2026 Graduate Programme - Planning - Engagement

Overview

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 Planning Engagement team, who have a flexible 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.

A little bit more about your role and the team

Working as a Graduate in the Planning Engagement team means working on exciting and innovative projects. The Engagement team supports our clients by helping them demonstrate they've engaged with the community and relevant stakeholders, shared their development and future plans and listened to feedback from the community to inform the development of their schemes. The team makes sure stakeholders and the community understand what is happening by making technical information easy to understand, creating events, communications and online content that is accessible, and creating mechanisms to capture feedback like forms and online questionnaires. They also analyse data to create reports to share stakeholder and community feedback.

Locations

• Birmingham
• Cardiff
• Manchester
• Edinburgh
• London

Projects

As we support all WSP, we have a wide-ranging project portfolio for private and public sector clients delivering projects such as:

• Energy projects connecting on and offshore networks
• Transport projects improving travel around the UK through updated road and rail infrastructure
• Environmental projects around water and waste
• Specialist projects such as defence, aviation, development and sport projects

The Engagement team is an exciting fast-paced place to work. We support clients and build relationships with hundreds of stakeholders each day in different ways; no two days are the same. Graduates joining us in 2026 will have a variety of projects to work on.

Day-to-day activities

• Helping communities and stakeholders understand projects and how they may impact them by writing easy-to-understand communications.
• Providing stakeholders with opportunities to ask questions and offer feedback through publishing communications, organising events logistics and helping to design and run surveys to gather feedback.
• Presenting feedback to help projects develop in a responsible way by understanding data coding and helping prepare reports.
• Proactively supporting your teams to deliver quality communications and engagement activity.

Graduate Development Programme

Our two-year Graduate Development programme is designed to support personal and professional development and growth through an engaging blended learning experience. The programme includes 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.

To find out more, please note information about who we are and related resources is normally available via the Graduate brochure or Graduate website.

What we will be looking for you to demonstrate

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

• Complete the application form in full answering all specific questions. This applies to all candidates, including those from varied backgrounds. Successful completion of this stage is mandatory.
• Be ready to complete an online skill enabler assessment as part of the recruitment process.
• Start work in September 2026.
• Have a passion for consulting and engagement.
• Have a desire for the built environment.
• Be enthusiastic about creativity and have a drive to solve problems.
• Be eager to inspire with new ideas.

Don't quite meet all the criteria? If you have the right qualifications, apply and we can see how your experience aligns to this role and other opportunities on our Graduate programme.

For further information regarding the Application & Selection process, timelines for recruitment, please consult the Early Careers resources normally accessible through the Graduate brochure or Graduate Website.

We review applications on a rolling basis, so early submission is recommended to ensure full consideration.

Join us

Imagine a better future for you and 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.