Degree Apprentice Engineering

Job title: Degree Apprentice Engineering

Location: Barrow – We offer relocation support packages for this role (Barrow-in-Furness based roles), subject to meeting eligibility criteria.

Salary: We offer a competitive salary with annual increases throughout the apprenticeship and a range of employee benefits including, free higher education as well as access to the Company pension and share saving scheme

What you’ll be doing:

Engineering is at the heart of the Submarines business — so our Engineering Degree Apprentices progress into roles at the very forefront of technological advancement for the Royal Navy fleet. 
 
Within an Engineering Degree Apprenticeship, you will specialise in one of a broad range of disciplines.  This ensures that your skills and talents are engaged in the type of work that you find most interesting.  Engineers are responsible for exciting and varied work such as: 

•    Development & qualification of submarine structures, systems and equipment.
•    Writing technical specifications
•    Design and test activities
•    Detailed requirements planning and performance analysis
•    Generation of test procedures and reviewing of evidence

During your apprenticeship we will provide work experience from across our teams and programmes.  This work-based learning is personalised in order to broaden your understanding of our business and product, whilst deepening your knowledge within a specialist discipline.  You will also follow an associated Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship, and take part in bespoke technical training courses that are specific to your role.  

For 2025, the following engineering disciplines are available.  You will learn more about each one during induction, and we will then work with you to align you to a specialism that is a good match. 

Structural – As a Structural engineer you will play a critical role in ensuring the vessel integrity at all limits as well as making sure that the vessel can safely accommodate its crew, cargo and armament and arrive home safely. This involves various key responsibilities such as conducting linear and non-linear finite element analysis to evaluate the structural integrity of the submarines, assessing hydrostatic collapse strength, and designing secondary structures. 

Mechanical – In the Mechanical domain you will be part of one of the largest teams of mechanical discipline engineers, which also covers propulsion system, with a variety of areas to get involved in. They cover mechanical systems across the entire product life-cycle.  This diverse team covers a wide range of areas including air and gas, hydraulics, survival and domestics, variable ballast, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), atmosphere control, cooling systems, diesel generators, ocean interfaces, and propulsion systems. 

Research & Technology – In the Technology Management team you would be part of a team of multi-disciplined personnel, responsible for authoring the Submarines Technology Strategy, developing technology roadmaps and planning to realise that strategy, and managing the portfolio management of the R&D projects that deliver those roadmaps. Your role would encompasses strategic planning, coordination, and control of technological capabilities to align with the Submarines business objectives. 

Materials – In the Materials Technology Team you would become part of a dedicated group of expert metallurgists, welding engineers, and non-metallic material specialists with extensive qualifications and experience. Operating within the materials technology centre, this team establishes material strategies and policies that govern all submarine-related activities while addressing materials challenges across various programs and related business sectors. In addition to their core responsibilities, the Materials Technology Team actively explores additive manufacturing, spearheading research initiatives aimed at harnessing and advancing innovative techniques for incorporation into submarine construction processes. 

Systems – Submarines are intricate systems, posing significant challenges in their design, construction, testing, maintenance, and support. In order to protect the nation, you will be part of a team that aims to tackle these difficulties head on. Systems Engineers play a vital role by dissecting projects into manageable components, facilitating comprehension and implementation at all levels. By investing time upfront to grasp the project’s intricacies and requirements, Systems Engineers utilise diverse methodologies and models to foster a shared understanding and successful project execution. This approach ensures sound engineering choices are made throughout the project’s lifecycle, enabling early problem identification and resolution. Given their involvement across multifaceted programs, Systems Engineers must excel in communication, adeptly collaborating with diverse stakeholders. They must also possess strong analytical skills, logical thinking, and problem-solving abilities to harmonise differing specialist perspectives and devise optimal solutions.

PMS C&I / AVC / SIF / ICPDS –  The field of Electrical Engineering encompasses two distinct areas: Internal Communications and Platform Data Systems (ICPDS) and Control and Instrumentation (C&I). In the realm of ICPDS, you will focus on resolving technical challenges related to wire-free communications, digital/IP telephony, POTS, visual surveillance, distributed media systems, broadcast audio, and fibre optics. 

Human Factors – The Human Systems Integration Cluster deliver a unique capability comprising of three specialisms: Human Factors, Operability (provision of Submarine Operational Experience) and Training. Your role within this cluster is crucial in ensuring the safety, operability, and habitability of products, systems, processes, environments, and facilities. Notably, the Submarines Human Factors team stands as one of the largest teams of its kind in the UK. 

PNED – In the Platform Nuclear Engineering Department (PNED) you would be responsible for ensuring the nuclear reactor is safely designed, built and tested, providing the power the submarine needs to protect the nation.  PNED engineers collaborate with diverse teams to deliver a reliable and secure reactor, necessitating strong communication skills and meticulous attention to detail.

Benefits:

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing & lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts – you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The Submarines team:

Our Submarines business has been safely delivering world class submarines to the UK Royal Navy for more than a century.

The Astute class will equip the Royal Navy with its largest and most capable generation of attack submarines. We are responsible for the design, build, test and commissioning of these state-of-the-art vessels. In total, seven boats will make up the fleet, each weighing a mighty 7,400 tonnes.

Dreadnought is the successor to the Vanguard class of nuclear deterrent submarines. We will deliver four submarines to the Royal Navy, with the first submarine entering service in the early 2030s. Dreadnought is widely considered to be one of the world’s most complex engineering challenges. 

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 where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and particularly from sections of the community who are currently under represented within our industry, including women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ individuals.

We also 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. 

Export Control / Security:

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks. 

5 GCSE A*-C or 9-4 (or equivalent) Including Maths, English & Science or Technical Subject.
A minimum of 96 UCAS Tariff Points (240 point old system)(excluding UCAS points gained at AS level) achieved from either:
A levels at grade C or above (or equivalent). One subject must be Maths and one subject must be in Engineering, Science or a Technical subject. 
A STEM based L3 Extended BTEC Diploma (which meets the required UCAS points) or equivalent.