2026 Graduate Programme - Communities - Local Government (Project Management)

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 Project Management team, 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 a Graduate in the following location:

• Leeds

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. Our Communities Project Management team in Leeds are currently looking to recruit a Graduate into their team. As we work in partnership with local councils, we are unable to offer adaptability on this location.

As a Graduate Project Manager within our Communities team in Leeds, you’ll play a key role in coordinating the delivery of a variety of infrastructure projects for our Local Government clients. Projects range in size, complexity and value from an inspection scheme to award winning multi-disciplinary projects such as Regent Street Flyover. Working in this team, you will be helping deliver projects such as:

Projects

• Regent Street Flyover

• Kex Grill

• Leeds City Council

• City of York Council

• North Yorkshire Council

Graduates in the past have worked on a number of projects, including packages of principal bridge inspections, bridge assessments and design work for roads and structures. Our graduates have also worked on highway maintenance schemes, junction improvement schemes and large-scale projects, such as Kex Gill.

You’ll be immersed in the full lifecycle of project delivery, managing workflows, supporting delivery teams and project managers with contract and project administration and financial tracking and reporting. You’ll play an active role in project delivery, with direct exposure to clients, contractors, and key stakeholders.

Day-to-day activities could include:

• Coordinating internal teams and external stakeholders to ensure timely delivery of project phases.

• Assisting in managing budgets, resource allocation, and procurement activities.

• Monitoring project progress and prepare status reports for clients and senior leadership.

• Facilitating meetings, track actions, and ensure documentation is up to date and compliant.

• Contributing to risk management, change control, and quality assurance processes

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 Project Management Qualification (PMQ) and NEC accreditation, 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 project management.

• 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 September 2026.

• You’ll have a passion for consulting and Project Management.

• You will have the ability to manage multiple tasks, deadlines and stakeholders with precision.

• You’ll be comfortable engaging with clients, consultants and technical teams across all stages of a project.

• You’ll want to ensure accuracy in documentation, reporting and contract administration, especially within NEC frameworks.

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

• You’ll want to inspire us, sharing new ideas you have and seeking out opportunities to contribute.

• You'll want to pursue APM qualifications and/or NEC accreditation

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.