People & Culture Industrial Placement 2027

Who Are We?

No restraints. No limitations. We don’t simply push boundaries. We completely rethink them. McLaren Automotive exists to create breath-taking performance road cars.

It takes a community to do what we do. A diverse group of people with many areas of expertise, united by their passion to deliver visionary products and set new benchmarks.

McLaren Automotive commits to equal opportunity for all. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion is at the heart of our impact, it drives our innovation and enables us to truly create something special. Join us on our journey.

What to Expect

We're recruiting for interns to join our People & Culture team at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey.

As a People & Culture Intern, you will gain real-world experience across key areas of Human Resources, supporting initiatives that enhance our employee experience and help shape the future of McLaren’s dynamic and high-performance workplace.

This is a 12-month full-time Industrial Placement designed for university students undertaking a sandwich year as part of their degree. You will work alongside experienced HR professionals and contribute to meaningful projects across our employee lifecycle.

Please note this position is on-site 5 days a week. 

What You'll Do

During your Industrial Placement, you will work within core areas of HR, including Talent Acquisition, Employee Engagement, Early Careers, HR Operations, and Organisational Development. You’ll be part of a collaborative team that supports over 3,000 employees across engineering, operations, and commercial functions. 

Your responsibilities may include:

Talent & Early Careers: 

• Support the hiring and onboarding of interns, graduates, and apprentices 
• Assist with planning and running assessment centres and engagement events 
• Help coordinate candidate communication and logistics 

Employee Experience & Culture:

• Contribute to initiatives that support employee wellbeing, engagement, and inclusion 
• Assist in collecting and analysing feedback from surveys and events 
• Support planning and delivery of culture-building activities across the business 

HR Operations & Administration:

• Gain exposure to HR systems and data management processes 
• Assist with documentation, policy updates, and compliance tracking 
• Support HR Business Partners with day-to-day casework and reporting 

Project Work:

• Be involved in live business projects such as DE&I strategy, onboarding improvement, and people data analysis 
• Work with stakeholders to understand business needs and identify process enhancements 
• Help ensure the consistent delivery of People & Culture initiatives across all business functions 

You will also benefit from Intern development workshops and networking opportunities across McLaren Automotive. 

What You'll Bring

You must be studying a relevant for a degree in Human Resource Management, Business with HR, Psychology, Sociology, or a related field at a UK university and be on track to achieve a 2:1 or above.

Other skills you'll bring include:

• Some experience with Microsoft Office tools (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook); any exposure to HR systems is a plus 
• Enthusiasm for working in a dynamic HR environment and learning from experienced professionals 
• High levels of discretion and professionalism when dealing with sensitive information 
• Strong interpersonal and organisational skills 

You must also bring a passion for cars, and a desire to work at the cutting edge of the automotive industry within our People & Culture business area. 

Personal Attributes:

We’re looking for motivated individuals with a passion for people and a desire to learn. The most desirable traits include:

• Empathy and professionalism – trusted to handle sensitive topics with care 
• Curiosity – eager to understand what drives performance, culture, and engagement 
• Adaptability – comfortable learning new systems and adjusting to changing priorities 
• Collaboration – enjoys working with others to solve problems and support projects 
• Attention to detail – accurate and thorough in communication and administration 
• Initiative – proactive in taking ownership of tasks and seeing them through 
• Communication skills – clear and confident when sharing ideas or presenting updates 
• AI proficiency - comfortable using AI tools ethically and effectively to support learning, productivity, innovation, and problem-solving. 
• Passion for people – a genuine interest in supporting others and building a better workplace 

What We'll Do for You

We offer a wide – ranging benefits package, which includes:

• 25 days’ holiday, plus bank holiday. Annual buy & sell up to five days.
• Enhanced company pension scheme.
• Discretionary annual bonus award.
• Private medical insurance and health cash plan.
• Life assurance benefit.
• Benefits you can adapt to your lifestyle, such as discounted shopping.
• A range of wellbeing initiatives, such as employee assistance programme and free financial & mortgage advice.
• Opportunities to experience our fantastic cars.

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