Overview

2026 Graduate Programme - Planning Consultancy & Infrastructure Planning at WSP in the UK & Ireland. This role is part of a graduate programme that offers development across Planning Consultancy and Infrastructure Planning within a leading professional advisory firm.

Role Details

Programme start: September 2026. You will join a two-year Graduate Development programme designed to support personal and professional development through blended learning, training, mentoring for professional registration, and on-the-job experience. You will be mentored by industry experts and encouraged to pursue chartered status with professional bodies like the RTPI.

Locations

• Planning Consultancy: Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, London, Leeds
• Infrastructure Planning: Nationwide including Exeter

What you will do

Our Planning Consultancy teams work on major transformational projects across the UK, collaborating with communities to deliver sustainable development. You will guide clients through the planning process from initial site appraisals to securing consents and supporting construction. Sectors include residential, education, healthcare, logistics, industrial, retail and defence. Some work may be outside the UK, including recent commissions in the Middle East.

In Infrastructure Planning, you will deliver sustainable, resilient infrastructure by combining research, policy insight, and stakeholder collaboration. You’ll contribute to planning applications, site appraisals, and community engagement, guided by experienced planners. Your work will inform transport schemes, utility upgrades, and energy proposals balancing technical feasibility with environmental and social value.

Projects you may work on

• Great British Energy: shaping early-stage consents and consultation strategies for new nuclear power
• Tees Valley Active Travel Scheme: delivering £150 million of new/ upgraded active travel routes
• Yorkshire Water: contributing to strategic water resource schemes from planning applications to new water-reuse corridors

Day-to-day activities

• Varied workload across multiple sectors
• Undertaking planning appraisals and drafting planning documents
• Project managing and leading smaller projects
• Working in teams as part of larger projects
• Managing environmental teams
• Submitting and managing planning applications and appeals
• Managing project budgets

Infrastructure Planning – Day-to-day activities

• Supporting preparation, submission and management of planning applications, appeals and enquiries for infrastructure projects
• Conducting site appraisals and feasibility studies across transport, utilities, land use and environmental constraints
• Drafting planning statements and supporting documents under senior review
• Researching local and national policy and preparing concise briefs for project teams
• Coordinating stakeholder and community engagement, including public exhibitions and workshops
• Liaising with consultants to integrate inputs into planning deliverables
• Maintaining project trackers, deadlines, risks and resource needs
• Using GIS mapping and data visualisations to support recommendations
• Assisting in discharging planning conditions during delivery, compiling reports and evidence logs

Graduate development and progression

Our two-year Graduate Development programme provides blended learning, core business and professional skills training, career development workshops, networking opportunities, mentoring for professional registration, and broad on-the-job experience. We support career progression and encourage pursuing chartered status with professional bodies.

What we are looking for

• You will have graduated with at least a 2:2 in a master’s degree (RTPI accredited) in a relevant subject
• Ability to start work in September 2026
• Passion for Planning and consulting
• A desire for built environment, infrastructure, places and the economy
• Creativity, problem-solving, and willingness to share new ideas
• Ability to work with internal and external stakeholders and adapt to dynamic project environments

We encourage applications from suitably qualified candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident employer, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria and can provide workplace adjustments on request.

What we offer

• Work-life balance with hybrid working (home two days a week) and modern offices across the UK
• Inclusive culture with employee resource groups and belonging initiatives
• Health and wellbeing support, Thrive programme, Virtual GP, menopause support, and gym benefits
• Flexibility through WSP My Hour, part-time/flexible working, additional leave options
• Development opportunities, mentoring, and chartership support

To learn more about our Early Careers opportunities, please refer to the Graduate brochure or Graduate website. Application and selection timelines are described in our materials.