DE&S Land, Ships, Strategic Enablers Engineering Graduate Scheme 

At Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), we’re here to provide for the Armed Forces, as they serve our country all over the world. We support those on the front line by providing cutting-edge equipment and technology for land, sea, air and space. We deliver the kit the UK military needs to maintain advantage and stay protected, as they protect life at home and overseas.  

You want to be an expert in your field one day. We want to help make it happen. Whichever area you join us in, you’ll discover new talents, pinpoint new ambitions, find a home among a diverse team – and be empowered to turn your gifts into an incredible career. Ready for real investment in your future? We’re developing tomorrow’s talent today.

What sets DE&S apart is the focus we put on you. We help you find your flair and then plan a flourishing career around what you love. And along the way, you’ll enjoy real rewards for the work you do, with competitive benefits and career progression. As a DE&S graduate, you’ll find real support to reach your potential – so you can become a leader in your field.  

As part of our team, you’ll benefit from plenty of routes for development, access to specialist training and funding for professional qualifications, and a c.27% employer pension contribution. You’ll also have access to a wide range of employee networks, including the Women’s Inclusive Network, Race & Culture Network, Pride Network, Disability Network – and many more.  

A range of post-graduate career opportunities have arisen within our forward-thinking Entry Talent Centre of Expertise here at DE&S, based at Bristol Abbey Wood. We are looking for talented, motivated, and skilled university graduates to become our Engineers of the future.  

By applying to these Domains you will have a wide variety of roles for consideration. 

The Land Domain, the largest domain within DE&S, you will also get the opportunity to work in the Strategic Enablers Integrated Battlespace & Logistics Support Operating Centres (OCs). This combination offers a wealth of role opportunities responsible for supplying Missiles, Weapon Systems, Tracked and Wheeled Vehicles, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Robots, Communications, Information, Surveillance and Reconnaissance systems, Force Protection Capabilities, Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear (CBRN) Protection, Military Air Traffic Management, Airspace Battle Management and Ground Based Air-Defence and finally Information Systems and Networks. The variety is unrivalled.  
  
The Ships Domain offers a variety of placements across the engineering lifecycle; from early concept, next generation platforms to acquisition and acceptance of replacements for the current fleet and finally supporting the ships and Combat System equipment being used in the front line today.  There will be opportunities to see first-hand the ships and complex systems that DE&S provide and support to contribute to the world class capability the Royal Navy operate worldwide.   

The Strategic Enablers (SE) Domain delivers engineering, quality, safety and environmental advice and guidance to the whole of DE&S as well as wider support to Front Line Commands, NATO and the wider Defence Enterprise. SE delivers consultancy services to DE&S projects (Land, Sea & Air) in systems engineering, quality, human factors integration, cyber, and independent safety and environmental assurance. SE also contains the Integrated Battlespace and Logistic Support Operating Centres and well as the Engineering Function who manage the cadre of professional engineers throughout DE&S. 

Once you’ve completed the scheme, you’ll be deployed into one of our Operating Centres (OCs) to continue your career and personal development, be that Ships, Weapons, Land Equipment, Integrated Battlespace or Logistics Support. With a full career available and developmental support provided at all levels, we will help you reach your full potential as a Professional (Chartered) Engineer.  

Please note: DE&S Organisational Design is subject to change and there may be variances to the above at the point of entry.   

The initial placement location for our graduates is Bristol and while you’re on the scheme you may undertake further placements in a variety of locations across the UK. Hybrid/Smarter working is available but attendance to the Abbey Wood site will be required on a routine basis as determined by your delivery manager.  

Because of the classification of some of the information related to certain projects, some work-based placements may be open to Sole UK Nationals only.  

Responsibilities  

You’ll be involved in the following:

• Participating in a structured programme to develop capabilities in a defence context. 
• Explore cutting-edge technology; 
• Opportunities to develop outside of the training programme by supporting events led by the Technical Discipline Leads, Engineering Function or Other Government Departments. 
• Delivering engineering products/services against agreed objectives to develop knowledge and experience and add value to the team and wider business. 
• Building awareness and understanding of how the Engineering Function and wider business operates to assist in own development and career progression. 
• Identifying opportunities to develop knowledge and experience to support Chartered or Incorporated Engineer (or equivalent) evidence collation. 
• Supporting colleagues in their specialist area and actively contributing to team meetings to help with the work of the team.  
• Solve engineering problems through the in-service life of the equipment and develop upgrades to ensure it continues to provide the battle-winning “edge” our customers need; 
• Building and maintaining a network of internal business contacts and peers to gain knowledge and identify opportunities to learn and develop. 
• Participating in wider DE&S Functions for shadowing opportunities to learn wider business elements

Currently the Land/Ships/SE Domain is looking for Graduates in the following disciplines:

• Systems Engineering and Integration   
• Sensors and Electronics   
• Software Engineering and Cyber Security   
• Electrical Engineering (Power and Distribution also) 
• Mechanical Engineering  
• Safety Engineering; – We welcome applications from graduates who have experience of safety engineering in their degree. There is also an opportunity to upskill a small number of graduates from other degree backgrounds to become safety engineers. 
• Naval Architecture; There may be opportunities to attend an MSc in Naval Architecture focused on warship design. There is also an opportunity to upskill a small number of mechanical or structural engineering graduates to become naval architects.  

It takes lots of different people and lots of different skill sets to keep the UK Armed Forces fully equipped and well supported.    

To be successful with your application, we are looking for you to demonstrate your potential to succeed in a dynamic working environment. We’re here to help you find your speciality, so we hire for aptitude and train for skills.   

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are dedicated to creating a great place to work that reflects the diversity of the society we serve. To help us do this, we encourage applications from women, ethnic minorities, disabled people, and people from LGBTQ+ communities. By bringing together different ideas, experiences, and perspectives, we can achieve our ambitions, together.  

You must hold the right to work full time in the UK and qualify for service under the Civil Service Nationality Rules without any additional immigration approvals, at the point of Assessment where we will be conducting our right to work checks. You must be able to supply evidence of this at interview. This must be in place by the time we conduct your pre-employment checks in April and not expire before the start of the scheme. If your right to work will expire while you are in employment, you must be able to reconfirm your right to work before it expires, without sponsorship, in order to maintain your employment. 

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating staff on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harms associated with second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Tobacco-Free Working Environment (TFWE) programme, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere, unless stated otherwise, in the Defence working environment by 31st December 2022. Those seeking, considering, or accepting employment should be aware of this requirement. 

Qualifications 

Essential requirements:  

You must have, or will achieve by September 2024, the following qualifications:  

One of the Engineering Science Honours Degrees listed below, at a minimum 2:2  

• Electrical and Electronic Engineering; 
• Mechatronics, Robotics; 
• Automotive Engineering; 
• Systems Engineering; 
• Electronics and Communications; 
•  Software, Computer, Cyber Engineering; 
• Mechanical Engineering; .  
• Naval Architecture 
• Structural Engineering 
• Safety Engineering (or module within another degree discipline)  

If you are in your final academic year, you are encouraged to apply with your predicted grades. Evidence of the above qualifications will be required as part of your pre-employment checks before a formal offer can be made.  

A degree at a grade of 2:1 or higher would be desirable  

 
What to put on your CV 

Certain degrees with comparable titles will be considered if the module content is alike. You are required to list the modules, both mandatory and optional, that you have undertaken on your CV so that degree relevance can be assessed. 

All degrees must be accredited by a Professional Institution licensed by the Engineering or Science Council by September 2024.     

Please clearly state your achieved or predicted degree classification and the Degree Accreditation details on your CV or your application won’t be considered.     

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

Alongside training and development, you’ll receive the following great benefits:  

• £28,880 Starting Salary – with annual increments  
• 25 days holiday a year, plus 1 day a year up to 30 days, 8 bank holidays and a day off for the King’s birthday.   
• A market-leading employer pension contribution of around 27 percent, and recognition awards.   
• Flexible and hybrid working wherever possible, to support your work-life balance (though some attendance to the stated site is required)  
• Use of our on-site gym, restaurant, and cafes.   
• A huge range of discounts including retail, sports, leisure, restaurants, gifts, days out, holidays, cinema, motoring, insurance, health care, gym memberships, and more.   

Further Information  

More information can be found below:  

• DE&S Little Book of Big Benefits: https://bit.ly/3FEb54v  
• Further Information: https://bit.ly/3K26Xhl  
• Terms and Conditions: https://bit.ly/3yUwcM1  

Job contact :

• Name : Rachel Davison
• Email : DESHR-ETCoE-Recruitment@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-GraduateRecruitment@mod.gov.uk