2025 Graduate Programme (UK) - Planning

At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.

About us

We are one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services firms. Our 69,300 passionate people are united by the common purpose of creating positive, long-lasting impacts on the communities we serve through a culture of innovation, integrity, and inclusion. With over 9,000 professionals across the UK and Ireland, we are dedicated to our local communities and propelled by international brainpower.

Job Description

In today’s world it’s important to work for a company that has clear purpose, giving back to communities and supporting what is truly important in the world.

When considering a career move its vital to work for a business that is aligned to your values and goals, a place where you can belong. See what WSP stands for in 2024 and beyond.

Planning work is collaborative, engaging, diverse and exciting. Our work makes a difference to the communities and geographies we work in, providing legacy, economic, social and environmental impacts. We drive best practice in engagement, community relations, consultation and stakeholder management in the delivery of some of the country’s largest infrastructure projects as well as delivering expertise within the water, health, energy and environmental sectors.

We are looking for graduates for our Planning and Development teams, who have an adaptable approach and an appetite to learn in a leading Engineering and Professional services consultancy. We want you to enjoy working in a collaborative environment where you can apply your skills working for a diverse range of clients and projects.

You will join an enthusiastic and supportive team providing you with a challenging and fulfilling working experience. We will fully support your development through enrolment onto a training agreement with an appropriate professional body enabling you to progress to chartered status.

Projects:

Our team work on important developments in the UK, you will be helping deliver projects such as:

• Eden Project Morecambe
• Aston Villa Stadum development
• HS2
• Hynet
• Network Rail
• United Utilities
• Scottish Power Energy Networks

Responsibilities

Our vision is to be recognised as the most powerful and best Development and Planning team in the industry. We strive to achieve this through continuous improvement and a management structure comprising of four pillars, namely: Technical Excellence, People, Clients and Operational Excellence.

We are recruiting for some fantastic opportunities for enthusiastic and motivated graduates for our Planning and Engagements teams across the UK.

Development Planning - Join our high-performing team of over 800 colleagues, supporting projects from land acquisition to construction. You will assist in design development, preparing technical documentation, and advising clients. You'll work on multiple projects, gaining support throughout your time as a graduate.

We help clients promote sustainable development, guiding plans from pre-feasibility through to planning consent and multi-disciplinary design.

Degree backgrounds considered: MEng Civil Engineering. For two of our roles in the Southeast we will consider a BSc or BA in Transport Planning or Geography.

Locations available: Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle. London, Guildford, Basingstoke, Southampton, Birmingham, Cardiff and Bristol.

Infrastructure Planning - As part of the largest UK team of Town Planners, you'll work on supporting securing consent for major infrastructure projects. From planning applications to appraisals, you'll collaborate with teams, attend meetings, and manage smaller projects. You'll be engaging with clients, statutory bodies, and public consultees, supporting business development and networking.

Degree backgrounds considered: Town Planning.

Locations available: Manchester and Cardiff.

Land Referencing - In our industry-leading Land team, the largest of its kind in the UK, you will support research and identification of landowners. You will assist in the negotiation to access land, create legal documentation for planning permission and provide support for the landowner engagement required to acquire land. You will work on projects throughout the UK and Ireland and your input will ensure that these projects gain permission to be constructed.

Degree backgrounds considered: Geography, Estates and Land Management.

Locations: London, Birmingham and Glasgow.

Graduate Development Programme

Our Graduates told us the best part of being on the Graduate Development Programme is the support for their own personal development and large network available to them.

They also said they had the chance to work on a wide variety of projects enabling them to work closely with other disciplines, allowing them to gain a better understanding of their role on projects and how this enhances the schemes they are involved in. As well as the large pool of experts to guide them throughout their journey.

We have established relationships with professional institutions including but not all ICE, IStructE, IET, CIBSE, CIHT, CILT, IMechE, IChemE, CIWEM, RICS, RTPI, SocEnv & APM. You will have the opportunity to select a technical mentor to help you on your journey, and to reward you for your efforts, (when you reach certain professional milestones, you’ll even get a bonus as a thank you and well done for your hard work). We are also able to support professional development with many other approved professional institutions that may not be included in this list.

Our 2-year Graduate Programme is designed to support personal career development and growth through a blended learning experience. The programme includes core business skills and career focused training, networking opportunities, professional registration mentoring and on-the-job experience. The development programme consists of four key streams illustrated below:

• 2 day in-person induction
• In person training days
• Technical role specific training
• Curated online content
• On-the-job experience
• Additional resources and activities

We also have a unique Professional Growth Network (PGN), which is a networking group run by early career professionals for ECP’s. It helps to grow your network of contacts across the business as well as providing you with opportunities for extra experience and to support you in achieving chartered status or other professional accreditations.

You’ll have graduated with at least a 2:2 in a master’s or bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject for the role you are applying for.

• You'll be looking to start work in either April or September 2025
• Have a passion for planning and consulting and or sustainable engineering solutions
• An enthusiasm for creativity and a drive to solve problems
• You’ll want to inspire us, sharing new ideas you have
• In this team, you will be dealing with internal and external stakeholders and collaborating with colleagues and adapting to progressive project environments.

Please be aware behavioural assessment results at WSP are valid for a period of 12 months, if you have completed an assessment within this timeframe and been unsuccessful, we will not be able to consider your application.

Early applications are recommended, and we reserve the right to close this vacancy prior to the advertised closing date.

How long does the process take?

You'll receive an email acknowledging receipt of your application within 5 days of submission. After reviewing your application, if we feel your background and skills are suitable, you will be sent through to the second stage in the process which is an online behavioural assessment.

If you are successful after completing the assessment, we will be work hard to match you to the most suitable roles in our business.

Most applications complete initial assessments and are progressed to the next stage, which is an interview day, within 8-10 weeks but it’s good to know that the whole process can last up to 12 weeks in total if you're an early applicant. We will aim to keep you informed throughout the time that your application is being considered however, due to the volume of applications received, we are not able to respond to individual requests for status updates.

Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all.

Work on landmark projects around the world and embrace opportunities to make an even bigger impact in the communities you care about. What if you could do the best work of your life and create a legacy for yourself?

With us, you can. Apply today.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

Work-life balance

At WSP, we understand that work is just one aspect of your life. It’s important to make time for you, your family, friends, interests and your community.

Our hybrid working policy offers the adaptability to work from home two days a week, while also providing opportunities to collaborate in our modern offices across the UK.

Inclusivity & Diversity

We welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We enable rewarding careers by encouraging people to bring their whole and authentic selves to work so that our work represents the fullest spectrum of society. We celebrate integrity and treat people with respect, supporting each other and embracing diversity to create a culture of inclusion and belonging at WSP. We have our employee resource groups bring together employees and allies with different backgrounds to promote a culture of inclusivity.

Health & Wellbeing

We are committed to supporting our people, giving you the tools to make improvements to your health and wellbeing through our Thrive programme.

Med24 offers you and your family unlimited telephone access to an NHS doctor, available 24/7, with options for face-to-face video consultations. We also provide reasonable workplace adjustments for those in need. Additionally, you can benefit from the Gymflex scheme, which offers up to 40% off annual gym memberships through our WSP adaptable benefits program, as well as a comprehensive menopause support package.

Flex your time

To enhance work-life balance, WSP offers the "WSP My Hour,” allowing you to take one hour each day for personal activities, with the adaptability to make up the time earlier or later that day.

We also provide part-time and adaptable working arrangements, the option to purchase additional leave, and the ability to use your bank holiday entitlement to suit you.

Your development

We understand the importance of development and training to you. That’s why we foster a supportive environment that invests in your growth, whether through training, mentoring, or Chartership.

#WeAreWSP

Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria, please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments in support of your application.