Company Description

Work with Us. Change the World

At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world's most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

Start here. Grow here

There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of nearly 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

Job Description

Our Planning Teams in Birmingham and Manchester have a fantastic graduate opportunity available with a start date of July 2025 onwards.

About our Team

The AECOM Planning Practice projects include some of the largest, most complex and high profile development and regeneration projects in the UK for both public and private sector clients. We are a young, dynamic, planning team and work closely with colleagues in other related disciplines, including masterplanning, landscape, environment, sustainability, transport and economics.

Projects

Examples of projects the Town Planning team are involved in include:

East Bank, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (London) - Having gained planning consent for the Legacy Communities Scheme on the Olympic Park, AECOM’s planning team have led the complex planning applications for the new UCL East Campus and the Stratford Waterfront development on the East Bank which will see the BBC, V&A, Sadlers Wells and London College of Fashion creating a new cultural heart to London at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Northern Arc, Burgess Hill - AECOM submitted a hybrid planning application for a 3,500 home urban extension to the north of Burgess Hill on behalf of Homes England. Our planning team co-ordinated the major multi-disciplinary team to produce the masterplan, Infrastructure Delivery Plan and Phasing Strategy.

Neighbourhood Planning Support - Since 2014, AECOM has been working with partners Locality to deliver technical support to neighbourhood planning groups throughout England, on behalf of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Support ranges from assessing local housing need and site assessment to design codes and masterplanning. To date we have provided support to more than 600 neighbourhood groups.

Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade – on behalf of Network Rail, AECOM is leading the consenting for the transformative, long-term railway infrastructure programme that will improve connectivity and help boost economic growth in the North.

Sunnica Energy Farm – AECOM have led the submission of what would be one of the largest solar farms in the UK across four sites in East Cambridgeshire and West Suffolk.

Sustainability Appraisals - for over 100 local plans throughout the UK.

Alongside this, we are currently leading on planning applications for other solar farms, roads, airports, bridges and much more across the UK.

When a graduate starts with us we pair them with an experienced member of the team who will guide and mentor them through their initial period working on live projects.

Here's what you'll do:

Joining AECOM will provide you with opportunities for career progression within a positive culture where learning and development is actively supported and promoted.

As a Graduate you will play a role in supporting a wide variety of projects, engaging directly with clients and stakeholders to secure successful planning outcomes. Work portfolios are managed to ensure that all staff experience a breadth and depth of project opportunities (including plan making, development management and infrastructure projects).  

AECOM works closely with the RTPI to provide comprehensive training and support to our graduates undertaking the Assessment of Professional Competence. We offer the opportunity to network with other planners and professionals at frequent events, meet-ups and knowledge-sharing sessions to support and enable you to achieve your career ambitions.

Main duties would be to:

• Provide technical inputs to land use planning projects and work within a team of planners, environmental specialists, landscape architects and engineers to deliver a range of projects including land development, infrastructure planning, policy planning and strategic development planning projects.

• Play a supporting role in the preparation of planning applications for a range of infrastructure, large scale residential and mixed-use schemes, working with other disciplines in multi-disciplinary teams. This would for example include writing planning statements or policy appraisals and liaising with the client and other stakeholders to achieve successful planning outcomes.

• Carry out planning research and analysis and assist with the identification of planning risk.

• Support others in the team to identify and pursue business development opportunities, and support the growth of the business through new and repeat clients. Contribute to proposals and qualification documents to secure new commissions.

• Provide effective representation for the organisation, developing and managing relationships with clients, local authorities and other stakeholders through project work and through attendance at conferences and other networking events.

• Participate in the successful operation and management of the town planning team, including playing a role in sharing technical knowledge and excellence.

• Provide assistance to the management team as required.

Enjoy the Perks

At AECOM, you'll enjoy a range of core and personalised benefits designed to support your future and well-being, customised to fit your lifestyle. Take advantage of career development opportunities, our flexible hybrid working model to ensure a work-life balance that suits your lifestyle, technical practice networks, AECOM University, and volunteering days.

Here is what you will get from us!

On the job support and learning

When a graduate starts at AECOM, we pair them with a senior member of the team who will guide and mentor them through their initial period working on live projects and business development tasks, to support with any technical queries.

Graduate Development Programme

Our 2 year graduate ADVANCE programme is designed to help you build your career in AECOM. You will attend a number of instructor-led training sessions where you will meet and hear from people across the business and take part in a series of interactive activities to equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to succeed in your role. Alongside the instructor-led elements of the ADVANCE programme, you will also engae with an online curriculum via AECOM University and have the opportunity to join the ADV ANCE webinar series. We will provide you with all the support and tools you need to achieve your professional development ambitions, which may include Chartership with the relevant international professional institution.

We have more than 750 graduates on our programmes across the UK and Ireland from more than 40 different disciplines, each making a tangible difference to the environment in which we live and work.

We will help you work towards becoming a Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

See our digital early careers e-brochure here

Qualifications

Ready to push the limits of what’s possible?

Here’s what we’re looking for:

A graduate with a degree or post graduate level qualification in Town or Urban Planning or a related discipline.

• A hard working and highly motivated individual with excellent communication, presentation and report writing skills

• Able to work on own initiative and under pressure

• Competent in the use of Microsoft Office including Excel, PowerPoint and Word.

• An understanding of UK Planning policy and legislation

• Interest in all aspects of Planning

• Successfully manage time to meet project deadlines

• Client focused with good interpersonal skills and collaborative approach with a high level of commitment to quality

• Full current driving licence is preferred (although not essential) and access to a form of transport to travel to various sites to carry out the duties of the post. Please indicate if you hold this within your application

• Ideally planning work experience beyond academic study (achieved either during studies, industrial placement, vacation work or since)

Additional Information

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible since CVs will be reviewed, and candidates selected on a rolling recruitment basis for either immediate or advanced offer start.

Please include a covering letter with your application and provide all predicted and/or obtained academic grades as well as demonstrating why you are interested in this position and how your skills and education/qualifications support your application.

You must have permanent right to work in the UK as we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $14.4 billion in fiscal year 2023. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

ReqID: REF39106X

Business Line: Environment

Business Group: DCS

Strategic Business Unit: Europe & India

Career Area: Planning

Work Location Model: Hybrid

Legal Entity: AECOM Infrastructure and Environment UK Limited