Mechanical Engineering Industrial Placement

Join us and help be the energy behind the change.

National Gas is the backbone of Britain's energy system. We're responsible for securing the UK's energy, whilst leading the way to a net-zero future. We keep gas moving safely and reliably to power stations, industry and over 23 million homes. As the UK transitions toward a net-zero future, we’re also pioneering new solutions such as hydrogen transmission to help decarbonise the energy sector.

We’re looking for a Mechanical Engineering placement student to join National Gas for a year in industry, before returning to university for their final year of study. This role is based at our Bristol office and will be a mix of office based engineering work and site visits. You’ll gain hands on experience across the full lifecycle of engineering projects on the National Gas transmission network, from early surveys and design, right through to construction and delivery.

You’ll be supported by a buddy and experienced engineers, and you’ll complete a meaningful end of placement project, which you’ll present to members of the leadership team.

• Supporting mechanical and civil engineering teams, with a primary focus on mechanical engineering activities
• Visiting sites across the network to help assess asset condition and integrity, including defects, corrosion and maintenance needs
• Supporting surveys, inspections and early‑stage design work during the FEED (Front End Engineering Design) phase of projects
• Getting hands‑on exposure to mechanical assets and equipment across the gas transmission network
• Helping to develop business cases for investment in new or upgraded equipment and sites
• Seeing projects through end to end, from initial site survey, through concept and detailed design, into construction and delivery
• Supporting project development activities and working closely with delivery and construction teams
• Learning how engineering decisions are made safely, sustainably and efficiently in a regulated environment
• Completing an end of placement project, aligned to real business needs, and presenting your findings to senior stakeholders

This is a strongly engineering focused role, designed to give you depth as well as breadth of experience. Many of our graduates started their journey with us as placement year students. We hope to consider strong performers for future graduate roles or final year research placements.

We’re looking for a student who is keen to learn, curious about how things work, and comfortable getting out on site as well as working in the office.

• Studying towards a Mechanical Engineering degree (or closely related discipline)
• Will be undertaking a 12 month industrial placement as part of your degree in the next academic year (26‑27)
• Comfortable working in different environments, including operational sites
• A self‑starter who takes initiative and explores problems thoroughly
• Proactive, organised and keen to take responsibility for your own learning
• Interested in how large‑scale infrastructure is designed, maintained and improved
• Able to communicate clearly with engineers, contractors and wider teams
• Committed to safety, safeguarding and doing the right thing at all times

• To be in your second year of study at university
• Due to the nature of the role and regular site visits, you’ll need to hold a full UK driving licence (or be able to obtain one before starting)
• This role requires a regular on‑site presence, alongside office based engineering work so you’ll need to be comfortable with this setup
• A cover letter is essential to help us understand why you're a great fit for the role. Check out our guidance below!
• You’ll need to have permanent right to work in the UK for the entirety of this programme, as we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role
• As you’ll be working on Critical National Infrastructure, you’ll also need to pass enhanced National Security Vetting, meaning you’ll need to be able to provide a 5‑year UK address history. Your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held. Further details are available…