Applications for this job are now closed
We have opportunities in all of our offices - Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cheltenham, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Oxford, Reading & Winchester.
We’re a built environment consultancy, helping our clients transform the quality and sustainability of the built environment. We are enabled by great people who are inspired and proud of what they do and respected for who they are.
At Ridge our people are the foundation of our success, and our greatest asset. Our people are what separate us, they drive our vision and embody our values. We offer not just a job, but a journey. We believe in commitment, and the value of a stable, flexible, long-term career path. We challenge our people to be the best they can be and help them grow with the right development.
Our EVOLVE graduate programme is split into two pathways; Expert and Pioneer, to provide multiple entry avenues tailored to you, and we are delighted to now be welcoming applications for our Autumn 2024 intake. The closing date for applications is 31st December 2023, with assessments and interviews to take place in early 2024, with offers to have been made by the end of March 2024 at the latest.
What’s the opportunity?
Passionate about the industry and know which area you’d like to specialise in? Our Expert Pathway will kickstart your career in your chosen field, supporting your all-round development through your two-year EVOLVE graduate programme before you progress along your chosen career pathway.
We boast a broad range of expertise within our multidisciplinary model, including both core disciplines such as Building Services, Project Management, Cost Management, Architecture, and innovative disciplines such as Geospatial, Expert Witness & Advisory, Lighting Design and Digital Engineering (BIM). We welcome future talent across all areas of the business and will do our best to match your interests with our opportunities to find the right Expert pathway for you.
Our graduate roles are real, genuine roles in our teams – you will play an important part in providing exceptional service to our clients and be exposed to a lot more client activity than you may be at the bigger consultancies. We want you to take pride in your work and feel valued for your contribution, so you can expect to be getting involved as soon as you are ready to do so.
We welcome everyone – regardless of your educational background. We recognise that not everyone leaves school knowing what they want to do, what’s important is what you are passionate about. If you have a love for our industry, we want to hear from you. We look for skills and behaviours, we can teach the knowledge!
Role and responsibilities
Your development is our priority, our role is to ensure you have the tools, skills and confidence to succeed in your career with us, so your first two years on programme offer the following development opportunities:
- Professional
- If you don’t have a related degree, and want to learn more about your discipline, we can support & fund you to start a degree apprenticeship in your discipline
- Perhaps you want to move your degree to the next step and undertake a Masters, we can support & fund you with this too
- If you do already have a related accredited degree, we’ll support you to gain your chartership, through our vast network of internal chartership champions and established guidance
- Technical
- A full variety of CPD opportunities, including webinars, short courses and masterclasses to enhance your skills in specific areas of focus
- You’ll be allocated a mentor from our team, someone experienced and knowledgeable to act as your trusted advisor throughout your programme
- Personal
- You’ll get a tailored development plan with clearly mapped out personal growth opportunities, to strengthen your soft skills and leadership
- You’ll become a STEM ambassador, giving you the confidence to speak to future generations about careers in our industry and represent us at all kinds of events
- You’ll become part of our Future Talent Community, connecting everyone on our programmes into a safe, supportive and enjoyable space. You’ll have opportunities to formally network with each other, as well as building your own connections on a personal level.
- You’ll have a buddy to support you with the day-to-day aspects of working at Ridge, someone who has trodden the same path and you’ll feel comfortable talking to about the little things!
Once you’ve completed your two-year programme, you’ll continue your development journey in your chosen discipline team, where you will be promoted from the programme to the next step in the pathway and progress along the career path for that area.
Experience and skills required
We place huge importance on people, and it is really key to us to find someone who reflects the values & culture of the business we are striving to become. We want to hear from you if:
- You hold a bachelor’s degree at 2:2 or above – it doesn’t matter which subject it’s in
- You are available to join us full time from September / October 2024
- You have the Right to Work in the UK, without requiring visa sponsorship
- You are passionate about our industry – this is really important – we love what we do and see that the built environment plays a critical role in society, so we want people who feel the same, it’s what connects us!
- You are curious, and eager to learn – the Expert pathway places you in amongst our team of existing experts, who you can learn so much from. They love sharing their knowledge, and are passionate about developing our future talent, so we want people who will make the most of this opportunity.
What’s in it for you?
Our people are our business – our vision is to be ever progressive, expanding our expertise and nurturing our talent through Quality, Innovation & Growth, to achieve our strategic outcomes:
- Growth which fuels ideas and opportunity for all
- Purposeful and meaningful work
- Continual development and mentoring
- Empowerment, inclusivity and respect
- Happiness and enjoyment
- Openness, honesty and integrity
- Acting as one team
Your reward is focused on your total wellbeing, with a package to support all aspects of life. In addition to your salary, you can expect:
- A permanent contract – our commitment to you is permanent
- A healthy holiday balance of 25 days, plus bank holidays & the ability to buy / sell to suit you
- 3 days a year to give your time to others, volunteering for great causes
- An inclusive wellbeing offer:
- Financial – Life Assurance, Pension Scheme (3% Employee, 6% Employer), Income Protection, Salary Sacrifice Car Scheme, flexible choice of Critical Illness Insurance
- Physical – Private Medical Insurance, Doctor at Hand Private GP, Best Doctors, flexible choice of Dental Plan, Cycle to Work Scheme, GymFlex & Healthcare Cash Plan
- Mental – Mental Health First Aiders, Help@Hand by Unum
- A flexible approach to hybrid working, to suit both you & your team
- Tailored career development – focused on professional, personal and technical
We believe that everyone performs their best when they feel like they belong and can be their true selves at work. As an equal opportunities’ employer, we will support you to ensure you have everything you need to be successful and achieve your best in your career at Ridge.
If you’d like to discuss accessibility, accommodations or adjustments during your application & selection process, please contact us at workwithus@ridge.co.uk and we will work with you to ensure you feel included and supported.
