Materials Engineering 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 are recruiting for an Industrial Placement Intern to join our Materials Engineering team in the Quality department at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey. As a Materials Engineering Intern, you’ll gain hands-on experience within the analysis laboratory supporting all vehicle projects across the entire business, playing a key role in ensuring that every McLaren vehicle meets the high standards expected of our brand.

This is a 12-month full-time Industrial Placement, designed for university students undertaking a placement year as part of a relevant degree programme. You will work alongside experienced quality engineers, design & structure engineers, data analysts, and programme managers to gain practical exposure to real-world challenges and solutions in automotive quality.

Please note this is an on-site position.

What You'll Do

You’ll have a key role in supporting a team of Materials Engineers with fundamental development of the department, conduct and lead failure analysis investigation work, whilst building an understanding of the relationship between material properties, manufacturing processes, and in-service performance of all of our parts.

You will be actively involved in all stages of the Materials Engineering process, from supporting the design office and engineering teams with materials recommendations, creating and leading experiments for engineering departments and troubleshooting failure analysis investigations relating to components whilst developing exciting customisation options for our MSO division.

As part of the Materials Engineering team, you will support a variety of projects and tasks across key areas including: 

• Analysis of tested components on our latest supercar projects 
• Help manage an efficient laboratory 
• Conduct testing and experimental work to support R&D teams 

You will also take part in intern development workshops, training sessions, and networking opportunities across the wider business.  

What You'll Bring

• Currently studying for a degree in Materials Science, Materials Engineering or other relevant degree, and on track for a 2:1 or above  
• Practical knowledge of materials characterisation techniques 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills  
• Comfortable using Excel, with some knowledge of data tools such as Power BI or Minitab being advantageous  
• Excellent organisational and communication skills  

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

Personal Attributes:

We’re looking for candidates who thrive in detail-focused, engineering-led environments and are eager to learn from real-world automotive projects. Desirable traits include:

• Attention to detail – precise when reviewing data, inspecting vehicles, or completing reports
• Analytical mindset – confident using numbers and logic to spot patterns and support decisions
• Curiosity – interested in how products work, fail, and can be improved
• Collaboration – keen to learn from others and contribute to team success
• Adaptability – ready to tackle new challenges and switch focus when priorities shift
• Resilience – able to maintain quality and composure in a high-performance setting
• Proactivity – eager to take initiative, suggest improvements, and take ownership of your work
• AI Proficiency – comfortable using AI tools ethically and effectively to support learning, productivity, innovation, and problem-solving.
• Passion for engineering excellence – excited by innovation, performance, and pushing boundaries

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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