2026 Graduate Programme - Environmental Services

Job Description

What if you could do the kind of work the world needs? At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.

Our environmental consultancy services span numerous disciplines and sectors, drawing on a broad knowledge base. This approach enables us to deliver practical strategies for studying, protecting, enhancing, and restoring the natural environment.

We are looking for Graduates for our Environmental Services teams

We want you to enjoy working in a collaborative environment where you can apply your skills working for a diverse range of clients and projects.

Recruitment Services & Locations

• Landscape Architecture – London, Exeter, Bristol, Manchester, Glasgow, or Edinburgh
• Cultural/Historic Heritage – London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds or Glasgow

A little bit more about your role and the team…

Working as a Graduate in our Environmental Services teams will mean working on innovative projects, exploring and learning about the numerous aspects of the requirements for the services we provide, which could include Nature Advisory, including Marine & Aquatics, Air Quality, Acoustics or Landscape Architecture. You will be working on projects across a broad range of clients, sectors and scales.

Projects

Our teams work on assignments in the UK and you will be helping deliver projects such as:

• Landscape Architecture projects – local and national projects across a range of sectors and involved throughout all stages of the project life cycle. Projects have included active travel plans, HS2 Rail, Renewable Energy projects, public realm designs for town centres and pedestrianisation schemes for local authorities.
• Cultural Heritage – Sizewell (fieldwork surveys and preparation of reports)
• Cultural Heritage – East-West Rail (constraints reports) and Road schemes in Northern Ireland

Our Environmental Services Teams

Landscape Architecture

Working as a graduate in the Landscape Architecture team, you will be supporting client projects alongside senior staff within a large team of landscape architects and urban designers. Candidates will contribute to landscape design and assessment across various sectors, making decisions suited to their experience and receiving guidance from the team. WSP offers strong opportunities for early‑career professionals to develop skills in sustainable design, reporting, graphics, and scientific thinking while working on both large and small projects.

Day‑to‑day activities could include:

• Provision of landscape consultancy services and technical input for projects as directed by senior manager.
• Activities include written and graphic input to strategic studies and guidance documents, LVIA and TVIA technical reports.
• Design development from feasibility to detailed design, hard and soft landscape detailing and specification, tender and construction period support, post construction management activities.
• You will also be using software such as AutoCAD and Adobe Creative Suite amongst others.

Historic Heritage

The WSP UK Cultural Heritage and Archaeology team is the largest heritage consultancy in the country. Working across the UK and overseas and covering all aspects of the historic environment (archaeology, built heritage, setting and design) throughout the full lifecycle of projects. We provide our clients with expert advice heritage related enquiries that address the management of change in our historic environment. We work on high profile and large‑scale infrastructure projects in the UK and abroad as part of a multi‑disciplinary team and aim to deliver high quality work while contributing to innovative approaches and challenges within the heritage sector.

Day‑to‑day activities could include:

• Analysis of historic maps.
• Site visits to look at the setting of a scheduled monument.
• Preparing heritage baselines for reports.
• Researching GIS mapping.
• Producing/providing support for archaeological desk‑based assessments and Heritage statements.

You will join an enthusiastic and supportive team, providing you with a challenging and fulfilling career. In this team, you will be dealing with internal and external stakeholders, collaborating with colleagues and adapting to dynamic project environments.

Graduate Development Programme and Future progression

Our two‑year Graduate Development programme is designed to support personal and professional development and growth through an engaging blended learning experience. The programmes include core business and professional skills training, career development workshops and resources, valuable networking opportunities, mentoring for professional registration and a breadth of on‑the‑job experience.

To find out more, please visit: Who we are – ECP

Our teams are dedicated to supporting your career growth from the very beginning. Many employees have started as graduates and successfully advanced within the company. We encourage you to achieve chartered status with professional bodies, ensuring your development is a priority. You will be fully supported through enrolment in a professional institution\’s training agreement, guiding you towards chartered or incorporated status.

What will be looking for you to demonstrate

• You’ll have graduated with at least a 2:2 in a master\’s or bachelor\’s degree in a relevant subject for the role you are applying for.
• Candidates must complete the application form in full answering all specific questions. This requirement applies to all candidates, inclusive of their background. Successful completion of this stage is mandatory. Candidates who pass this initial stage, will then be required to complete an online skill enabler assessment. Both the application form and the skill enabler assessment are essential parts of the early career\’s recruitment process.
• You’ll be looking to start work in either April or September 2026.
• You’ll have an enthusiasm for creativity, numerical skills and a drive to solve problems.
• You’ll have a passion for data analysis and interpretation using Excel and GIS.
• You’ll want to inspire us, sharing new ideas you have.
• You’ll have the ability to travel to site and/or client offices, not accessible by public transport as required.

Don\’t quite meet all the criteria? Should you have the right qualifications for our positions, apply and we can see how your experience aligns to this role and other opportunities we have available for our Graduate programme.

Application & Selection

We review applications for our Early Career opportunities on a rolling basis, which means we begin progressing some candidates to the final stages before the application closing date. To ensure your application receives full consideration, we recommend submitting it as early as possible.

Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all.

Join our close‑knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact. Our global team includes more than 69,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world.

With us, you can. Apply today.

About Us

We are one of the world\’s leading engineering and professional services firms. Our 72,800 passionate people are united by the common purpose of creating positive, long‑lasting impacts on the communities we serve through a culture of innovation, integrity, and inclusion. With over 9,000 professionals across the UK and Ireland, we are dedicated to our local communities and propelled by international brainpower.

WHAT\’S IN IT FOR YOU?

Work‑life balance

At WSP, we understand that work is just one aspect of your life. It\’s important to make time for you, your family, friends, interests and your community. Our hybrid working policy offers the flexibility to work from home two days a week, while also providing opportunities to collaborate in our modern offices across the UK.

Inclusivity & Belonging

We welcome applicants with varied backgrounds and experiences. We enable rewarding careers by encouraging people to bring their whole and authentic selves to work so that our work represents the fullest spectrum of society. We celebrate integrity and treat people with respect, supporting each other and embracing a culture of inclusion and belonging at WSP. We have our employee resource groups bring together employees and allies with different backgrounds to promote our culture of inclusivity.

Health & Wellbeing

We are committed to supporting our people, giving you the tools to make improvements to your health and wellbeing through our Thrive programme. Our Virtual GP service gives you access to an NHS or Irish Medical Council GP at a time and place that suits you – giving you peace of mind and quick access to medical advice when you need it most. We also provide reasonable workplace adjustments for those in need. Additionally, you can benefit from the Gymflex scheme, which offers up to 40% off annual gym memberships through our WSP flexible benefits program, as well as a comprehensive menopause support package.

Flex your time

To enhance work‑life balance, WSP offers the “WSP My Hour,” allowing you to take one hour each day for personal activities, with the flexibility to make up the time earlier or later that day. We also provide part‑time and flexible working arrangements, the option to purchase additional leave, and the ability to use your bank holiday entitlement to suit you.

Your development

We understand the importance of development and training to you. That\’s why we foster a supportive environment that invests in your growth, whether through training, mentoring, or Chartership.

#WeAreWSP

Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria, please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments in support of your application.