2027 UK Graduate Civil and Structural Engineering Career Path Transport

Graduate Aviation Planner (Aviation) -  Croydon 

As a graduate joining our airport planning team, you’ll step into a role that blends technical insight with strategic thinking, contributing to projects that shape the future of aviation infrastructure. From masterplanning through to design development and technical advisory, your work will cover all airport facilities (airfield, aprons, terminals, landside transport, utilities, and support buildings), while also working on emerging areas such as sustainable air transport, future travel experience and advanced air mobility. You’ll be involved in both spatial and strategic planning, using analytical methods and simulation tools to support decision-making.  

Working on landmark international airport projects alongside more experienced colleagues, you’ll gain practical insight into how airport planning projects are delivered globally. The role also includes supporting client and stakeholder engagement, and collaborating with other disciplines such as airfield engineering, transaction advisory, forecasting, project/asset management, and business planning. 

Graduate Aviation Engineer (Airfield) - Birmingham, Cambridge, Croydon, London, Manchester, Southampton. 

 As a Graduate Civil Engineer in our Aviation team, you will help design the airfield infrastructure that enables the safe and efficient movement of aircraft at airports, heliports and vertiports worldwide. Working alongside experienced Civil and Electrical Engineers, you will contribute to the design of runways, taxiways, aircraft aprons, service roads and drainage systems. Your work will include pavement design, airfield geometry and grading, stormwater management and Civil 3D modelling, helping to define how aircraft operate safely on the ground and how critical airport infrastructure performs throughout its lifecycle. Using industry-leading digital design tools, you will develop engineering designs and 3D models for projects across the UK and internationally, gaining experience from concept development through to construction and operation while helping to deliver the next generation of aviation infrastructure. 

Graduate Civil Engineer (Highways) Birmingham, Colwyn Bay, Edinburgh, Glasgow, (Need to be eligible for Security Clearance), (Masters Essential)    

Our Highways team delivers innovative solutions that improve journeys, connect communities and create lasting value for clients and the public. From the planning and design of major new road schemes to the enhancement and maintenance of existing highway networks, we work on some of the UK's most complex and high-profile infrastructure projects. Collaboration, technical excellence and continuous improvement are at the heart of everything we do, helping us deliver smarter, safer and more sustainable outcomes. 

As part of our Early Careers Professionals Rotation Programme, you'll embark on a structured development journey designed to broaden your experience and accelerate your growth. You'll gain hands-on exposure to a range of highway design disciplines, working alongside experienced engineers and industry experts on projects that make a real difference. From day one, you'll contribute to live project delivery, developing skills in 2D and 3D modelling, engineering design, digital tools, technical calculations and specification development. You'll also support project coordination, stakeholder engagement and multidisciplinary collaboration, giving you insight into every stage of the project lifecycle while helping to deliver practical engineering solutions. 

This is an opportunity to build technical expertise, develop professional skills and establish a strong foundation for a rewarding career in infrastructure engineering. 

Graduate Civil Engineer (Local Streets) – Birmingham, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Norwich, Sheffield, Southampton (Need to be eligible for Security Clearance) (Masters Essential) 

In the local streets and infrastructure portfolio you will have the opportunity to contribute to a wide range of impactful projects that directly benefit the local and national community.  These projects range from local junction improvements to facilitate access to solar farms to large scale infrastructure projects such as East West Rail, Heathrow Expansion and HS2.  We focus on projects that enhance safety, accessibility, sustainability, and efficiency in urban and rural environments 

We are also passionate about incorporating nature based solutions into our designs to help mitigate the flood risk and protect local ecosystems. The design of Active travel infrastructure, such as cycle lanes, footpaths, and pedestrian zones, promoting healthier and greener transport options is also a key focus area. 

You will be involved in the full life cycle from feasibility through to construction and operation using the latest digital skills to deliver sustainable, innovative, safe and cost-effective solutions for our clients. 

The projects that you will work on will not only develop your technical and project management skills but will also offer you the chance to make a tangible difference in local communities 

Graduate Civil Engineer (Rail Civil Structures) – Altrincham,  Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, York 

As a Graduate Civil Engineer, you'll contribute to the design and delivery of railway stations, transport interchanges, accessibility improvements, and other rail enhancement projects across the UK and Republic of Ireland. Working alongside experienced engineers and specialists, you'll gain hands-on experience in civil, structural, geotechnical and geometrical design, developing the technical skills needed to become a well-rounded engineer. 

From day one, you'll be involved in real projects, helping to co-ordinate multidisciplinary design teams, develop technical drawings and 3D models, and support project and design management activities. You'll work closely with professionals across disciplines including highways, drainage, geotechnics, architecture and rail systems, giving you a broad understanding of how major infrastructure projects are delivered. 

You'll have opportunities to engage with clients, contractors and stakeholders, building the communication and collaboration skills that are essential to successful project delivery. Through exposure to every stage of the design process, you'll rapidly develop your technical, commercial and professional capabilities while contributing to projects that improve connectivity for communities across the country. 

You'll also benefit from structured training and mentoring as part of our Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) accredited training scheme, supporting your journey towards professional qualification and chartership 

Graduate Civil Engineer Special Services – Croydon (Masters Essential) 

The Special Services Team at Mott MacDonald are a specialised team which works cross-sector, on a wide range of projects covering design, forensic analysis, first-principles problem-solving and asset life extension. We are at the forefront of developing advanced structural analysis and dynamics solutions, addressing materials technology requirements, advancing asset life management for a wide range of civil infrastructure, undertaking specialist studies for a diverse range of clients 

Graduate Civil Engineer (Urban Transit) – Altrincham, Birmingham, Croydon, Leeds (Need to be eligible for Security Clearance) (Masters Essential) 

Urban Transit and Mobility connect people and places with mass rapid transit solutions. Our work covers transport systems that predominately operate in public spaces, from rail based modes like light rail, tram-train, and tramways, to rubber tyred solutions, like Bus and Personal Rapid Transit, as well as well as Active Travel interfaces. Within Urban Transit and Mobility you’ll gain a wide variety of Civil Engineering experience in all stages of the project lifecycle from business case and feasibility studies, looking at high level route alignments, through to detailed design, as well as Design and Build with contractors, construction phase support, network operations and maintenance, and finally renewal work for older schemes.  Many projects are complex multidisciplinary involving work with many other teams such as bridges, structures, traction power, geotech, operations and environment. Key skills developed would be alignment (segregated and in highway corridors), swept path, stop design, track design, depot design and tram signalling, with opportunities to develop into management roles. We provide a mix of office work and site work although the majority is desk based activities.  We support and encourage chartership with the ICE.   We work on projects all over the world with links to colleagues in many other countries. 

Graduate Digital Consultant (Information Management) Croydon 

You will join our growing Information Management team which provides industry-leading and award-winning consulting services. We work with our clients and their teams to help them harness digital opportunities, to tackle complex human, organisational, and data challenges. We do this by bringing together the best of our engineering domain knowledge and digital know how.   

We support delivery organisation and operators globally to harness 'digital' and solve complex problems using Information Management. We are engineers and technology specialists; we understand infrastructure delivery and data through our practical experience supporting both through delivery projects and client organisations. We drive productivity in the delivery of assets in the built environment by harnessing technology, upskilling people, supporting behaviour change, and transforming processes. We believe more effective Information & Data Management is a key enabler to achieve wider societal goals such as NetZero.  

Graduate Infrastructure Engineer (APCO) – Birmingham, Cardiff, London  

Join our Gateway Infrastructure team and contribute to the delivery of industry-leading infrastructure projects across the UK and internationally. As a Graduate Infrastructure  Engineer, you will have the opportunity to support the development and delivery of multidisciplinary aviation, ports, and associated infrastructure projects while building your technical knowledge and professional experience. 

You will work alongside experienced engineers and project teams, contributing to the planning, design, and delivery of infrastructure solutions from concept development through to detailed design and construction support. Through collaboration with clients, contractors, project managers, and technical specialists, you will help deliver innovative projects that enhance operational efficiency, improve passenger and freight movements, and support the transition to more sustainable transport networks. 

Whether assisting with strategic masterplanning initiatives, supporting the delivery of complex infrastructure packages, or contributing to technical assessments and project coordination activities, you will play an important role in shaping the future of aviation and maritime infrastructure while developing your career within a leading engineering consultancy. 

Graduate Maritime Engineer (Ports) - Bristol, Croydon, Newcastle, Southampton 

We’re looking for motivated graduate civil engineers to join our Ports team and start building a career in maritime engineering. Working within the team you’ll be involved in a variety of port, harbour and marine infrastructure projects, supporting delivery from feasibility and planning through to detailed design and construction support, inspection and asset management. Working alongside experienced engineers within a multidisciplinary team, you’ll gain broad exposure across civil, structural, geotechnical and coastal engineering. You’ll contribute to projects involving quay walls, jetties, berths, port and terminal infrastructure, and associated marine and landside civil works. This is a great opportunity for a graduate with a passion for civil and maritime engineering who wants to develop their analytical and technical problem solving skills, gain experience and work towards becoming a chartered civil engineer. 

Graduate Pavement Engineer (Asset Management) – Birmingham, Sheffield, Southampton (Need to be eligible for Security Clearance) 

The Asset Management, Maintenance and Advisory Portfolio provide a range of design and advisory services to clients across the transport sector.  Our team includes specialists in drainage and flood risk, pavement engineering, street lighting, road safety and road signage and markings.  We provide design inputs into a variety of highway and airfield projects as well as providing advice on how clients maintain and manage their transport assets.  You will also have opportunities to contribute to the continued digitalisation of our sector and our sustainability advisory services, through activities like developing and implementing machine learning tools and providing carbon reduction advice on projects.   

As a Graduate Civil Engineer specialising in drainage, you will familiarise yourself with relevant national and client standards, garner an understanding of the principles of drainage design, such as: defining catchment areas, assessing pipe capacity and analysing hydraulic model results; as well as producing deliverables such as: 3D models, drawings, schedules and specifications. You will coordinate your designs across multidisciplinary teams and collaborate with clients and stakeholders. 

Graduate Track Engineer (Track) Manchester 

Track Engineering encompasses a diverse skillset to ensure we provide a track asset that meets key performance criteria, including desired train speeds and journey times whilst ensuring ride quality for passengers. As a Track Engineer you will be involved in a wide range of activities including, but not limited to, track alignment design, corridor modelling, gauging assessments, small project management/design management roles, and buffer stop risk assessments. 

Your role will include developing track alignment designs at both feasibility and detailed design stages for clients such as Network Rail, East West Rail, and contractors involved in smaller design-and-build projects, producing technical drawings, 3D models and more. You'll have the opportunity to work in a team across the country and beyond, whilst also working towards becoming a Chartered Engineer. 

As part of the Rail Division, you will also have the opportunity to rotate into other disciplines, typically two six-month placements, before returning to Track to complete your graduate scheme. Other disciplines include Stations & Civils, Signalling & Operations, Overhead Contact Systems, Rolling Stock and more, offering a well-rounded foundation in railway engineering. 

Graduate Tunnel Engineer (Tunnels) -Birmingham, Reading (Masters Essential) 

As a graduate joining the tunnels account, you can expect to be part of a friendly and supportive department that values your development and growth. You'll gain exposure to a wide variety of tunnelling projects across sectors such as transport, energy, and water, while also having opportunities to contribute to non-tunnelling projects across the wider company. While you’ll gain strong technical experience as part of your core role, you will also have the opportunity to broaden your skill set through involvement in project and design management, giving you exposure to the wider lifecycle of high-profile infrastructure projects. You'll be supported on your journey towards chartership, with training actively encouraged and access to CPD activities and industry conferences. Notably, you'll have the opportunity to attend the prestigious week-long Tunnelling Course at the University of Warwick and the two-day Health and Safety course, both hosted by the British Tunnelling Society. Throughout your time, you'll be working alongside a highly knowledgeable and experienced team, gaining invaluable insight and mentorship as you build your career. 

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 cannot 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 future.