Location: Crawley, United Kingdom

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible.

Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better, and keep us safer. We innovate across the major industries of Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space. Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.

2026 Engineering (Integrated Logistics Support) Apprentice – Level 6 Applied Professional Engineering

Start Date: 07 September 2026

Salary: £24,000 per annum

Employee type: Permanent

Location: Crawley

Working Schedule: 37 hours per week (8 hours Monday - Thursday, 5 hours on a Friday)

Are you passionate about engineering? Do you have an inquisitive mind? Do you want to be part of an Apprentice Programme that will develop and challenge you? Do you want to gain a fulfilling career where no two days will be the same? If so, read on to see what Thales has on offer…

What the role has to offer:

• Earn while you learn
• Job specific training experience
• Industry recognised qualifications
• Permanent role from day one
• Tuition fees for university or approved training providers are fully covered

This exciting apprenticeship will give you the skills, experience and knowledge to become a highly specialised Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) Engineer within the Services Centre of Competence. The apprenticeship programme will provide a strong understanding and working knowledge of the products and equipment that we support from the design stage through to production, integration, test, and repairs. An integral part of being an ILS Engineer is to collaborate with the other engineering functions, such as Systems, Safety, Software, Hardware, etc. so that we can deliver the best solutions for our customers.

Key responsibilities:

An Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) Engineering Apprentice typically works as part of a team that ensures products or systems are supported efficiently and effectively throughout their lifecycle. In an apprentice role, the primary focus is on learning, supporting experienced engineers, and gradually taking on greater responsibilities as skills and knowledge grow.

Day-to-day activities may include:

Assisting in ILS Planning:

• Helping develop and maintain ILS plans that align with project requirements

Supportability Analysis:

• Assisting with analyses such as Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Level of Repair Analysis (LORA), and Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability (RAM) studies

Technical Documentation:

• Supporting the creation, review, and maintenance of technical documents such as user manuals, maintenance plans, parts lists, and support instructions

Data Collection & Management:

• Gathering and maintaining data on equipment and system performance, maintenance activities, and logistics metrics

Spare Parts & Supply Support:

• Supporting analysis to determine spares, tools, and test equipment requirements

Training Support:

• Assisting in the development of training materials and/or participating in the delivery of training sessions to users and maintainers

Maintenance Strategy Support:

• Assisting with the development and improvement of maintenance tasks and schedules

Working with Stakeholders:

• Learning to communicate effectively with engineers, project managers, customers, suppliers, and other relevant parties

Continuous Learning:

• Actively engaging in training and development activities provided through the apprenticeship program

Apprentice Programme

For this apprenticeship you will be enrolled onto the Level 6 Applied Professional Engineering Degree Apprenticeship at Warwick University over a 4-year duration. The curriculum will be delivered through a blended learning approach which will involve some time on campus, alongside online teaching (both live and recorded) and workplace activities. You will also be given Friday to focus on your studies each week. The rest of the time you will be working within the Services function of the Thales UK business, applying your academic learning into a real life context. You will follow the Electrical/Electronic Technical Support Apprenticeship standard.

Requirements:

• 112 UCAS tariff points at A Level including a grade B in Maths and at least 1 further STEM subject (Physics, Computer Science, Engineering, Electronics)
• 5 GCSEs grade 9-4 (A-C), including English, Maths and an additional STEM subject

Please note that applicants who already hold a relevant degree will not be eligible for this programme.

Benefits:

• 201 hours annual leave (plus a company day and bank holidays)
• Company Pension
• Health Care Cash Plan
• Life Insurance
• Discount Portal
• Performance-related pay uplifts
• 80 Hours Volunteering (first two years)

Please note, assessment centres for shortlisted candidates will be held between February - May 2026.  Induction week for all Graduates and Apprentices will take place from Monday 7 September - Friday 11 September 2026.

Closing date: Our applications will close at 11.59pm on Thursday 12 February 2026, this is the only time we will be accepting applications this year. Please note, we will be in contact by the end of February 2026 with details of next steps.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ROLES MAY CLOSE EARLIER THAN THE ADVERTISED DEADLINE IF WE RECEIVE A HIGH NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS.  WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO APPLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID MISSING OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY.

Recruitment Process:

For further information about our Future Talent recruitment process, including hints and tips, or to connect with a member of the Future Talent Team, a Graduate, or an Apprentice, please visit Thales Future Talent - Connectr.

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, all our roles are subject to security restrictions. 

All successful candidates must possess the permanent right to work in the UK and will be required to go through Government security clearance at BPSS Level and to obtain full Security Clearance (SC) in line with the United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) requirements below, prior to starting with us.

This role requires you to be a sole British National from birth and achieve Security Clearance (SC) without any caveats. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment.  Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance.

To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. As part of the vetting process, you will be asked to provide evidence of your identity, eligibility to work in the UK, time spent abroad over the last 5 years, as well as employment and / or educational history.

For further details of the evidence required to apply for security clearance please follow this link - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/nationa…

Thales is an equal opportunities employer and diversity, and inclusion are integral to the success of Thales.

In line with Thales' Baseline Security requirements, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK and employment and/or education history for up to three years. Some vacancies may require full Security Clearance which can require further evidence to be provided. For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) Agency.

At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working.

Thales UK is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process. We will provide reasonable adjustments and support to ensure neuro-diverse applicants or those with a disability or long-term condition can be their best during the recruitment process. To request an adjustment, if you need this job advert in an alternative format or if you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Resourcing Ops for mid to senior roles, or the Early Careers Team for graduate and apprentice roles.

Great journeys start here, apply now!