2025 UK Graduate Civil and Structural Engineering Career Path

Job Description

Before making an application, please browse all graduate opportunities available as we will accept one application per candidate. Once you have made an application you will not be able to make changes to your selection or make a new application. The exception is if we open new vacancies in the new year.

To avoid missing out on this opportunity, we recommend that you apply as soon as possible as we will close when the positions have been filled.

Job Description

Now more than ever, our environment and communities need to be made more resilient in the face of climate change. Working on every facet of development, our civil engineers aim to solve this by offering the opportunity to create better cities, reduce poverty and improve health.

Working alongside our experts, you’ll play a part in safeguarding natural resources. Using sustainability as a focus, you’ll be creating economic and social growth for generations to come.

As part of your application, we will ask you to select your preferred opportunity based on the sector and location. Some of our opportunities will require you to be eligible to achieve security clearance, this is shown in the selection choices. Security clearance is dictated by the types of projects we work on and normally requires you to be a UK British national or lived in the UK for five years or more.

You will have the option to work within the following areas:

Bridges and Civil Infrastructure

Recognised as a leader in bridge engineering with capabilities covering the full spectrum of bridge planning, design and construction supervision with our teams delivering bridge links that minimise their environment impact. Our portfolio includes some of the world’s greatest landmark bridges and extends from small pedestrian bridges in urban areas to striking cable stay bridges to major suspension bridges on estuarial crossings.

Building Structures

You’ll play a big part in designing structures which improve local communities within a variety of sectors including buildings, bridges, water, and energy. Using BIM technology, you can work alongside our experts who have provided sustainable design solutions for a variety of high profile projects. You’ll be responsible for a range of elements from, master planning, concept, and feasibility through to full detailed design and supervision on site. Our multidisciplinary teams design infrastructure which help to support the essential requirements of everyday life, including transportation systems, energy, and water.

Energy: Hydropower

Around the world, our hydropower teams have supported the development and delivery of landmark hydro projects. This is one of the few forms of energy generation with the flexibility to meet diverse operational requirements, enhance system security and stability and integrate with other renewables.

Energy: Transmission & Distribution

Our team’s focus is ensuring energy remains accessible to all, and that energy networks can operate efficiently. As the UK push towards Net Zero, there is rapid expansion required to these existing networks and infrastructure along with providing the existing ones with the integrity to meet these ambitious targets. Join this team and you’ll be working on large scale investment plans to assure that the networks will have the capacity to meet these demands whilst focusing on the integration of clean energy sources, ensuring the resilience of the existing network and further exportation of renewable sources between countries through subsea HVDC connections. You will be immersed within a forward-thinking team and help solve current industry challenges.

Highways Design

Our Highways team delivers services across the entire project life cycle. Whether we are planning, designing, and implementing new roads, or maintaining, managing, improving and operating existing highway networks, we deliver innovation, cost certainty and added value through collaborative working with clients and a culture of continuous improvement. Some of these opportunities specialise in different aspects of highways design, such as drainage, lighting and traffic signals.

Infrastructure

In our infrastructure teams you’ll gain varied experience and develop core skills in highways, drainage, flood risk, public realm, earthworks and utilities coordination. Using digital modelling tools, you’ll be involved in civil engineering infrastructure designs for a wide spectrum of highways and development projects. As a graduate civil infrastructure engineer, you will work on a range of buildings, highways, rail, power and utilities projects from concept to construction. You will gain responsibility not only for design development but also for quality standards and programme and budget.

Maritime and Offshore

It’s an exciting time for our maritime and offshore team who are pioneering the use of digital innovation in ports, coastal and offshore infrastructure. Join our experts and you’ll be involved in the planning, civil and structural engineering, and construction supervision of all types of maritime projects. Our projects are in the UK and overseas, and include; port systems, coastal erosion and climate change protection, renewables cable networks and tidal power schemes.

Nuclear and Defence Structures

Our team delivers projects to a wide range of clients across the energy sector, specifically within the defence, existing and nuclear new build nuclear, and wider power industries. The projects cover the full life cycle of structures – feasibility, concept, detailed design, asset management and life extension of existing structures. As a graduate is this team, you will have the opportunity to get involved in these exciting projects in the industry and to develop engineering knowledge across structural engineering and the wider civil aspects too.

Railways

Our track record in rail dates back to the early 1900s with the construction of the City and South London Railway. You could be getting involved in a variety of rail projects, such as high-speed rail, heavy haul, interurban and regional rail, metros, and light rapid transit. We have opportunities for civil and structural engineering graduates in our rail infrastructure; rail systems; and bridges and civil structures teams.

Special Services

Our Special Services team is at the forefront of developing advanced structural analysis and dynamics solutions, addressing materials technology requirements, advancing asset life management of a wide range of civil infrastructure, and undertaking specialist studies for a range of clients. We are also part of the Information Management Network which is responsible and invests in technology and improved ways of working to help deliver our projects.

Technical Advisory

We have a wealth of experience in supporting clients at the early stage of infrastructure and built environment projects. Our clients include national and local Government departments, developers, investors, and infrastructure operators.

As part of our commitment to creating social outcomes we partner with our key clients to improve the performance of their estates. This includes working with them to modify buildings to minimise energy demand and support net zero carbon operation, in order to address the climate emergency.

Tunnels

We are proud of our company origins in tunnelling which is exemplified today in our design and planning work for world-class projects in transport, water and energy sectors. As tunnellers we are in a unique position to deliver sustainable projects that help society connect and improve standards of living. Using digital modelling and analysis we tackle exciting structural designs in soft ground and hard rock all over the globe.

Water

Join our team of water experts and you’ll have the opportunity to help deliver intellectually challenging sustainable water projects in a range of water sub-sectors including:

• Dams and reservoirs - designing new dams, maintaining existing dams, designing flood barriers and hydraulic structures

• Hydraulic (civil): Networks - creating and using hydraulic models of water and wastewater networks to tackle the water industry’s key issues, including growth, climate change, sewage spills and leakage reduction

• Pipelines and networks - creating hydraulic models, designing water supply networks, designing and delivering major pipeline transfers and drainage systems

• Rivers and flooding - understanding floods and droughts, and tackling water quality with nature-based solutions

• Water and wastewater treatment - designing new supply and wastewater networks, delivering major pipeline transfer and drainage systems, resolving combined sewer overflow spills and tackling leakage, as well as designing new and upgrading existing water and wastewater treatment plants and pumping stations.

We have opportunities in the following locations: Aberdeen; Altrincham; Belfast; Birmingham; Brighton; Bristol; Cambridge; Cardiff; Colwyn Bay; Croydon; Edinburgh; Exeter; Glasgow; Inverness; Leeds; Liverpool; London; Manchester; Newcastle; Reading; Sheffield; Southampton; York.

Candidate Specification

We are looking for committed and motivated graduates with a genuine passion and a desire to make a difference in the world. If this describes you, apply today to launch your career at Mott MacDonald.

To be eligible for this opportunity, you will have less than 12 months relevant experience (excluding placements), and have a degree or are expected to achieve one of the following degree disciplines:

• Civil engineering

• Structural engineering

• Engineering science with a specialism in civil

• General Engineering

• Bridge Engineering

Please note all of our opportunities require a bachelor’s degree as a minimum, some of our opportunities will also require a master’s degree - this will be reflected in the list of opportunities available in our application form.

In your application you should be able to demonstrate your interest in the role and working at Mott MacDonald through relevant experience, such as studying relevant modules, or previous work experience.

We are looking for graduates with the following characteristics:

• Methodical approach to problem solving.
• Ability to use your initiative to undertake tasks efficiently and independently.
• Excellent verbal communication skills, which allow you to confidently liaise with clients and team members.
• Excellent written communication and attention to detail.

As we want the best people for the role, we support flexible working. Please ask us at interview stage about any flexibility you may need.

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024.

Our ethos is to develop, train and retain our graduates and therefore we are looking for a long-term relationship with our graduates. For this reason, we are not able to accept applications from candidates who would be working under the Graduate visa route or other time-limited visas, (irrespective of visa duration), due to their temporary nature and the requirement for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route in future.

We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in the future.

About your development

A graduate position should be more than just a job. We know this and so do you. That’s why with our graduate roles, we aim to give you the experience and technical knowledge you need to progress your career.

From the moment you join us, you’ll receive the training you need. You will be assigned a chartered mentor, who will guide you to meet the objectives of your professional training agreement. We’ll support you on your journey to gaining chartered status with your chosen institution.

What else is involved?

You’ll be enrolled onto Accelerate Your Future, a structured three-year soft-skills development programme which develops the strengths that we know graduates need to be successful at Mott MacDonald. It also gives you the opportunity to network and meet other graduates in your cohort. The programme is a mix of residential events, classroom-based learning, virtual webinars, and sustainability and social impact challenges.

In addition to developing your soft skills, we recognise that each persons career goals vary, so when rolling off the programme we provide you with the tools and support to develop your ongoing career the way you wish to. Alongside our vast library of e-learning courses available to you, you can choose which direction you want your career to go in.

You will have the opportunity to make a difference; learn more about our Social Outcomes and the difference we can make!

You’re probably wondering what else is on offer. Join us, and you’ll get:

• Biannual salary reviews: we believe that hard work should be rewarded and recognised. Therefore, for the first three years of your career with us, you’ll have biannual salary reviews.

• A competitive salary: in addition to biannual reviews, we will ensure that you’re given a salary that matches the current industry standard.

• Contributory pension up to 7% of your salary: we have the best people on our team, and we like to look out for them. With our support, you’ll have all the advice and options you need to be able to invest in your future.

• A flexible benefits scheme: our company is made up of a range of different people and we understand that different people want different things. That’s why with our flexible plan, you’ll have the ability to manage the range of benefits we have on offer, to suit your specific needs.

Our social side

Being part of Mott MacDonald means more than just work, there’s a huge range of fun and exciting things that you can get involved in.

From the moment you join us, you’ll have the opportunity to expand your social and professional network, whether it’s meeting other graduates or joining forces with other members of staff from around the company at our annual sports day. Each of our offices have a sports and social committee which will give you the chance to be part of a variety of sports, social and charity events. We’re committed to promoting a strong culture of social responsibility and encourage our staff to play active roles in the local community.

It's worth noting that sports and social committees tend to vary from office to office, so as well as getting involved in what’s already on offer, don’t be afraid to suggest new events or initiatives that you think could be a great addition. It doesn’t stop there. As well as events, you’ll also have access to discounts on cinema tickets, travel, fashion, utilities and much more as part of our company benefits which you can take advantage of the moment you join.

Equality, diversity and inclusion
We put equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they have the opportunity to contribute.

Agile working
At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team and personal commitments. We embrace agility, flexibility and trust.

More about Mott MacDonald
We’re a global engineering, management and development consultancy.
Our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming our clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities.
A fundamental part of this is respecting each person’s differences and striving to meet their needs.
Our values: progress, respect, integrity, drive, excellence