Graduate Mechanical Engineer

Company description

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.   

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 

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.   

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 

Additional information

Life At PA encompasses our peoples' experience at PA. It's about how we enrich peoples’ working lives by giving them access to unique people and growth opportunities and purpose led meaningful work.

We believe diversity fuels ingenuity. Diversity of thought brings exciting perspectives; diversity of experience brings a wealth of knowledge, and diversity of skills brings the tools we need. When we bring people together with diverse backgrounds, identities, and minds, embracing that difference through an inclusive culture where our people thrive; we unleash the power of diversity – bringing ingenuity to life.

Find out more about Life at PA here.

We are dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional, social and financial well-being of our people. Check out some of our extensive benefits:

• Health and lifestyle perks accompanying private healthcare for you and your family
• 25 days annual leave (plus a bonus half day on Christmas Eve) with the opportunity to buy 5 additional days
• Generous company pension scheme
• Opportunity to get involved with community and charity-based initiatives
• Annual performance-based bonus
• PA share ownership
• Tax efficient benefits (cycle to work, give as you earn)

We recruit, retain, reward and develop our people based solely on their abilities and contributions and without reference to their age, background, disability, genetic information, parental or family status, religion or belief, race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity (or expression), political belief veteran status, or other by any other range of human difference brought about by identity and experience. We are on a journey towards ensuring our workforce is diverse at all levels and that our firm is representative of the world around us. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups.

Adjustments or accommodations - Should you need any adjustments or accommodations to the recruitment process, at either application or interview, please contact us on earlycareers@paconsulting.com