Missile manufacturer plans to take on 500 new staff

A UK missile manufacturer with a large base in Bristol has announced plans to hire 500 staff in Britain in 2021.

The defence company MBDA, which is jointly owned by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo, employs more than 4,500 in the UK. It also has sites in Bolton and Stevenage.

Jobs on offer include software and systems engineering roles, with staff employed in these positions predominantly in Bristol.

There will also be jobs in manufacturing, commercial, customer support, project management and procurement, according to the firm, which said there would be a mixture of apprenticeship and graduate positions, as well as roles for experienced professionals.

Chris Allam, MBDA UK managing director, said: “In the circumstances we all found ourselves in over the last year, we are pleased the strong business position we are in allows us to continue to recruit. Our work didn’t stop and neither did our people. They are at the heart of sustaining our business. At MBDA, everyone has a role to play in delivering the capability that our Armed Forces need to defend our country and secure our freedoms.”

In January, MBDA won a £550m Ministry of Defence contract to develop an air-to-ground strike weapon for the UK F-35 combat aircraft, creating 190 highly-skilled technology jobs.

MBDA is hosting a virtual recruitment event on Thursday from 11.30am to 6pm. For more information, visit mbdacareers.co.uk/careers-events.