Early Careers at Lockheed Martin
Engineering excellence lies at the heart of Lockheed Martin and there are exciting opportunities to join its Early Careers development programme across a variety of different business functions from technical engineering through to functional business support.
Whatever your direction, Lockheed Martin UK can help your development with competitive salaries, benefits, flexible schedules and more.
Graduate Programme
Joining us as a Graduate you will get to be part of a great team working on exciting projects making a real difference from day one. You, along with the rest of your Early Careers cohort, will follow our two-year carefully planned Graduate Programme cycle. When we see someone with real talent, we move quickly to determine how you can shape your future with us, and us with you.
During your time, we take you on a tour of Lockheed Martin sites to get a flavour of who Lockheed Martin are. The purpose of this programme is to help you thrive in a business environment whether you choose a technical or leadership pathway. It is about maximising your individuality and individual capabilities.
Lockheed Martin has signed up to the 5% Club Charter. We have committed to 5% of our UK workforce over the next five years being young people on structured training schemes. Find out more at the 5% Club website.
Year One
- Induction - Is about networking and getting to know the rest of your cohort and Lockheed Martin as a business at your Graduate Induction
- Know yourself - Is about us helping you to understand yourself better and others around you to enable you to build better connections
- Managing yourself - Is equipping you with the skills to help manage your time and priorities to allow you to get the best out of your day and achieve your goals and targets
Year Two
- Getting yourself across - enables you to better communicate with and influence others in the business to maximise the effectiveness of what you’re trying to say
- Innovation Day - Is an opportunity for you to solve real business challenges with innovative ideas using what you have learnt in the programme so far
- Graduation Event - you will present your innovative ideas to the Senior leadership team whilst, most importantly, celebrating your hard work and success
Employee Spotlight: Graduate Programme
“Representing the company and working to their values is not only by just doing your daily job, but it is also to support and further develop yourself and others to ensure the company is working at its highest level. Even though engineering is what feeds my working appetite, helping and supporting others is also a passion of mine.
Being a Graduate Systems Engineer that started in 2018, I had the opportunity to become one of the Early Career Representatives. This allowed me to support graduates, apprentices and placement students with broadening their technical abilities and ensure that they are well supported in their jobs; whether they are struggling with work or just need someone to talk.
I've led several outreach events across the UK. The most successful outreach event that I've organised was a virtual work experience week that saw a colleague and I put countless hours into ensuring we could perform an alternative work experience for a group of students, so they didn’t miss out on an amazing opportunity due to COVID-19 challenges of working remotely.
Two of my personal proudest achievements at Lockheed Martin have been my involvement in Mental Health and Black Lives Matter campaigns, as these are two areas that I can relate to as a British Sri Lankan who has been on the receiving end of prejudice and discrimination, as well as having had troubles with my mental health.
I have spent a high proportion of my own time ensuring that everyone is able to achieve their best and are happy and well whilst doing so. A group of happy employees create the most effective companies."
Jonathan B.
Systems Engineer (Prior Graduate)
How to Apply for our Graduate Positions
We are looking for people who have a degree in the following areas: mathematics, physics, computer science, computer and information security, cyber security, systems engineering, software engineering, electronic and electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, information technology, finance or business studies.
- Review our graduate opportunities by searching for graduate positions here.
- Upload your CV and complete the required Coversheet and submit.
- Your application is then assessed against academic criteria and checked to make sure it contains all required information.
- If your application is then selected and successful, you will be invited to an assessment day or interview at one of our UK facilities.
- The assessment day may include presentations from the business, interviews, tours, group activities and presenting.
- If selected from the assessment day you will receive a written offer to join the Lockheed Martin team and you’re on boarding process will start from here.
- To help keep you feel connected we will regularly update you with current early careers activities between the offer and your start date.
- It's as simple as that!
Please note that the majority of the positions posted require HM Government security clearance, please refer to individual job specifications for requirements. In order to apply for a position requiring security clearance the applicant must meet the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting criteria. Details of the criteria can be found on the MOD website.
Placement Students Programme
Our Placement Students Programme is the longest running of all the Early Career Programmes and is a successful way of sourcing and securing talent for the workplace of the future. We currently offer roles to a variety of different disciplines across many business areas. There are two types of Placement Students offered:
- Summer – Need to be at university studying a relevant degree
- 12 Month – Need to be studying a Sandwich degree course (year at work between university years)
Upon joining us as a Placement Student, you will get to be part of a great team working on exciting projects and making a real difference from day one. Your programme will include the below.
Placement Student Welcome Event
You will start your Placement with an exciting welcome event. An example of where this event takes place is Farnborough International Airshow. At this event you get to hear from several speakers including past Placement Students. You will get to meet your fellow Placement Students and connect with them.
Cross Line of Business
This is where we give you the opportunity to get a flavour of our Lockheed Martin sites and learn about the in and outs of each Business Area. It is also a chance for you to continue to grow your connections you made at the Welcome Event. Cross Line of Business events are also available to all areas of Early Careers so this gives you the chance to interact with Apprentices and Graduates.
Mentoring / On the Job Learning
Throughout Lockheed Martin we have many mentoring opportunities and even more so when on an Early Careers Programme. Most importantly we will offer you the opportunity to learn on the job daily. You will be given a real job with real responsibilities and the experience and skills you take away from your Placement will really help you in your final year/years at university.
Employee Spotlight: Placement Student
"Starting out at Lockheed Martin three years ago as a Placement student, I had no idea I would end up where I am now. I joined a great team working on IT business applications but with support from my manager and team lead I moved into an IT project manager role. This presented me with not just a significant level of responsibility but also challenged me to operate outside of my comfort zone and pushed me to excel.
I was able to continue working part time while I returned to university to complete my degree, with the security of knowing I had a graduate job to come back to. Not long after, I was offered a place as the first international participant in the IT Engineering Leadership Development Programme (ELDP), and now I work directly with colleagues in the US delivering a key business transformation programme.
Throughout my time at Lockheed Martin I’ve had the opportunity to try new things, grow my skillset significantly and been given a level of responsibility that makes me take pride in the contributions I make.
Coming from a software development background, I’m extremely passionate about STEM (Science, technology, Engineering & Maths) outreach and helping to inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists and coders. Lockheed Martin has given me the opportunity to pursue my passion as the project manager for the UK Code Quest and CYBERQUEST competitions, where teams of school students compete to solve coding or cyber challenges. Leading a small team to execute multiple events simultaneously across the UK and creating problems for students to solve has given me a sense of pride and job satisfaction I never thought possible!"
Ben F.
Enterprise Resource Planning Risk Manager (Prior Placement Student)
Apprenticeships
The Lockheed Martin UK Apprentice programme helps attract and secure the workforce of tomorrow and is an important element of ensuring specialised skills and innovative capabilities are retained for the future. Employees from a number of Lockheed Martin business areas provide guidance, technical knowledge and ongoing support for apprentices while they transition into the workplace.
An apprentice at Lockheed Martin UK will get hands-on experience at an innovative company that is driven by a sense of purpose and a passion for innovation to shape the future and solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. Working as part of a dynamic team, the focus is on providing smart solutions whilst creatively solving problems for our customers
Lockheed Martin has signed up to the 5% Club Charter. We have committed to 5% of our UK workforce over the next five years being young people on structured training schemes. Find out more at the 5% Club website.
- Induction - Is about networking and getting to know the rest of your cohort and Lockheed Martin as a business at your Apprentice Induction.
- Support - You will receive support throughout your Apprenticeship from your Manager, Teams, fellow apprentices, and cross business areas.
- Training on the Job - We will offer you the opportunity to train on the job. You will be given a job with real responsibilities and the experience and skills you take away from your apprenticeship will directly help you with your future careers.
- Training Providers - You will receive external Training from a provider that has been carefully selected. From this you will also end up with an external professional qualification.
- Know yourself - Is about us helping you to understand yourself better and others around you to enable you to build better connections.
- Permanent - At the end of your Apprenticeship you will be offered a permanent job with Lockheed Martin.
- Cross Line of Business - This is where we give you the opportunity to get a flavour of our Lockheed Martin sites and learn about the ins and outs of each Business Area. It is also a chance for you to continue to grow your connections you made at the Welcome Event. Cross Line of Business events are also available to all areas of Early Careers so this gives you the chance to interact with Placement Students and Graduates.
- Celebration - At the end of your Apprenticeship you are presented with Glassware and a certificate, you also will receive a celebration.
Employee Spotlight: Apprenticeship
"Being part of the Lockheed Martin UK Rotary and Mission Systems Commercial function for the past five years has provided so many opportunities and accelerated my growth that I truly believe I couldn’t have found elsewhere
At just 18 I started my apprenticeship at Lockheed Martin, choosing this over staying in education. This allowed me to earn a salary and start a career whilst gaining higher qualifications. I had to quickly adjust to the way business works but this was made easy by the support of my colleagues.
I have supported programmes across the military and commercial sides of the business, allowing me to have a wide understanding of different aspects of Lockheed Martin but also this ensured I had another challenge lined up.
Five years down the line I am still thoroughly enjoying the projects I am part of and the unique opportunities this career is giving me. I am halfway through a fully- funded degree, I have recently won a global award and through the Women and Allies in STEM group, I am now becoming a mentor to young females to help them with career advice.
I could only dream of the lifestyle I live now, owning my own house by 22, driving my dream car and having the continuous prospect of a career with a company as generous as Lockheed Martin.
I am not only proud of myself but proud to work for Lockheed Martin."
Charlotte S.
Contracts Administrator (Prior Apprentice)
How to Apply for an Apprenticeship
We are looking for people who are keen to learn with an aspiration to work for Lockheed Martin. When applying for an Apprenticeship you will have to meet the minimum educational requirements of the course which will be detailed in the advert.
- Review our Apprenticeship opportunities by searching for Apprenticeship positions here.
- Upload your CV and complete the required Coversheet and submit.
- Your application is then assessed against academic criteria and checked to make sure it contains all required information.
- If your application is then selected and successful, you will be invited to an assessment day or interview at one of our UK facilities.
- The assessment day may include presentations from the business, interviews, tours, group activities and presenting.
- If selected from the assessment day you will receive a written offer to join the Lockheed Martin team and you’re on boarding process will start from here.
- To help keep you feel connected we will regularly update you with current early careers activities between the offer and your start date
- It's as simple as that!
Please note that the majority of the positions posted require HM Government security clearance, please refer to individual job specifications for requirements. In order to apply for a position requiring security clearance the applicant must meet the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting criteria. Details of the criteria can be found on the MOD website.
Work Experience
To help support you in making your future career decisions, here at Lockheed Martin UK, we offer an annual week of Work Experience that usually takes place in July. This provides UK secondary school pupils aged 15-17 with a valuable insight into the world of work. We aim to accommodate students primarily studying higher education from secondary schools local to our UK offices working at the Havant, Gloucester, Ampthill and Harwell locations.
During the work experience programme, students will have the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities as a group to develop their technical understanding and problem-solving skills. On completion of the programme we will aim to help students understand their future career path and how they can achieve it.
One student left the following feedback on completion of their time spent at our Ampthill location: "I have thoroughly enjoyed the work experience placement I have been on; there is nothing I haven’t enjoyed. I would also like to join the company as an apprentice and then an employee as I see as well-defined future in the company. I thank the staff at Lockheed Martin for a fantastic experience at the site."
If you are interested in carrying out your Work Experience placement with Lockheed Martin, our applications are open from January – March each year. Please send a cover letter stating your reasons for applying, preferred location and a copy of your CV to: work_experience.lmuk@lmco.com.
Employee Spotlight: Work Experience Programme
"When I was just fourteen I was given the chance to spend time at the RMS business area of Lockheed Martin UK as a work experience student. I got to learn about the company and what it does as well as develop a taste for engineering. After that my studies took me towards doing a brand-new T-Level course (Digital Production Design and Development), for which we needed to complete 360 hours of industrial placement. I asked Lockheed Martin if I could return and they obliged. Upon completing my T-Level exams I decided I wanted to pursue further education, and it just so happened that was also the time when Lockheed Martin was recruiting for apprentices. As Lockheed Martin had supported my education alongside Secondary School and College so I decided that I would pursue my further education with them. So far the company has opened so many doors for me including the opportunity to work overseas. I would like to say a massive thank you to the Early Careers Team, and I hope my future has many more opportunities to further my education."
Josh T.
Software Degree Apprentice
RMS
Want to speak to someone about our Early Careers programme?
Should you have any questions about our Early Careers programmes, please feel free to email us earlycareers.fc-lmuk@global.lmco.com
