2026 Sustainability Industrial Placement - Responsible Business - London

At Mace Consult, we combine leading-edge practical expertise with programme and project delivery consultancy skills to unlock the potential in every project, every place, and every person. From iconic skyscrapers to sustainable communities, we turn ambitious ideas into reality.

On our 12-month Industrial Placement Programme, you’ll contribute to meaningful projects from the very start. Whether it’s shaping sustainable places, creating smarter infrastructure, or helping clients solve complex challenges, you’ll play a real part in projects that make a lasting difference – to people, to places, and to the planet.

The Opportunity

Role: Sustainability Industrial Placement

Start date: Late June 2026

Location: London

Business: Mace Consult

Sector: Responsible Business - Department for Education

At Mace Consult, you’ll help shape the projects and programmes that change skylines and communities. Working closely with clients and partners, you’ll bring ideas to life through smart thinking, collaboration and innovation. No two days are the same – it’s a progressive environment where adaptability, curiosity and integrity drive everything we do.

The Responsible Business sector helps clients deliver climate-resilient projects, reduce carbon and create lasting social value. By combining global sustainability expertise with local knowledge, we provide strategies, pathways and measurable outcomes across ESG, decarbonisation and social impact. With a collaborative, data-led and practical approach, we make every project more sustainable while leaving a positive legacy for communities. Join us in Responsible Business and you’ll help drive positive change, support clients on their net zero journey and build a more sustainable future for everyone.

What you’ll do

In Sustainability, you will play a key role in supporting the delivery of internal and/or client-facing consultancy services including the advisory and co-ordination of various climate change, sustainability and/or social value related activities on projects and/or programmes. Some of your main responsibilities will include:

• Supporting research and development of client climate change, sustainability and/or social value strategies on individual projects

• Developing knowledge in becoming a technical expert and promote innovation in a particular area of sustainability, such as waste, energy/carbon, water, responsible sourcing of materials, sustainable buildings, etc

• Development in becoming a proactive generalist, able to cover all major issues of sustainability with all relevant stakeholders

• Supporting the drive for Mace to be a leader in climate change and sustainability

• Demonstration of developing knowledge of sustainable building design, including embodied and operational carbon and energy reduction, in new build and refurbishment projects, including programme, cost and operational impacts of Net Zero Carbon strategies

• Supporting design teams to understand and respond to environmental constraints and opportunities to maximise positive environmental benefits

• Supporting developing knowledge/interest in one or more sustainability topics (waste, water, energy, carbon, responsible sourcing, building design, biodiversity, etc)

• Ability to translate technical topics to varied audiences and articulate the value of sustainability

• Being supportive of sustainability and demonstrating this by way of example, supporting and encouraging behavioural change throughout the business

• Developing innovation and best practice, including clearly communicating these to the wider business and our clients

• Supporting the translation of best environmental management systems practices from one area to another, including analysing reporting needs in order to simplify the process

• Establishing and maintains positive working relationships with client and stakeholders including design team members, contractors, sub-contractors, and regulators

What we can offer you

Our 12-month Industrial Placement Programme gives you structured on-the-job training and the chance to take on meaningful work from day one. You’ll learn alongside experienced professionals, be supported by skilled mentors and peers, and gain exposure to different areas of our business as you grow your career.

If you perform well during your placement, you could be fast-tracked onto our Graduate Programme.

Alongside your development, you’ll receive a wide range of benefits, including:

• 22 days annual leave + bank holidays + 2 further ‘Mace Days’ off + 3 extra days over Christmas, with the option to purchase additional leave

• Volunteering day each year

• Pension scheme (with up to 7% matched funding from Mace Consult)

• Life assurance, private medical insurance cover, and annual health assessment

• Season ticket loan, cycle to work and green car scheme

• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay

• 24/7 access to health and wellbeing experts via our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

• Discounts and savings portal for hundreds of retailers, gyms, cafés, restaurants, and cinemas

• A range of other adaptable benefits to suit you

About you

• This programme is for university students whose degree includes an option or requirement to complete a year in industry from 2026 to 2027, with a graduation year of 2028

• STEM-related subjects are preferred but not essential.

• 5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including Maths and English (or equivalent qualifications)

Given the nature of our work, adaptability is key. Our projects and clients are based in various locations, so you should be prepared to travel frequently to different project sites or Mace Consult offices. A positive and adaptable approach to travel is therefore essential, as it may be a regular part of your role. To support this, Mace Consult offers travel expense reimbursements for business travel, including mileage, public transport fares, and, where necessary, accommodation.

We’re looking for ambitious people who want to make a difference. Proactive individuals who think creatively, embrace change, and deliver with integrity. You should share our values and demonstrate the behaviours and competencies that help us shape the industry:

• Values – safety first, client focus, create opportunity, integrity

• Behaviours – curious, collaborators, contributors, champions of inclusion

• Competencies – build effective teams, embrace change, solve problems, build trusted relationships

A world of opportunity

At Mace Consult, you have the power to build a career that could take you across sectors and across the globe. From London to Nairobi, Hong Kong to New York, we partner with clients around the world to shape cities and build sustainable communities that meet the needs of the future.

On completion of your graduate programme, you’ll have access to our Global Opportunities Portal – helping you explore your next step, whether that’s a new sector, a new role or a new country.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We respect equality, value diversity and encourage individuality – accepting and appreciating all views and beliefs and providing an environment for ideas to come alive. Our strength lies in broad perspectives, diverse experience and global expertise. It’s why we continue to grow and the basis of our reputation as a leading programme and project delivery consultant.

Our Employee Resource Groups – focused on gender, LGBTQ+, ethnicity, disability, parents, and military – bring colleagues together to connect, share experiences, and drive change. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident employer, a champion of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme, and signatories of the Care Leaver Covenant and Business in the Community’s Race at Work Charter. Our commitment has been recognised with the Clear Assured Gold Standard for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

The Disability Confident scheme encourages employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain, and develop disabled people. We support this initiative by offering adjustments and support during recruitment, such as extra time for tasks or video interviews, or providing information in alternative formats. To request adjustments, please contact us. Our team monitors this inbox daily, Monday to Friday, and is here to support you. If you need help sending this email, you can click here to launch a pre-populated email for you to complete and send. If you would prefer to speak with a member of our team, please email and ask for a call back, providing your phone number.

Help us shape the world of tomorrow

If you’re ready to build a career while making a real difference for our clients, communities and society, we want to hear from you. Join us in turning ambitious ideas into reality and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible – apply today via the link on this page.

We review applications on a rolling basis and may close a role once enough candidates have applied. To give you the highest chance, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible, even if a deadline has been advertised.