Career opportunities

From global vehicle manufacturers to world-class suppliers and design consultancies, exciting opportunities exist at every level of the UK automotive industry. Across the country, talented people are designing, developing and engineering cars, commercial vehicles and components – then assembling them into finished vehicles, before testing and selling them to customers in the UK and abroad.

Many automotive professionals begin their journey with training and education through colleges and universities, taking their first steps towards a rewarding, well-paid and long-term career in this dynamic sector.

In collaboration with the City of London Livery Company and the Worshipful Company of Coach and Harness Makers, the SMMT Charitable Trust Fund has developed the Automotive Industry Career Guide to provide key information and advice for young people considering a career within the industry.

Aimed at school and further education students, the guide showcases the breadth and depth of career paths available – and the key disciplines that modern automotive businesses require.

Tracking the journey of a vehicle, from leaving a dealership all the way back to the first step of utilising decision-making systems and processes, through which a manufacturer decides to launch a new product, the guide covers:

• Accounting & finance
• Community, charity & CSR
• Communications, incl. Marketing & Public Relations
• IT, incl. hardware, software and system engineering
• Manufacturing, incl. Design, Aerodynamics & Engineering
• Fashion, incl. practicality in design, fabrics and aesthetics
• Business Management & Administration, incl. Human Resources & Legal
• Product development, incl. CAE
• Public Relations
• Sales

The guide ultimately aims to attract the best new talent into these roles and, given the importance of ensuring the workforce reflects the society we live in, promotes diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to open up the automotive industry to people from all backgrounds and experiences.