Cyber Security Research Placement (12.5 months)

Job Description:

Start date: 16 August 2027

Location: Filton, Bristol / Newport 

Duration: 12.5 months

 

Applications close on 25 October 2026! 

We love your interest in joining Airbus! There is no limit on the number of positions you can apply for, however, please be aware that you can only progress in the selection process for one position at a time. We recommend reviewing all available opportunities and applying to those that best match your experience and aspirations.

AI Guidance: We know you might be thinking about using AI to help you in your application - before you do, please read our guidelines on the use of AI for recruitment at Airbus https://www.airbus.com/en/careers/faqs#using-ai-in-your-application.

Benefits:

Salary: £24,246

35 hours per week // Flexible working hours // Hybrid working options available depending on the role // Half day Fridays! // 25 days holiday plus bank holidays

About us: 

Ready to protect a global aerospace leader from the world's most sophisticated cyber threats? The Airbus Cyber Innovation team is at the forefront of this battle, pioneering next-generation security solutions for the aerospace and defence sector. This is your chance to work alongside leading experts, tackling the ever-evolving challenges that define modern cybersecurity and make a discernible impact on critical global infrastructure.

Our team is a dynamic collective of specialists in fields ranging from cyberpsychology and smart manufacturing (IoT/ICS) to AI/ML, cryptography, and cloud security. We don't expect you to be an expert in any of these; instead, we seek interns with a powerful sense of curiosity, a deep passion for learning, and a proactive drive to contribute your unique ideas to our hands-on experiments and prototype development. We value a fresh perspective and an eagerness to challenge the status quo.

This is more than an internship; it's an opportunity to turn theory into reality. You will actively build and test innovative prototypes, experiment with emerging technologies, and even have the chance to contribute to research published at international conferences. Immerse yourself in a world-class R&D environment, develop highly sought-after technical skills, and gain firsthand insight into the critical cybersecurity questions facing a major global organization today.

What you will be doing:

During your placement, you will undertake cutting edge digital security research and innovation activities under the guidance of experienced innovators and subject matter experts, to develop solutions to Airbus’ cybersecurity innovation needs.

As part of the Cyber Innovation Team you will:

• Contribute to ongoing and new research projects;
• Learn about the complex and upcoming needs of a large organisation;
• Work with a range of teams within the business to develop new innovations;
• Collaborate with universities across the world;
• Get involved in scouting the market for new cybersecurity technologies and assessing their capabilities;
• Write internal technical reports and contribute to papers published at leading cybersecurity conferences;
• And potentially travel to other Airbus sites, events and academic conferences across Europe.

Requirements:

Our placements are open to Undergraduates only. Therefore it is mandatory for candidates to be an undergraduate for the whole duration of the placement. Please inform your graduation date on your application.

*Your application should include a CV along with a Cover Letter outlining your motivation and suitability for the role.*

Education

Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate some of the following:

• Studying towards a degree in Cyber Security, Computer Science, Psychology, Human Factors, Computing, or equivalent;
• For Computer Science related degrees, passed modules in any of the following or similar: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Cryptography, Data Science, Secure Software Development, Risk Management, Cybersecurity Law, Security Architecture, Cybersecurity of Operational Technology (OT) / SCADA, Cloud Security, Network Security, Offensive & Defensive Security, and/or Security Monitoring.
• For Psychology related degrees, passed modules in any of the following or similar: Cyber Psychology/Human Factors, Decision-Making, Cognitive Science, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Human-Machine interface (HMI) design, Human-robot Interaction (HRI), Research Methods / Design, UI/UX.

Technical

Any practical skills and experience with the following will be helpful although not mandatory: 

• Research Design;
• Technical report writing;
• Experience with Google Workspace;
• Qualtrics / Psychopy / Google Forms / Survey Monkey;
• Operating Systems such as Redhat, Ubuntu, Kali Linux, Android;
• Cisco R&S, VLANs, firewalls, Wireshark, Nmap;
• Protocols e.g., TCP/IP, MODBUS, Profinet, CIP, S7, Zigbee, CANBUS, Bluetooth;
• Vulnerability scanning applications such as Nessus, Splunk;
• Metasploit, IDS signatures, Intrusion Detection Systems;
• Web application pentest tools such as Burp Suite;
• Knowledge of AI/ML models;
• Python, C++, Java, R, Rust;
• Statistics.

Behavioural

• The ability to listen, understand and communicate information verbally, textually and diagrammatically;
• The desire to work in a technical team environment;
• A strong interest in developing yourself both technically and personally;
• An interest in finding and developing creative solutions to complex problems;
• Ability to work relatively autonomously with minimal supervision;
• Natural curiosity to discover new things and explore new avenues;
• Willingness to travel and engage with people;
• Professional level of written and speaking English skills, and other languages are a bonus.

SECURITY CLEARANCE: You will be subject to a BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standard) check. You may also need to gain UK SC-level Security Clearance or Export Control, depending on the role.

Contact

Please let us know if you need us to make any adjustments to allow you to access and participate fully in the recruitment process. If you wish to discuss this further please contact us. Any information disclosed will be treated in the strictest confidence.

#UK_PLA

This job requires an awareness of any potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company’s success, reputation and sustainable growth.

Company:

Airbus Operations Limited

Employment Type:

Internship

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Experience Level:

Student

Job Family:

Cyber Security <JF-CG-ST>

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At Airbus, we support you to work, connect and collaborate more easily and flexibly. Wherever possible, we foster flexible working arrangements to stimulate innovative thinking.