What you will be doing? In this role you will be a full-time, valued employee of BAE Systems Maritime Services, receiving a competitive salary while undertaking a 4-year, Degree (Level 6) Apprenticeship in Embedded Electronic Systems Design and Development. You will undertake your BEng degree whilst working with our engineering teams in Cowes. During the programme you will be benefit from a range of hands-on engineering activities to complement your studies through a series of engineering placements.
Specific activities could include:
The Engineering Degree Apprenticeship offers a wide and exciting variety of opportunities. You will be able to engage in a range of design and test activities, from detailed requirements and performance analysis, generation of test procedures and reviewing of evidence, to writing technical specifications and contributing to the ongoing development and qualification of vital systems and equipment. You will scope, plan and deliver work to agreed timescales for customer problems. This is a chance to develop innovative solutions, have responsibility and hands on experience in exciting, cutting-edge work from day one.
What Qualification will you get?
By the end of the apprenticeship you will obtain:
• An Honours Degree in Electronics or Electrical & Electronic Engineering, recognised by the UK Engineering Council.
• A nationally-recognised Apprenticeship Completion Certificate.
Overview of Business Unit
Join us and help to define the future of global maritime defence capabilities. With approximately 3,500 employees based at five UK locations and revenue of £600 million, we pride ourselves on employing the best professionals around and offer significant opportunities for committed employees to learn and grow with us. Our people are encouraged to be as creative as they can be and are always looking at ways to develop and challenge the way we do things, identifying and prioritising continuous improvement activities across the business.
From our headquarters in Portsmouth, we are proud to support the Royal Navy in global operations. BAE Systems Maritime Services delivers end-to-end support to over 50 per cent of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet. Our services include ship upgrades, repairs, dockyard facilities management and provision of combat systems training. We also develop and support the Royal Navy’s complex equipment, such as radar, torpedoes and small boats.
With our international programmes and core support to the Ministry of Defence, you could find yourself working on the iconic Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, Type 45 Destroyers, Type 23 Frigates, Type 26 Global Combat Ships, Hunt Class Mine Countermeasure Vessels, Offshore Patrol Vessels, historic ships and more. Our highly skilled teams design, develop, support and maintain a wide range of complex equipment. This includes Spearfish, one of the most powerful and capable wire guided torpedoes on the market. Currently undergoing a major upgrade programme, Spearfish will soon benefit from further sophisticated advances in its homing, warheads, tactical and fuelling systems, as well an upgraded guidance link. Then there’s Artisan, the 3D radar that can identify a target the size of a tennis ball, travelling at a speed of more than 2000 miles an hour more than 25 kilometres away!
Join us and the projects you’ll be involved in will form the backbone of the Royal Navy for decades to come. You’ll be part of something important; something you can be proud of.
Benefits
You’ll receive benefits including a competitive pension scheme, enhanced annual leave allowance and a Company contributed Share Incentive Plan. You’ll also have access to additional benefits such as flexible working, an employee assistance programme, Cycle2work and employee discounts. You may also be eligible for an annual incentive.
Team
Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it’s what we do at BAE Systems. A career here means using your passion and ingenuity to defend national security with breakthrough technology and intelligence solutions. It’s rewarding work that truly makes a difference. And as you tackle critical projects, you’ll work alongside a supportive team – driven by a shared ambition to protect what really matters. At BAE Systems, you’ll find an extraordinary career where you can realize your true potential.
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.
We also provide the opportunity to get involved in projects outside of your primary remit. We encourage you to seek a stretch project in which you’ll gain different experiences. With our huge portfolio of products and our multinational presence, there are opportunities to get involved in something different around every corner. Additionally, we encourage involvement in community projects, STEM initiatives and support groups (called employee resource groups) which all provide valuable learning and development experiences that you may not have access to in your day-to-day role. To ensure we retain our talented people, we offer a blend of sponsorship, additional support in career development planning and a portfolio of high potential development programmes.
Our mission is to build a strong, diverse, adaptable, and high performing work force that will develop and grow our future business. We believe that everyone has talent, and at the heart of our talent management approach our ambition is to be recognised as the UK’s top employer in the defence and security sector for valuing diversity and inclusion.
Export Control / Security
Please be aware that many roles working for BAE Systems will be subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors including your nationality, any previous nationalities you have held, and your place of birth may limit those roles you can perform for the organisation.
Qualification requirements
5 GCSEs grade A*-C or 4-9 (or equivalent), including Maths, English and Science / a technical subject. Plus 96 UCAS Tariff Points (240 point old system), all at grade C or above, including Maths and at least one other STEM subject and excluding General Studies.

