Are you ready to launch your career and make an impact on real-world projects from day one?
Get to know Leonardo
Working in Leonardo today means developing the most advanced technologies in the strategic sector of Aerospace, Defence and Security.
At Leonardo, we’re looking for industrial placement students who want to be part of something extraordinary—shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.
Our placements are designed to help you apply your studies in a practical setting, develop your technical skills, and gain valuable insight into how our business operates.
Our Central London team is looking for talented and enthusiastic Industrial Placement Software Engineer to help develop and maintain the internal knowledge management software for our MOD customer. The role will suit those with a Computer Science background who wish to apply their abilities in a broad corporate context.
The type of project you will be working on:
Customer Integration: You will be a member of a software project team within our larger Defence Analytics Group working in Central London. The group is integrated into a joint unit with government employees, members of the armed forces, and other contractors.
The Challenge: To develop and maintain in-house knowledge management software for the dissemination of technical assessments. This tool is primarily written in C# for customer interaction, linking into underlying databases and presenting the information via a web interface.
Collaboration: You will be working in close liaison with wider teams across the customer base to understand their requirements, with the opportunity to contribute, influence, challenge and improve joint ways of working and knowledge.
Breadth: You will be working in an environment where supporting different customer requirements presents a variety of challenges.
What you’ll do:
Collaborate with the Principal Software Engineer: Assist in prototyping, designing, developing, and maintaining our in-house front-end application and product website.
Database Management: Support the maintenance, development, and querying of our back-end database.
Production Runs: Participate in monthly production runs to deliver updated assessments to various partners, addressing technical and strategic integration challenges across different environments.
Customer Support: Provide ad hoc advice and support to MOD customers, often at short notice.
Travel: Travel within the UK for customer and delivery support.
What we need from you:
A Computer Science background, or other STEM degree with a strong emphasis on programming, with the ability to apply these skills to a variety of problems. Front-End Development: A number of languages are utilised, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and relevant frameworks (e.g., ASP.NET) for designing and maintaining web applications. You do not need experience with all of these, but you do need a willingness to learn.
Software Development: Experience in software prototyping, design, and development, preferably with knowledge of programming languages such as C#, .NET, XAML, and WPF.
Problem-Solving: Ability to address technical and strategic challenges, particularly in integrating systems across different environments.
Customer Support: Good communication and interpersonal skills to provide effective support and advice to customers, often at short notice.
Project Management: Organisational skills to assist in managing production runs and delivering updates on schedule.
The ability to work office-based in central London.
It would be nice if you had:
Back-End Database Management: Knowledge of SQL and experience with database management systems (e.g., SQL, Transact-SQL) for maintaining and querying databases.·
An appreciation of, and interest in, aerospace technologies.
Why join us
At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do, key contributors in shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.
We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.
Time to recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
Secure your future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
Your wellbeing matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
Tailored perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
Security Clearance
Many of our roles are subject to security and export control restrictions set by UK Government Security requirements and customer obligations. As a result, and in line with the UK Government Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) requirements, all successful applicants will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record declaration information and employment and/or education history verification for the previous five years.
For staff operating in more sensitive posts, there is an additional range of personnel security controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV). As part of this process, a range of factors may be considered, including an individual's background, travel history, nationality, previous nationalities held and other information relevant to the vetting assessment.
To be eligible for National Security Vetting at SC level, applicants will generally be expected to have continuously resided in the UK for the previous five years. For DV clearance, this is typically ten years. In some circumstances, time spent overseas may be accepted, with additional overseas checks. Additional vetting requirements may apply upon appointment.
Why join us
At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do, key contributors in shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.
We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.
Time to recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
Secure your future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
Your wellbeing matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity.
Rewarding performance: All employees are eligible for our bonus scheme.
Join in our success: Our annual Employee Stock Ownership Plan provides you the opportunity to own shares in Leonardo.
Tailored perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
We are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people, communities and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.
Start your extraordinary career – apply now!
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Job ID Number: R0033508
Can I use AI to apply?
It is easily detectable when AI is being used in the process and this isn’t favoured as we want to learn about your authentic self. Our Early Careers Team and Hiring Managers review applications received and there is no AI algorithms involved in candidate selection.
