Job Title: Mechanical Engineering Intern
Northamptonshire, NTH, GB, NN12 6PF
The Mechanical Engineering Intern role is an exciting opportunity to experience rugged product development on a selection of Military & Defence projects. This is a 12 month internship that is specifically designed/geared towards applicants who should be studying towards a relevant sandwich degree that recognises a 12 month industrial placement.
Role Description
Throughout the 12‑month placement, you will work as part of the Mechanical Engineering Team, supporting New Product Introductions (NPIs). Your role will include designing innovative mechanical solutions and optimising them for size, weight, and thermal performance for rugged embedded systems. You will be working on real engineering projects not “intern busy work/projects”. You will develop proficiency in industry-standard design tools and processes, such as SolidWorks for modelling and analysis, while gaining practical, hands-on experience in thermal and vibration testing of rugged electronics. You will be working with Product Managers, Hardware and Manufacturing Engineers throughout the design process utilising your organisational and team working skills to ensure the product functions to specification. This is a great opportunity to be part of a team and see products from concept to design completion.
Key Competencies
- Demonstrate genuine enthusiasm for mechanical engineering and product development
- Creative thinker with strong problem-solving and solution-building skills
- Proactive self-starter who can motivate and positively influence others
- Clear and confident communicator, capable of providing concise progress updates to the team.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
- Currently in at least your second year of a Mechanical, Aerospace, or similar engineering degree, with an interest in heat transfer and thermodynamics.
- Strong communication skills – both written and verbal – to work effectively with the team.
- Comfortable working independently as well as collaborating within a group.
- Confident using Microsoft Office tools for everyday tasks.
- Some experience with SolidWorks or similar CAD software would be great, but not essential – we’ll help you learn.
- Basic understanding of numerical analysis (hand calculations, simple FEA/CFD) is useful but not required.
- A good academic record and any hands-on practical experience will be a big plus.
- Awareness of design for manufacture and assembly principles is desirable.
Behaviours
- Maintain an enthusiastic, organised and positive attitude to work, with a polite, respectful and professional attitude always
- Use your knowledge and experience to help support colleagues in working towards achieving shared goals.
- Keep your work area clean and compliant with Health & Safety and ESD requirements.
- Ensure all activities are carried out in line with company values, policies, and ethical standards.
- Actively support and promote compliance with Health & Safety legislation.
This is a 12-month Internship and you will need the ability to start at the end of July/beginning of August 2026 depending on the intake date.
GDPR
By applying for this position, you acknowledge that your personal data will be processed in accordance with AMETEK/Abaco Data Protection Policy. We will use your information solely for recruitment purposes and will not share it with third parties without your consent. Your data will be stored securely and retained only as long as necessary for the recruitment process. You have the right to access, rectify, or delete your personal data at any time. For more information on how we handle your data, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
Security clearance
Please be aware that many roles working for Abaco Systems will be subject to security and export control restrictions. All roles are therefore subject to candidates being able to meet BPSS level pre-employment screening criteria. In some roles you may also need to have or be able to achieve full SC level security clearance without restrictions. Security and export control requirements mean that factors including your nationality, any other nationalities you have or have previously held, your place of birth and your employment and residency status may limit those roles you can perform for the organisation. For more information and guidance about security requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels