2026 Graduate Programme - Communities - Local Government (Engineering)

What if you could do the kind of work the world needs?

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.

We are looking for Graduates for our Communities Engineering teams, who have an adaptable approach and an appetite to learn in a leading Engineering and Professional Advisory 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.

We are recruiting for Graduates in the following services and locations:

• Communities - Gloucestershire (Bridge Engineering)

• Communities - Lincoln (Highways Engineering)

• Communities - Exeter (Highways and Bridge Engineering)

• Communities - Cardiff (Structures & Infrastructure)

• Communities - Norfolk (Highways and Infrastructure Engineering)

A little bit more about your role and the team…

Across the UK, our communities teams provide local authorities with advice on everything from transport to urban regeneration, and flood risk to securing funding. The Communities teams in which we are recruiting for Civil and Structural Engineers are based in Gloucestershire, Lincoln, Norfolk, Exeter and Cardiff. As we work in partnership with local councils, we are unable to offer adaptability on these locations.

We improve our clients’ transport systems, increasing quality, safety, accessibility, and good connectivity to reduce social isolation. We help our clients to address the challenges of net zero and the demand for digital service delivery. We also help to address the intensification of cities and towns while satisfying the need to protect green space. The training you will receive within our Communities teams comprise of an excellent blend of public and private sector skills.

Projects

Our teams work on some notable assignments in the UK, and you will be helping deliver projects such as:

• Lincolnshire County Council

• Gloucestershire County Council

• Norfolk County Council

• Rhondda Cynon Taf Council

• Merthyr Tydfil Council

• Bridgend Council

Our Communities (Engineering) Teams include:

Gloucestershire (Bridge Engineering)

As a Graduate Engineer working with the Communities Bridges team in Gloucestershire you will help manage an asset of over 1,500 structures across the county and will have the opportunity to be involved in the inspection, design and supervision of bridge maintenance and replacement projects. You will be supporting the team with the implementation of Gloucestershire County Council's asset management plan and bridge improvement programme.

Graduates in this team benefit significantly in their learning and development through their involvement from the very outset of projects, and at all stages through design to construction, working closely with colleagues, contractors and clients to ensure successful outcomes.

Day-to-day activities could include:

• Inspection of existing structures.

• Production of options reports.

• Carrying out bridge assessments.

• Design of bridge maintenance and improvement schemes.

• Production of works packages and contract documents.

• Supervision of works.

Lincoln (Highways Engineering)

As a graduate you'll play an important role in supporting the Lincoln team in the delivery of efficient and effective highway schemes. Helping with the design of new, and the maintenance of existing, infrastructure projects from footways and cycleways to major junction improvements and bypass schemes. The development of these schemes will be from concept to completion, including supervision of construction. Your work will be varied and reactive to the team’s priorities. You will fulfil a pivotal role in completing projects that deliver real benefit to people’s lives.

Day-to-Day activities could include:

• Undertaking investigations, site inspections, data collection and analysis, scheme design and development, along with supervision of construction.

• Preparing technical design solutions in accordance with approved design procedures.

• Preparing technical documents and drawings for checking and approval.

• Agreeing delivery targets with senior staff and reporting regularly on progress towards milestones.

• Managing the delivery of your own projects with minimal supervision.

Cardiff – RCT ‘Rhondda Cynon Taf’ (Structures and Civil Infrastructure Engineering)

Redstart (RCT) is a public-private collaboration between Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend Councils. This Local Government team deliver essential transport and infrastructure upgrades across the region, supporting economic growth, resilience, and sustainability. We are looking for individuals to join our structures and civil infrastructure engineering teams.

As a Graduate focusing on structural engineering within this team, you will be undertaking inspections of infrastructure so that you get a hands-on appreciation of structures, what makes them “tick” and the sorts of defects to be aware of.

Day-to-day activities:

• Inspections of essential infrastructure

• Preliminary design calculations

• Writing up of Optioneering and Feasibility studies

• Gaining hands-on experience of developing solutions to problems

As a Graduate focusing on civil infrastructure engineering within this team you will be involved in our potential pipeline of drainage tips and major schemes, supported by senior designers. You will learn the Learning the fundamentals of hydraulic design, sustainable drainage solutions and water management.

Day-to-day activities:

• Learning and utilising drainage modelling software to prepare existing and proposed drainage networks, preparation of design drawings via the use of AutoCAD

• Attending site visit with designers to get an appreciation of the realism of site and constraints

• Attending design team and client's meetings to gain an understanding of the design process

Exeter (Highways and Structures Engineering)

As a graduate within this team, you would be joining the Local Government Highways and Bridges team based in Exeter. We provide highways design and consultancy services for local authority clients within the Southwest.

Working as a graduate in our Highways team in Exeter you will be supporting our Local Authority clients to deliver improvements for local communities, prioritising Active and Healthy Travel modes and caring about the provision of mobility across the transport network.

Day-to-day activities could include:

• Preparing, drawings, schedules, reports and other documents in accordance with local procedures and national guidance. Developing work packages and designs with scope to expand with experience.

• Coordinate and communicate with multi-disciplinary supporting teams from across the UK and the globe in delivery of projects as well as Clients and stakeholders.

As a graduate within our Highways and Bridge Structures in Exeter you will be supporting our Local Authority to maintain and enhance their structures. Our clients have a varied bridge stock from multi-span post tensioned concrete bridges to small masonry arches, and everything in between.

Day-to-day activities could include:

• Be involved in the design of new and replacement bridges and retaining walls, as well as inspecting, assessing, repairing and strengthening existing structures.

• Taking projects through their entire life cycle, from inception to construction.

• Preparing drawings, schedules, reports and other documents in accordance with local procedures and national guidance. Developing work packages and designs with scope to expand with experience.

You will join an enthusiastic and supportive team, providing you with a challenging and fulfilling career. In this team, you will be dealing with internal and external stakeholders, collaborating with colleagues and adapting to dynamic project environments.

Norfolk (Highways and Structures Engineering)

WSP provide our clients, Norfolk County Council, with professional services across highways and infrastructure. Our integrated design teams, made up of WSP and council staff, plan and prepare works including highway improvements, structural maintenance, and routine upkeep. We also manage the bridges and structures team, overseeing inspections and maintenance programmes.

Graduates in our team play a hands-on role from day one, contributing to design development, site assessments, and technical reporting within both the highways and structures teams. We also support the council with strategic transport planning, environmental services, and commercial programme management—ensuring projects are delivered efficiently and sustainably.

Day-to-day activities:

• Assisting in the planning and drafting of highway improvements and structural maintenance schemes

• Participating in on-site inspections and evaluations to inform design and maintenance decision

• Preparing documentation that supports engineering decisions, compliance and project tracking

Graduate Development Programme

You will join an enthusiastic and supportive team, providing you with a challenging and fulfilling career. In this team, you will be dealing with internal and external stakeholders, collaborating with colleagues and adapting to dynamic project environments.

Our two-year Graduate Development programme is designed to support personal and professional development and growth through an engaging blended learning experience. The programmes include core business and professional skills training, career development workshops and resources, valuable networking opportunities, mentoring for professional registration and a breadth of on-the-job experience.

Our teams are committed to your career progression, encouraging growth from the very beginning. Many employees have started as graduates and successfully advanced within the company. We encourage you to achieve chartered status with professional bodies such as the ICE and IStructE, ensuring your development is a priority. You will be fully supported through enrolment in a professional institution’s training agreement, guiding you towards chartered or incorporated status.

What we will be looking for you to demonstrate

You’ll have graduated with at least a 2:1 in a master’s or bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject for the role you are applying for.

• Candidates must complete the application form in full answering all specific questions. This requirement applies to all candidates, inclusive of their background. Successful completion of this stage is mandatory. Candidates who pass this initial stage, will then be required to complete an online skill enabler assessment. Both the application form and the skill enabler assessment are essential parts of the early career’s recruitment process.

• You'll be looking to start work in either April or September 2026.

• You’ll have a passion for consulting and Engineering.

• You’ll have a desire for the built environment.

• You'll have an enthusiasm for creativity and a drive to solve problems .

• You’ll want to inspire us, sharing new ideas you have.

Don’t quite meet all the criteria? Should you have the right qualifications for our positions, apply and we can see how your experience aligns to this role and other opportunities we have available for our Graduate programme.

We review applications for our Early Career opportunities on a rolling basis, which means we begin progressing some candidates to the final stages before the application closing date. To ensure your application receives full consideration, we recommend submitting it as early as possible.

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

Join our close-knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact. Our global team includes more than 69,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world.

With us, you can. Apply today.