Graduate Mechanical Engineer

About us 

We believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future.    

As strategies, technologies, and innovation collide, we create opportunity from complexity.  

Our diverse teams of experts combine innovative thinking and breakthrough technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results.  

We are over 4,000 strategists, innovators, designers, consultants, digital experts, scientists, engineers, and technologists. And we have deep expertise in consumer and manufacturing, defence and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government and public services, health and life sciences, and transport.   

Our teams operate globally from offices across the UK, Ireland, US, Nordics, and Netherlands. 

PA. Bringing Ingenuity to Life. 

Job Description 

Power Your Curiosity at PA   

Do you want to design a machine to detect 50-micron holes at 3000 bottles an hour? How do we make an autoinjector safely deliver drugs at home with a range of viscosities? Does the idea of making sustainable packaging with a 40-tonne press excite you? 

Joining us as a graduate is a big step. Coming from a specialist background, we want you to be bold, stay curious and dive into the opportunities we have to offer.  

Our Graduates Make a Difference   

The mechanical engineering team at PA use their core engineering knowledge to help ask the right questions at every stage of the development process: 

We work with scientists to understand the fundamental of any new problem. Together we prototype, characterise and explore technologies and processes 

By collaborating with designers and human factors experts we can pin down the form and function of new products 

Engineers of all disciplines – mechanical, electronic, software (and some in between!) – will come together to design, test, and build new products and systems 

We use our industry knowledge to inform future technical strategies for clients and work with others in PA to provide clients with wider business solutions 

The range of work performed at the Global Innovation and Technology Centre is broad and ever-changing. You might: 

• Develop a new food safe material that can survive being submerged 
• Assemble prototype test rigs to prove a new process is possible 
• Observe user interactions with a product to ensure it is intuitive 
• Capture high speed video of fine sprays to characterise nozzle performance 
• A career at PA is what you make of it — so power your curiosity and prepare to make an impact.   
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About You    

We’re looking for graduates who:   

• Are credible and comfortable working with clients from a broad range blue chip and start-up organisations  
• Can build strong relationships— with both clients and peers   
• Are able to combine their strong theoretical background, mechanical aptitude and practical skills to help solve complex real-world technical problems  
• Are curious and able to think creatively and laterally, applying existing knowledge to new problems  
• Can take ownership of a technical problem, seeing it through to a working solution  
• Are collaborative, enthusiastic and passionate and work at their best in dynamic teams  
• Are open to change and have a growth mindset   
• Comfortable with hands on work in both a workshop and lab setting 
• Excited to learn and apply new technical skills and rapidly acquire domain expertise 
• This is an exciting opportunity to apply engineering in situations which will ultimately lead to real-world innovation.   

Qualifications 

• An undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering (or related subject)  
• In addition, the following will also be beneficial but not essential:  
• Practical industry experience in an engineering, development or scientific role 
• A master’s degree in mechanical engineering or similar 
• Proficiency in 3D CAD systems; preferably SolidWork 

The Offer   

• A broad range of work that spans multiple sectors   
• The opportunity to experience all phases of development, from conceptualisation and theoretical design to hands-on building/prototyping and testing in our workshops  
• The opportunity to work closely with experienced and knowledgeable colleagues from across the design, applied science, software and engineering disciplines as you design, test, and build new products and systems  
• Ability to manage your own time, with choice over which projects you work on  
• Be involved in creating future technology strategies, working with others across the wider PA, to provide clients with wider business solutions  
• This role will start in Autumn 2025 
• Your work base will be our Global Technology and Innovation Centre, Melbourn 
• Salary Potential: £30,500 with additional £3,500 for transport allowance