Careers - Graduates - UK Direct Entry Graduate Scheme



Matthew Sharples Direct Entry Graduate Landing Gear Systems Procurement Previously an Airbus Intern before graduating from Coventry University Business School with BA (Hons) Business Administration and MBA in Business Law. “I initially joined Airbus in 2003 on a three-month internship with the Communications team in Broughton, where I was incredibly fortunate to be involved in a number of communication and PR related projects centering on the A380. These included the grand opening of the Broughton West Factory, at which the VIP guest was Tony Blair, the then UK Prime Minister, visits from TV and other media organisations, as well as general communication activities such as press releases and photo-shoots. I returned to Broughton again in the summer of 2004 and relished the chance to spend a week at the Farnborough International Airshow, whilst also working on legal and Government Affairs research projects. I gained tremendous experience during these placements and decided that I would like to pursue a career with Airbus, focusing on the marketing and commercial side of the business. I subsequently joined the DEG scheme in September 2006 as a member of the Landing Gear Systems Procurement team. After spending my first six months in Landing Gear Systems Procurement, I moved to Airbus HQ in Toulouse France for three months, working in a Procurement role in the new Airbus Procurement Contracts Team. I was involved in supplier negotiations, supplier assessment and selection, commodity strategy, contract management and evaluation of supplier selection models for A350XWB suppliers. Besides the practical work, the DEG scheme has provided me with extensive technical and non-technical training including team building, composite awareness and advanced negotiation skills, amongst others. My current role in Government Affairs has enabled me to do some specialised training in government related areas, such as government policy and awareness. Once I have completed my six-month Government Affairs placement, I will spend a further six months with the Landing Gear Systems Procurement Team. I then plan to gain some international experience with a three-month placement in either Asia or the U.S. Ultimately, I hope to move to Airbus HQ in Toulouse.”

Ciaran O’Rourke
Aeroelastics Engineer

Graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in MEng Aeronautical Engineering and Ecole Centrale Paris with a Diplôme d’ingénieur.

“I’ve had a fantastic opportunity to experience a wide range of tasks and disciplines thanks to the placement structure of the DEG scheme in various Engineering departments.

This has meant that I’ve had the chance to spend time in Flight Physics, as well as in the Flight Operations offices of one of our customers in Dubai, and on the A380 Final Assembly Line in Toulouse. I’ve seen, first hand, the challenges that face the company today and the experience I have had has helped me to expand my knowledge and understanding of the business.

I am currently involved in design activities for the new A350XWB aircraft - it is very interesting to be involved in the early stages of development on this project, where I am responsible for managing and coordinating Computational Fluid Dynamics tasks within the aeroelastics group.

As part of my personal development programme, I have also been involved in Schools Liaison activities; primarily coordinating visits for local school children to the Airbus site in Filton. This has helped me to develop my communication and organisational skills, besides giving me a great deal of personal satisfaction by participating in various activities designed to encourage students to consider a career in engineering.”

Laurene Huguenin
Design Engineer

Graduated from Cranfield University with a double degree in Mechanical Engineering (France) and MSc in Advanced Materials (UK).

“Thanks to the nature of the Direct Entry Graduate (DEG) Scheme, offering excellent training combined with numerous placements in various disciplines, I gained valuable experience in a very short period of time.”

I worked in key business areas, ranging from Research, Structures Design, Manufacturing and In-Service Support. Having the chance to try out such different roles meant that I was able to see where my real strengths lay before choosing my role.

The programme also gave me the opportunity to spend three months within a customer Technical Services team, with one of our customers based in Hong Kong. This was an invaluable experience as I got to see the Airbus products from a customer’s point of view. I saw how airlines operate our aircraft and their expectations of us. Additionally, I spent three months in Airbus-Deutschland on the A318/A319/A321 Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Hamburg. This was also very rewarding, as I worked within the “FAL” Engineering support team and gained a real insight into manufacturing.

I finished the Direct Entry Graduate scheme in September 2007 and I am now working as an Integration Designer on the A350 new programme. I am responsible for the design of a work-package, which means interfacing with other design teams and manufacturing to ensure that the right product is delivered at the right time.”






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