Graduate Systems Engineer

12/18-month Graduate Systems Engineer programme at Leonardo in Luton, developing electronic warfare and avionic systems through system design, requirements analysis, testing and engineering process improvement.

Your impact 

Are you ready to launch your career and make an impact on real-world projects from day one?   

At Leonardo, we’re looking for graduates who want to be part of something extraordinary - shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.  We are committed to developing our graduates into leading technical or business professionals, and as such we will also support you through your preferred route for professional development. 

Our 12/18-month Graduate Programmes give you the opportunity to work on exciting and challenging projects alongside industry leaders. 

 
On joining, you will receive a starting salary of £34,000 per annum, plus a £1,000 welcome bonus. You’ll also be eligible for a £1,000 exit bonus upon successful completion of the programme. In addition, you may be eligible for a Temporary Accommodation Allowance (TAA), subject to specific criteria. 

We encourage you to spend at least three days each week on site to integrate with your team and maximise your learning experience. 

What you will do as a Graduate Systems Engineer

Luton is the home to around 1,000 people who are involved in the design and development of Leonardo’s Electronic Warfare (EW) capability, which is used to protect airborne platforms from a range of RF-based threats. 

This includes:

• The protection systems for current and future RAF and Army aircraft, including Typhoon and Apache.

• The technology development platforms being developed by the UK’s Team Tempest to support the development of a new 6th generation aircraft within the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).

• Concept demonstrators for future Electronic Warfare technologies and systems.

• Air Platform Protection systems for export customer aircraft.

• Technology to draw insights from the vast amounts of data collected by our electronic surveillance systems using artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Graduate Systems Engineers support the development of world-leading technologies and capabilities across multiple Avionic Systems and Platforms. 

As a Graduate Systems Engineer you will have the opportunity to be involved in different phases of the systems engineering lifecycle to create and deliver new and emerging capabilities required by our customers; from understanding the customer’s requirements, developing system architectures and concept designs for the next generation of EW capability, through to live trials of equipment and systems alongside our customers and end-users.

Working as part of an established systems engineering community and supported by a team of experienced engineers, you will be responsible for:

• Developing practical skills in engineering design and development for complex systems, understanding key processes and technologies.

• Gaining an understanding of the EW domain to support the development of relevant products and technologies.

• Working closely with engineers across multiple disciplines to solve problems.

• Completing tasks to a high standard in accordance with appropriate processes and procedures.

• Taking an active role in engineering process improvement, ensuring the communication of best practice across the systems engineering team.

• Developing and applying your academic skills to solve problems, generate ideas and be proactive within the team.

Entry Requirements 

All of our roles require (a) a minimum of a 2:2 Bachelors/Integrated Master’s degree, or (b) a higher degree, such as a MSc or PhD.

For the Graduate Systems Engineer role, the acceptable degrees are: aerospace/aeronautical engineering, computer science/systems, electrical/electronic engineering, general engineering, mathematics, mechanical engineering, physics, and systems engineering.

You must have an understanding of mathematics to at least A-Level standard, and a basic understanding of electronics.

You should also ideally have experience of working with engineering development tools (e.g. MATLAB, Simulink, Rhapsody, Cameo, DOORS, a document management system).

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. 

Why join us 

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do, 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 (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).  

• Rewarding performance: All employees are eligible for our bonus scheme. 

• Join in our success: Our annual Employee Stock Ownership Plan provides you the opportunity to own shares in Leonardo. 

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

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!