defence programmes. This is an opportunity to apply your academic learning, develop practical systems engineering expertise and contribute to mission-critical technology with long-term impact.

Our Industrial Placement Programme

Our structured 12-month Industrial Placement Programme is designed to help you develop the practical skills needed to build a successful career in defence and technology. Starting in September 2027, the programme will give you the opportunity to contribute to meaningful systems engineering work and take part in an Industrial Placement group project. You will have a dedicated mentor, buddy, project lead and line manager, providing guidance and support throughout your placement. From the beginning, you will contribute to assigned project activities while learning from experienced systems engineers and working as part of an integrated, multidisciplinary team.

What you’ll do:

• Contribute to systems engineering activities from requirements through to acceptance, including verification and validation
• Help produce project systems engineering deliverables and support continuous process improvement
• Complete assigned activities in line with approved plans, processes and procedures
• Help estimate the scope and effort required for systems engineering activities
• Monitor assigned tasks, timescales and expenditure against agreed schedules and budgets
• Support project reviews, including design, risk and change-impact reviews
• Contribute to defect, fault and issue management, including rectification and regression activities
• Apply relevant departmental, industry, regulatory and legislative standards to support safety, security and compliance

Along the way, you could develop experience in:

• System engineering lifecycles
• Requirements management
• Verification and validation
• Project and milestone reviews
• Task, schedule and budget management
• Design, risk and change-impact reviews
• Defect, fault and issue management
• Safety, security and regulatory compliance
• Working within multidisciplinary engineering teams

We welcome applications from candidates who have gained relevant skills outside of traditional degree routes. If you've built your expertise through work experience, an apprenticeship, professional certifications, bootcamps, open-source contributions, or significant personal projects, then we encourage your application. If you do not meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply. Sometimes people hesitate because they cannot tick every box. If this opportunity interests you and you believe you could grow into the role, we would like to hear from you.

Security clearance

Due to the nature of our work, you must have Sole UK citizenship and be able to gain and maintain UK Government Security Check clearance in line with the requirements of the role. Our recruitment team is on hand to answer your questions and guide you through the process.

Benefits:

• Flexible working options, including hybrid arrangements and compressed fortnights with every other Friday off
• Private healthcare, dental, life assurance and pension
• Flexible benefits package, including critical illness cover and a health cash plan
• Holiday buy and sell scheme
• Career development programmes
• Annual performance incentive programme

Why join us?

A Mission to Believe In: Every day, we contribute to building a more secure and connected world.

A Place to Belong and Thrive: Every voice matters. Find community and belonging through our employee networks and get involved with STEM volunteering events.

Your Career, Your Way: Discover your possible through diverse roles, mentorship and development opportunities tailored to your ambitions.

We are a pioneering company. With careers across all areas: air, cyber, land, sea and space – our 90,000 employees work as one to defend and define the future. Northrop Grumman careers and internships are as varied as your interests, with a lifetime of potential that will give you every opportunity to do your best work. Working together with people from many backgrounds, personal passions and disciplines, we share a drive to push the boundaries of science, technology and engineering to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide.