Introduction
Having had a childhood passion for aviation, Megan completed her Masters in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Sheffield in 2021. BAE Systems’ Undergraduate Sponsorship Scheme afforded Megan the opportunity to carry out internships and placements within the company throughout her degree, in roles ranging from Integration Engineering to Flight Test. Throughout University, Megan was also a member of the University Air Squadron, a branch of the RAF Reserves that enables students to experience opportunities within the military whilst studying.
Upon graduating Megan returned to BAE Systems as a Mission Planning Engineer: a role which would allow her to take advantage of both her experience with the military customer and the technical knowledge gained through her Master’s degree.
Background
Growing up, Megan’s favourite day out was to the airport, to watch aircraft taking off and landing. Throughout school, this interest in aviation focused more towards high performance air and spacecraft, which led to the pursuit of work experience in the Defence industry. Through spending each summer and a placement year throughout her degree working at BAE Systems, Megan’s experience in Defence grew, both in terms of breadth of roles and platforms.
Megan’s time in the University Air Squadron also allowed her to gain an insight into front‐line operations across the UK and abroad, deepening her understanding of the military customer. Bringing this experience back to BAE Systems, Megan now works in a role that allows her to capitalise on her skills in understanding operational requirements, communicating and delivering on them. Working on a military base, Megan’s role includes a range of activities, from software development aspects of Mission Planning to business development.
In addition to her day job, Megan is also involved in a number of Stretch Assignments as part of the BAE Systems Graduate Scheme. These include leading a project looking at healthcare applications of defence technologies and supporting the creation of a Carbon Emissions Tracking framework for the company. Overall, Megan enjoys the creativity and problem solving aspects of engineering in a range of settings.
Why did you join NPF?
During an undergraduate placement at BAE Systems, Megan attended an annual ADS NPF conference. This experience of the NPF enthused Megan because of the opportunity to engage with members of the Early Careers population across different companies. In Megan’s view, understanding broader technological developments and interests across the industry is a vital, but sometimes illusive, aspect of new professional development.
Fun Fact about Megan
Megan runs a blog called ‘MegInSTEM’ where she reflects on early careers development and opportunities in STEM! You can find this on Instagram at @meginstem or online at www.meginstem.com!
