FOS Future Lab 2026: McLaren opens the door for the next generation

A few hundred metres down the lawn from where the covers came off the new McLaren 788HS, three of the people who make McLaren Automotive tick told a tent full of inquisitive teenagers how to land a dream job with the Woking outfit. None of them took a straight line, which was rather the point.

Principal interior designer Alex Alexiev started with a portfolio on a USB stick, handed to a McLaren design director at a university careers event. That turned into a placement of three to six months. “Long story short,” he said, “it became 13 years.”

James Batty, now a project manager at McLaren Special Operations, missed out on the F1 graduate schemes he wanted, but joined as a contractor instead and worked his way up to managing one-off supercar commissions for customers who can dream up anything.

Monica Thakor joined as a project analyst straight from her masters, deliberately moved sideways into engineering to sharpen her technical skills. She now works on body, interior and exterior for future McLaren projects.

How to get noticed

For a career in engineering, Thakor credits an applied science and physics club with elevating her CV before any industry experience did. Greenpower schooling in STEM helps. “That's something that would clearly make you stand out,” added Batty.

Formula Student, Europe’s premier educational engineering competition, is also seen positively at university level, but attitude counts most of all. “Show you have a genuine interest and a burning desire, not only to learn but to improve,” said Alexiev. “It comes down to passion and curiosity.”

Opportunities cover a far wider pool than working on the cars, too.  Around 18 graduates are on the current programme, spread across finance, procurement, marketing and sales, as well as technicians who physically build the cars. “It really isn't just for the engineers,” said Batty.

The culture they described rewards trying things. “They're not afraid to fail,” added Alexiev. “One way of developing something is to find certain ways it won't work."

Increased diversity

With a visiting GirlsInSTEM club keen to know if the ratio of women to men in engineering is improving, Thakor confirmed the support is there. “They also really encourage us to go out to schools and talk to young people, especially young women. It's much more diverse than it used to be, and everyone is super supportive,” she added.

McLaren Automotive school visits come with a car in tow, or better still, group visits to the space-age McLaren Technology Centre are also possible. 

Batty revealed working at the McLaren Technology Centre isn’t like your average office. “I can wander two minutes from my desk, and there are four McLaren F1s, three P1s and six SLRs sat in the garage. Every time you walk in, you feel the energy, and you feel the desire to do better.”

Discover more about early careers at McLaren Automotive.

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