Transport for London
graduate scheme
Expires13 days

Environment & Sustainability Engineering Graduate Scheme

Job description

Kick start your Engineering career with us, helping us to improve Environment and Social outcomes in London and the UK.

What will you be doing?

Your graduate programme will be comprised of placements lasting between three and six months across TfL and our Engineering & Asset Strategy Directorate. Our aim is to equip you with the range of skills and experience you need to launch a successful engineering career. You will also undertake a series of short placements in maintenance and operations teams, invaluable experience that will give you a greater appreciation of the end user in your solutions.

Everyone’s career path and ambitions are different, so every graduate's journey with us is unique. You will have the freedom to choose the placements you undertake, guided by your scheme sponsor, chartership mentor and development advisor. Placements outside of Engineering can also be arranged so you gain an appreciation of the full range of TfL activities, including Project Sponsorship, the Safety Health and Environment Office, and even the Commissioner’s Office. Placements can also be arranged external to TfL, including the Department for Transport and Contractors. The ultimate aim is to pick up the skills and experience required to underpin your path towards becoming a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Environmentalist.

We are looking to develop multi-disciplinary engineers, but to guide your development towards becoming a Chartered Engineer you will be asked to express a preference for an Engineering institution on application, so you follow our Engineering & Technology, Mechanical Engineering or Civil Engineering Graduate Scheme development pathway:

  • IET

Aligning with the IET will mean you will have a bias towards systems, electrical, electronic, communication, or control systems engineering. Your placements could include systems engineering that ensures Major Projects consider Environment system outcomes from the start; delivery of charging infrastructure for London’s incoming electric bus fleet; delivery of signalling strategy to reduce traction energy consumption; designing power network upgrades for renewable energy connections and more.

  • IMechE

Aligning with the IMechE will mean you will have a bias towards mechanical engineering and materials. Your placements could include investigating groundwater pumping rates at London

Underground stations to quantify available ground source heat; delivery of TfL’s Building Decarbonisation programme across stations, depots and offices; developing heating & cooling technical strategies for different operational systems; working with our Human Factors team to design accessible and inclusive spaces and supporting trials of novel low carbon construction materials.

  • ICE

Aligning with the ICE will mean you will have a bias towards civil and structural engineering.

Your placements could include developing Whole Life Carbon Management Plans for Major Projects; evaluating climate change risks and developing technical strategies to improve resilience; designing Sustainable Drainage Systems to improve flood resilience and biodiversity; optimising structural design to minimise carbon emissions throughout the whole life; developing environment management tools and training; working with concrete suppliers to scale low carbon concrete production in London.

Regardless of your institution alignment, you will undertake a range of challenging placements that will give you an overview of sustainability at TfL and help kickstart your career as an Engineer. The placements listed here are indicative – you will have unparalleled freedom in building your own scheme, selecting opportunities to learn and deliver work that suit your skills and aspirations.

Location: London-based hybrid working. Your time will be split equally between the office and home. Most of our graduates work normal office hours, with occasional shifts to take part in night or weekend engineering activities (depending on the placement).

Duration

The duration of the scheme varies with each stream in line with TfL’s core Engineering Graduate schemes:

  • Two years - IET and IMechE stream.
  • Three years - ICE stream.

What qualifications will you gain?

The scheme will set you on course to become a Chartered Engineer with your chosen institution, and Chartered Environmentalist with your chosen institution or the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA). You will also have the opportunity to undertake a range of online and in-person training courses.

Where can this career take you?

Our Engineers make a huge impact. Upon completion of the scheme, we would expect you to move into our Environment & Sustainability Engineering team or another of our engineering teams, where you will then continue to develop your career as an engineer. You will progressively take on more challenging assignments as you build your sustainability and engineering competencies.

Within five years, we would expect you to be taking on increasing responsibility, leading engineering delivery and liaising with internal and external stakeholders to deliver complex engineering solutions and develop sustainability strategies. This will in turn facilitate your application for Chartered Engineer and Environmentalist status. Our Engineering graduates go on to undertake engineering management roles on multi-discipline projects of national importance or to lead discipline engineering teams.

What training and support will you get?

Whilst on the scheme, we’ll support your technical development through on-the-job practical experiences from your placements. You’ll also attend a combination of classroom-led and online training courses, mentoring and structured networking opportunities with scheme alumni.

You'll also receive one-to-one guidance throughout the programme from your:

  • Placement manager: Responsible for your day-to-day management and support with your development
  • Scheme sponsor: A senior manager who acts as a technical and professional adviser and has line manager responsibility.
  • Chartership Mentor: A senior engineer independent of your line management, who provides objective and confidential support for your professional development towards being a Chartered Engineer.
  • Buddy: Usually, an apprentice or graduate who gives support to you and ensures that you feel welcomed in the organization.
  • Development adviser: Supports your professional development through providing career coaching and career progression at TfL.

What we offer

You will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards vary according to the business area but mostly include:

  • Free travel on the TfL network for you and a nominee who lives in the same household
  • Final salary pension scheme
  • Discounted national rail and Eurostar travel
  • Minimum 30 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays
  • Private healthcare discounted scheme
  • Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme
  • Retail, health, leisure and travel offers & many more

Location

London-based hybrid working. Your time will be split equally between the office and home. Most of our graduates work normal office hours, with occasional shifts to take part in night or weekend engineering activities (depending on the placement).

What we are looking for

Candidates must already hold or be on track to achieve a minimum of either a 2:1 MEng/MSc in an engineering or a closely related subject accredited by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) or hold or be on track to achieve a minimum of either a 2:2 MEng/MSc in an engineering or a closely related subject accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) or the Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET).

These entry criteria align with the accreditation requirements of the relevant Engineering Institutions.

Please be advised that should you be successful in getting an offer for this graduate scheme, your offer may be subject to a satisfactory medical which may include but is not limited to drugs and alcohol screening, eye test and hearing test.

Our core values are extremely important to us, and we desire candidates who are:

  • Caring about our colleagues, our customers and our work.
  • Open to each other, to new ideas and to working together.
  • Adaptable to diverse needs and willing to innovate.

If you want to influence the future of London and the future of transport, develop into a multi-discipline engineer, and contribute to solving the climate and ecological emergencies, then this is the graduate scheme for you.

Accepted degree subjects

Any

Additional job details

Workplace
Hybrid, or partially remote
Location
London
Salary
£31,000

rising to £32,250 in year 2, rising to £36,000 in year 3

Contract, dates and working times

Start Date 8 September 2025

Full-time

How to apply

Thank you for your interest in applying for this TfL Graduate Scheme.

We’d like to remind you that you must ensure you are eligible for this scheme before applying. Please read through the eligibility criteria below carefully and ensure that you are eligible before applying.

This application will also contain a series of questions to establish whether or not you are eligible. It is important that you take great care in reading and answering these questions as we will not be able to revert your application if an error is made.

Please Note: We only allow one application for any of our Graduate schemes per year. Any subsequent applications will be withdrawn.

Application process

The application process consists of 5 steps, including online assessments which will need to be completed within an allocated time frame. We highly recommend that you read through this document thoroughly so that you can familiarise yourself with the process.

Please click on this link for which describes each stage of the Graduates Application Process.

If you already hold your qualification certificates, please upload copies of these to your application. If you are due to sit final exams or need to replace any certificates, these can be provided at a later stage.

Inclusive Recruitment Process

We operate a transparent recruitment process that removes barriers for disabled candidates.

We're a Disability Confident employer, and we offer guaranteed interviews to candidates who apply via the scheme where the minimum criteria for skills, knowledge and experience have been met.

Our candidate experience continues to be underpinned by a fair and robust reasonable adjustments process, in collaboration with our Occupational Health colleagues, and other expert organisations.

Contact us

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.

Contact the recruitment team by:

Click Apply to start your application now. This job will be available on Prospects until 26 December 2024

Don't forget to mention Prospects to employers when you contact them.

Closing date:  26 December 2024

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