The Sky’s The Limit
Ontic Graduate Programs
The Ontic Graduate Program gives you professional training that’s second to none, while supporting you with important life skills outside of work as you take the first step in your career.
Our two-year graduate programme will help you put your degree to use from day one. Whether you’re looking for a career within one of our functions, or you’d prefer to focus on commercial skills, our program will ensure you have the opportunity to learn and grow throughout.
What’s the Graduate Program like?
At Ontic, you'll work on an exciting mix of civil and military projects for global customers including Boeing and Airbus, rotating around different placements and business disciplines, learning how we deliver for our customers and make Ontic the growing business we are.
You’ll be contributing to live projects as soon as you start - this could be anything from improving processes for customers like Emirates, forecasting future needs to support our Business Development team, or problem-solving internally to help make our processes and systems more effective for our customers and partners.
On-The-Job Learning
We pride ourselves on offering our graduates full autonomy with the knowledge that support is always there when you need it. We want to nurture and develop your skills which means providing room to grow with a safety net.
During your two-year placement, you’ll be working with a variety of stakeholders, with regular opportunities to engage and work with our senior leadership teams. As you progress through the program, you’ll take the lead on projects and be a key contributor in our strategic growth.
- Finance Graduate Programs
- Business Leadership Graduate Programs
- Engineering Graduate Programs
Finance Graduate Programs
Our Finance Graduate Programs provide hands-on experience across key financial disciplines that support our global operations. From financial planning, analysis and reporting, to partnering with operational teams to drive performance, you’ll gain exposure into how finance enables decision-making across a complex aerospace environment—supporting both commercial and defense customers.
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Luke’s Story
Luke Jeffs didn’t originally set out to build a long-term career at Ontic. Starting as a temporary Assistant Buyer with us, he was planning to go travelling after university and work it out from there. But just before he set off, he received a call that would shape the next 12+ years of his career.
His managers spotted his potential early, asking whether he would consider becoming the first participant in Ontic’s Graduate Program upon his return. As someone who takes every opportunity, he didn’t hesitate.
From Graduate to Global Business Development Analyst
Over the two-year programme, he gained invaluable exposure across multiple departments, laying the foundations for a career that would take him across continents and into senior leadership. As the first graduate of the program, Luke has since helped shape it into the successful and well-established development pathway it is today.
The program perfectly positioned Luke to jump into his next position as Global Business Development Analyst. During this role, he supported senior management with strategic planning, market analysis and financial modelling for licensing and acquisition opportunities. Not only did this give him fantastic business development insight, but the role also provided international exposure, with travel to Los Angeles, Singapore and beyond.
“At Ontic, you’re given real responsibility very early on. There’s autonomy, exposure and incredible flexibility - and that really accelerates your learning. The autonomy you get isn’t something you find easily at other large businesses, especially in aerospace”.
Career Development and Moving Into Management
Just two years into his Business Development Analyst role, a promotion opportunity came up that gave Luke the chance to step up into management. After discussing with his manager and his mentor, he successfully applied for the position which also meant relocating from the UK to our Chatsworth site in LA.
In his new role, he led licensing and acquisition deals, including key agreements with major OEM partners - receiving mentorship and leadership training along the way to support his growing skills. Over the following years, Luke continued to progress, growing his career as Ontic grew.
In just 5 years, Luke went from Buying Assistant to becoming central in our acquisitive growth strategy. Fast forward a few more years and he now sits on our Senior Leadership Team as Vice President of Licensing. His rapid growth is testament to his appetite to learn, try new things, and the opportunity Ontic can provide to such individuals.
“I love my job because I love the thrill of the deal. But Ontic’s open and honest culture, being part of strategy, and understanding how we create long-term value as a business is what’s kept me here for so long. I’ve never looked at going anywhere else”.
Considering an Aerospace Career? Here’s Luke’s Advice
“You’re not going to love everything you try. That’s the point! At the start of your career, take risks and go out of your comfort zone. This is the golden opportunity to travel, try new things.
I always tell graduates to network. A lot of grads shy away from it, but you won’t know what’s out there until you talk to someone. Think long-term and say yes to everything that feels exciting”.
