Summer Placement Software Engineer

Summer Placement Software Engineer

hackajob Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

hackajob is collaborating with Leonardo to connect them with exceptional tech professionals for this role.

Job Description

Are you ready to make an impact and gain hands‑on experience working on real‑world projects from day one? At Leonardo, we’re looking for summer placement students who want to be part of something bigger—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. Leonardo’s Summer Placement Programme offers a paid opportunity to develop your current skillset in an innovative and practical environment that can lead to a place on our award‑winning Graduate Development programme.

Join one of our multi‑disciplinary integrated project teams in Edinburgh and contribute to solving real‑life engineering problems on state‑of‑the‑art avionics sensor systems, such as the radar for the Typhoon fighter jet, the SAR for the SAAB Gripen fighter, one of our families of AESA radars (Active Electronically Scanned Array), an IRCM (Infra‑Red Counter Measures) system, or a laser target designator or laser ranging system.

The 13‑week Summer Placement Programme

• Runs from 1st June 2026 to 28th August 2026.
• Provides coaching and support to achieve your personal goals and work in multidisciplinary teams to gain as much experience across the product lifecycle as possible.
• Successful placements may result in an offer to return for further placements or for the Graduate Development programme.

As Summer Placement Software Engineer you will

• Provide support to real projects.
• Apply knowledge gained while studying in a practical way.
• Undertake activities including designing, testing, qualifying and supporting technologies across our range of products.
• Work as part of an established engineering community, supported by a team of experienced engineers.
• Deliver small packages of work on time, within cost and quality targets.
• Collaborate across multiple disciplines and solve problems.
• Communicate with team members to share knowledge.
• Complete tasks to a high standard in accordance with appropriate processes and procedures.
• Use the opportunity to develop engineering skills with mentoring from a supervisor.
• Prepare a short presentation to introduce yourself and discuss your work to the Head of Software and the wider team at the start of the placement.
• Showcase what you have learned and achieved at the end of the placement.

What you will bring

• Predicted 2:1 grade in a relevant degree discipline (Software Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics or Electronic Engineering) – BSc (Hon), BEng (Hon) or MEng.
• A statement of courses and projects studied at university with corresponding grades/marks/percentages included in your CV.
• Experience of computer programming and enthusiasm for designing software and writing code.
• Knowledge of an object‑oriented programming language such as C++ and UML is an advantage.
• For candidates who have completed a first degree and are looking to gain industrial experience prior to a higher degree (PhD, MSc), applications are also welcomed.

Competencies we look for

• Interest in real‑time development for avionic systems.
• Enthusiasm and passion for designing software and writing code.
• Ability to use own initiative and work under pressure.
• Strong customer focus and ability to adapt to change.
• Thrives in a flexible working environment.

Personal attributes

• Self‑motivated with drive and enthusiasm.
• High standards and thoroughness.
• Resilience under pressure and changing priorities.
• Responsive and customer‑focused.
• Ability to adapt flexibly to situational changes.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre‑employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). Additional security controls such as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply.

For more information, visit:

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that supports your wellbeing, learning and development, and work‑life balance.

• Annual leave: 25 days plus bank holidays (pro‑rata for students).
• Secure your future:
  Award‑winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Wellbeing:
  Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and inclusive employee networks.
• Learning:
  Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and Linked In Learning.

For a full list of our company benefits, visit:

We are committed to building an inclusive, accessible and welcoming workplace. If you have accessibility requirements, let us know.

Be part of something bigger—apply now!

Primary

Location:

GB – Edinburgh

Contract Type: Fixed term

Hybrid Working: Onsite