Graduate Civil and/or Structural Engineer (Bridges)

At WSP, there’s nothing we love more than pushing boundaries. Harnessing innovation and sharing insights across our diverse, international team to create a tomorrow’s world that's cleaner, greener and safer. Join us and you’ll be part of an organisation that takes pride in its people and purpose: creating long-lasting solutions to meet the needs of generations to come.

From the onset of modern civilization, bridges have been both iconic images and vital transportation routes that have helped to connect our world. From early designs using natural resources, to modern engineering techniques and advances in building materials, bridge construction has evolved in unison with the increasing demands of humankind.

Today’s bridges have become lifelines for major cities, and transportation agencies face a myriad of challenges to optimise the flow of goods and people. From ensuring the operability of aging structures, to planning, financing, and constructing modern replacements that improve accessibility, solutions to the challenges posed by bridges are essential to social and economic development.

WSP’s expertise extends to all types of bridges, from viaducts and interchanges, to railway and pedestrian bridges, and even wildlife crossings. Having designed, analysed, built, maintained, and managed thousands of bridge projects, our experts have world leading knowledge in bridge engineering.

It’s an exciting time to join our Bridges teams as we deliver asset inspection, assessment and design projects throughout the UK. We are looking for Graduates to join our offices in Belfast, Basingstoke and Truro.

A typical week would include:

We asked our graduates what it’s like to do their job. On a day to day basis, the life of a graduate at WSP starts off in the morning with cups of tea or coffee and responding to any urgent client emails.

Beyond that, anything could happen! You could be involved in carrying out bridge inspections and assessments report writing, modelling or bridge design calculations in 3D software packages. Your day could also involve visiting site and liaising with contractors, discussing options for concept designs with colleagues, responding to client requests for information or meetings with the team about the scope and progress of projects.

Naturally, there is a lot to learn and you are likely to be guided through complex software packages, team briefings and client updates from the start.

What you'll need:

• You’ll be graduating in 2020 or have recently graduated with at least a 2:1 in a Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in Civil and/or Structural Engineering
• You’ll ideally have less than two years relevant experience
• You’ll be passionate with the curiosity and creativity to solve problems
• You’ll want to stretch and inspire us, speaking up about any new ideas you have
• You’ll want to throw yourself in from day one and put your studies into practice
• You’ll have excellent communication skills
• You’ll enjoy working in a team environment, sharing ideas and collaborating with colleagues 
• You’ll have confidence to work under pressure with the ability to prioritise and plan effectively

What if we can?

Our graduate development programme is a 2 year programme designed to provide you with both professional skills and specialist technical development opportunities. The programme is supported by our senior leadership team and is tailored give you the support, guidance and the development opportunities you need to help you work towards chartered status or equivalent professional qualifications. The structured programme includes but is not limited to training in:

• Technical report writing
• Team specific technical skills
• Project management (introduction and advanced)
• Influential communications
• Commercial concepts
• Teambuild challenge
• Continuous Improvement

Our Culture

Across our offices in the UK, we strive to have a friendly and inclusive culture which respects and maximizes the contribution individuals can bring to WSP. We recognise the benefits that people with varying backgrounds and experiences can bring. This commitment is shown through our employee networks who work with the business to help ensure we continue to promote the right environment to enable all employees to reach their full potential and to ensure we continue to promote an inclusive and diverse workplace for everyone.

Our employees also come together through our social events some of these events have included office Olympics, go karting, BBQs and of course the annual Christmas events! More recently there have been online networking and quiz events.

We also offer our Professional Growth Network (PGN) which is a networking group run by early career professionals for early career professionals. It helps to grow your network of contacts across the UK business as well as providing you with opportunities for extra experience to support you in achieving chartered status or other professional accreditations.

You’ll also be joining a team of people who donate thousands of hours of time volunteering in support of local initiatives and raise thousands for good causes, often backed by charity donations from the WSP Foundation. Our long-standing support for local communities has been recognised by the government-backed National Equality Standard.

Benefits:

Finally, we have a comprehensive wider benefits package which includes:

• Professional Development Bonus to recognise attainment of professional statuses
• 2 paid days a year to be used for volunteering activities 
• Cheaper gym memberships and Tastecards
• Discounts and offers with a variety of high street retailers through our Treats programme
• A standard 25 day annual leave allowance plus Bank Holidays and the flexibility to buy and sell annual leave
• The Cycle to Work Scheme (which entitles you to a tax free bike)
• The option to purchase additional benefits such as dental care, personal accident cover, holiday or life insurance at reduced rates
• Reduced rates on gadget insurance
• Employee Assistance Programme – EAP offers you free access to specialist advice in areas such as legal, financial, personal and family matters including bereavement and counselling services. 

How long does the process take?

You'll receive an email acknowledging receipt of your application within 48 hours of submission. We work hard to match you to the most suitable roles in our business and the recruitment process can vary depending on the role and team you are matched to. Most applications are progressed to assessment centre within 2-3 months but it’s good to know that the whole process can last up to 6 months in total. We will aim to keep you informed throughout the time that your application is being considered however, due to the volume of applications received, we are not able to respond to individual requests for status updates.