MBDA Careers: Roles, Locations, Salaries and How to Get Hired
A factual guide to MBDA careers in the UK: what the company does, its three main UK sites, the disciplines and clearance levels it hires into, and how its early-careers and experienced-hire application process works.
MBDA UK, the British arm of Europe’s largest missile systems company, designs, builds and supports complex weapons systems across three main sites: Stevenage, Bristol and Bolton. Reported UK headcount ranges from roughly 4,000 to 6,000, and MBDA hires across engineering, manufacturing and business disciplines, with BPSS the minimum clearance for effectively every role.
What does MBDA do, and how big is it in the UK?
MBDA UK is the British division of MBDA, a multinational missile systems group jointly owned by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo, formed in 2001. It designs, develops, manufactures and supports complex weapons systems for air, land and sea, including UK programmes such as ASRAAM, Brimstone, Meteor, the CAMM air defence family, and DragonFire, the UK’s directed energy weapon system, delivered to the Royal Navy under a £316 million contract awarded in November 2025. MBDA UK holds a renewed 10-year Portfolio Management Agreement with the MoD worth at least £6.5 billion, giving it the status of the MoD’s preferred missile supplier and a long-running pipeline of work rather than project-by-project uncertainty. Reported UK headcount varies by source, from around 4,000 in public company records to closer to 6,000 per industry-monitoring groups; MBDA UK doesn’t publish a single headline figure of its own.
Which disciplines does MBDA hire into?
Engineering dominates, spanning systems design, mechanical, electrical, RF and microwave, software, FPGA, aerodynamics and EMC, alongside simulation, test and trials work specific to weapons development. Beyond engineering, MBDA hires into manufacturing and production, concentrated at Bolton, programme and project management, finance, and human factors.
| Career stage | Typical MBDA pay | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | £18,000–£18,750 + £3,000 joining bonus | 4-year degree apprenticeship route |
| Graduate | £31,500 + £3,000 joining bonus | Rotational, multi-year programme |
| Experienced (example: Principal Systems Engineer) | Up to £60,000 | Varies significantly by discipline and seniority |
Figures are current to August 2026, drawn from MBDA’s own graduate and apprenticeship pages plus a live experienced-hire advert. Confirm against the live advert.
Where are MBDA’s main UK sites?
MBDA UK operates from three primary sites. Stevenage, in Hertfordshire, is the UK head office, focused on research, development, testing, simulation and programme management, including ship-based missile systems. Bristol (Filton) is home to most of MBDA’s systems and software engineering teams. Bolton (Lostock) is the manufacturing site, an advanced manufacturing facility MBDA has continued to invest in. MBDA also has corporate offices in London and a smaller presence in Henlow, Hertfordshire. Many experienced roles are advertised as open to any of the three main sites, sometimes with relocation support, and hybrid working, typically three to four days on site a week, is common for engineering roles, depending on the security classification of the work.
What clearance does MBDA ask for?
BPSS is the minimum for effectively every role, checked after an offer is made. A large share of roles, particularly in complex weapons engineering, also ask for British citizenship or dual UK nationality with a British component, and some carry further nationality or right-to-work restrictions tied to export controls on the underlying technology. As with the other primes, you don’t need to hold clearance before applying, and higher tiers are sponsored where the specific role requires them.
What early-careers routes does MBDA offer?
MBDA runs both a graduate scheme and apprenticeships, including degree apprenticeships. Both are currently closed for the 2026 intake and open for registration of interest ahead of 2027. See our guides to defence graduate schemes and defence apprenticeships for how MBDA compares with the other major primes.
What does the MBDA application process look like?
Applications typically start online, with offers made subject to BPSS checks as standard and further vetting where the role requires it. For senior and specialist roles, expect a technical or competency-based interview alongside the standard security checks. MBDA states it will work with candidates who need adjustments or support at any stage of recruitment.
Where to go next
To see current openings, browse live roles at MBDA on the companies directory, or see our guides to defence graduate schemes and defence apprenticeships.