Structural Engineering Graduate 2024

Start your professional journey to becoming a chartered structural engineer and get valuable hands-on experience across our large portfolio of highways structural assets.

What you'll be doing

On our thee-year Structural Engineering graduate programme, you’ll build specialist knowledge and experience through a series of inspirational placements with National Highways and our supply chain.

We’re looking for graduates who can demonstrate a high motivation and passion towards a career in Structural Engineering. In return, you’ll be rewarded with valuable real-world experience across a variety of exciting, complex projects connected to our large portfolio of structural assets, which includes over 8000 bridges and large culverts.

Whilst you’ll spend most of your time working alongside our specialist structural engineering teams, you’ll also have opportunities to rotate around and gain broader experience with other engineering teams in areas such as pavement and asset management.

Guided and mentored by a delegated engineer and a supervising engineer, you’ll take on projects and responsibilities that will help you achieve the professional attributes and experience for chartership with the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE).

You’ll get plenty of hands-on opportunities to apply your learning, use innovative engineering technologies and develop your skills in:

• Commercial awareness
• Consulting
• Design
• Research

Beyond the programme, you’ll have opportunities to continue your career journey with us, providing safe, innovative structural engineering expertise that will shape the strategic road network of tomorrow.

What you'll get in return

With our support, you’ll enjoy the chance to own your development to get the best out of your time on the programme.

So, if you're looking to grow your career in a large, evolving organisation and ready to invest in your development, all our graduate programmes offer:

• A mix of workshops, on-job-training and ‘hands on’ experience
• A dedicated line manager and mentoring from senior managers to provide encouragement, direction and career planning support
• Flexible working arrangements
• Peer networking and support through our Early Talent community
• Opportunities to move your career to the next level after you successfully complete the programme

As well as a competitive salary and plenty of career development support, you’ll also have access to a fantastic employee benefits package. Find out more about the benefits we offer at National Highways.

What you'll need to succeed

If you have the passion to succeed that we see in our graduates every day, you’ll be a great match for our programme. You’ll have:

• An enthusiastic, collaborative approach to working with others
• The ability to communicate in different formats with a variety of stakeholders
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• The ability to plan and prioritise effectively to meet deadlines
• A focus on quality and integrity in everything you do

You’ll also need to meet these essential qualification requirements:

• A 2:2 or above in a structural engineering undergraduate degree (accredited as a base for CEng MIStructE learning), plus
• A Master’s (accredited or approved by a professional institution), or an equivalent level of further learning

It is key to know all offers to onto our graduate programmes are subject to satisfactory completion of our pre-employment checks. This includes a Right to Work check, reference check and a DBS criminal record check.

About us

National Highways operates, maintains and improves England’s strategic road network made up of motorways and major A roads. These vital arteries account for a third of all traffic, carry two thirds of heavy goods vehicles, and are relied on by 98% of the UK’s businesses.

Making sure our customers have safe and reliable journeys is at the heart of everything we do in Operations. We keep the roads open for business and play a key role in making sure the network we manage is fit for purpose today and for the future.

Why you should join us

At National Highways we believe in a connected country. We are passionate about creating a culture where colleagues feel connected, included and enjoy greater wellbeing to achieve this. We’re proud that as an organisation we are continually striving to do better and actively encourage and support our colleagues to do the same with their careers. So, if you put safety first, take ownership of your work, show passion in what you do, work effectively in a team and demonstrate integrity in how you do it – then you’ll be a great fit for our organisation.

And finally

And finally, we reserve the right to close before the advertised closing date based on the volume of applications received. To ensure that we can consider your application, please submit your application early.