2026 Project Manager Industrial Placement, Infrastructure Delivery

National Grid; Bury St Edmunds; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading energy company in Bury St Edmunds is seeking a Project Manager Industrial Placement student to contribute to major infrastructure projects in the energy sector. You'll gain hands-on experience managing tasks related to project planning, budget management, and stakeholder engagement. Ideal candidates are in their penultimate year, pursuing a relevant degree, and hold a UK driving licence. This role encompasses a starting salary of £24,109 along with comprehensive training and development opportunities.

Benefits

Starting salary of £24,109

26 days holiday

Development training and mentorship

Opportunity to join Graduate Programme

Qualifications

• Penultimate year at university.
• On track to achieve at least a 2:2 degree.
• Full valid UK driving licence required.

Responsibilities

• Assist in developing detailed project plans.
• Help monitor project budgets and expenditures.
• Work with engineers and contractors for collaboration.
• Identify potential risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Support engagement activities with internal teams.

Skills

Project Planning

Budget Management

Team Coordination

Risk Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Progress Monitoring

Contract Oversight

Education

Relevant degree (Project Management, Business, Engineering, etc.)

Job description

About us

National Grid is at the heart of the UK energy network keeping people connected and society moving. We develop, own and maintain the physical infrastructure, such as pylons and cables needed to move the electricity generated from windfarms and power sources around the country. Every time a phone is plugged in, or a switch is turned on, we've played a part, connecting you to the electricity you need - and we're leading the transformation towards a greener future, dreaming bigger to bring a more affordable energy future to everyone.

But it's our people that provide our true superpower. They drive and sustain our growth, their unique differences only making us stronger. But it's no small feat and we need the best to join us in our mission. So, join us and power the future of energy.

About The Role

Infrastructure Delivery at National Grid is at the forefront of transforming the UK’s energy landscape. As part of this dynamic team, you'll contribute to the execution of major projects that enhance and expand the electricity and gas transmission network. From substations to transmission lines, our work ensures the safe, efficient, and reliable delivery of energy across the country.

Our mission is to support the UK's energy transition, improve network resilience, and enable the integration of clean, low‑carbon power sources. Through initiatives like the Great Grid Upgrade, we're helping to build a greener future by connecting more renewable energy to homes and businesses across England and Wales.

As a Project Manager Industrial Placement student, you'll gain hands‑on experience in managing complex infrastructure projects, working alongside experienced professionals who are passionate about making a difference.

What You'll Do

During your placement, you'll be involved in a variety of tasks that support the successful delivery of infrastructure projects. Your responsibilities may include:

• Supporting Project Planning: Assist in developing detailed project plans, defining scope, timelines, resources, and key milestones.
• Budget & Cost Management: Help monitor project budgets, track expenditures, and support financial reporting to ensure projects stay within budget.
• Team Coordination: Work with engineers, contractors, and other stakeholders to foster collaboration and maintain clear communication throughout the project lifecycle.
• Risk & Issue Management: Contribute to identifying potential risks and developing mitigation strategies to keep projects on track.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Support engagement activities with internal teams, clients, and regulatory bodies, helping to maintain transparency and trust.
• Progress Monitoring: Assist in tracking project performance, preparing status reports, and updating stakeholders on progress and challenges.
• Contract Oversight: Help manage supplier and subcontractor contracts, ensuring compliance and supporting issue resolution.
• Project Closure Activities: Participate in post‑project evaluations, capturing lessons learned and contributing to continuous improvement.

This placement offers a unique opportunity to develop project management skills in a real‑world setting, gain insight into the energy sector, and contribute to projects that have a lasting impact on the UK’s energy infrastructure.

Our Industrial Placement

Our 12‑month Industrial Placement offers you the opportunity to kickstart your career within the energy sector and discover your unique superpower. Throughout your placement, you'll receive a tailored development programme designed to support your growth and development. This includes a combination of in‑person and virtual training sessions led by our development team, as well as access to a range of digital learning tools to help further enhance your skills.

Throughout your placement you'll have the opportunity to make connections amongst your cohort as well as regular check‑ins with a mentor and our Early Careers Team. Day‑to‑day, your placement manager will provide you access to a variety of on‑the‑job opportunities where you’ll take on real assignments and projects to make a genuine impact within your respective function. By the end of your placement, you’ll have developed your understanding of our business and the energy sector for your future career.

What you’ll need to apply

You need to be in your penultimate year at university, on track to achieve at least a 2:2 in a relevant degree subject such as Project Management, Business Administration, Engineering (any discipline), Construction Management, Information Technology, Finance, or Accounting. You need to commit to completing a 12‑month Industrial Placement that will begin June 2026 and be eager to apply your knowledge in a real‑world setting.

You need flexibility to travel within role and throughout your placement as required.

Due to the amount of travel to our site locations, you need to currently have a full valid UK driving licence at the point of application.

You need flexibility to travel within role and throughout your rotations as required, as in order to carry out the requirements of this role you’ll need to travel to sites, substations, depots and our training centres.

Location

This role is based at our Bury St Edmunds office and will involve travel across the East of England region. You’ll be expected to travel within this area as part of your day‑to‑day responsibilities, supporting project delivery across multiple sites.

What You’ll Get In Return

As a first step to your career in the energy industry, our Industrial Placement programmes are like no other. You’ll gain an insight into how we work at National Grid, providing you with a taster of the opportunities that await you. In addition, you’ll also receive some great rewards and benefits:

• Starting salary of £24,109
• 26 days holiday
• A chance to land a place on our Graduate Programme subject to your performance during your placement.
• Pensions plan, share‑option scheme and flexible benefits
• 3 days development training, volunteering opportunities, close mentorship and regular feedback
• Invitation to join Newnet, our new starters network and employee resource group

You’ll gain more than just experience. We believe in nurturing talent and recognising exceptional performance. If you excel during your placement, you may receive an offer to join our Graduate Programme after you successfully complete your degree.

More Information

You can only apply for one Industrial Placement opportunity during this recruitment cycle. We kindly ask that you review all our student opportunities and apply for the one that aligns closest with your aspirations and interests.

We recruit on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close our vacancies once we have enough applications. We encourage you to apply as early as possible to ensure you obtain the place you want in the application process.

Assessment centres will be held between November – April 2026.

National Grid's Graduate & Student opportunities in the UK are open to all applicants who meet the eligibility criteria including an existing and valid right to work in the UK. As part of the application process this will need to be evidenced and verified before you can start the programme.

Please note that in most cases, National Grid is unable to offer sponsorship for employment under the UK points‑based immigration system. As such, applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship now or in the future under the UK points‑based immigration system. However, in exceptional circumstances where there is a clear and demonstrable need for specialist skills that cannot be sourced from the local labour market, National Grid may consider offering sponsorship. All applications are welcome from candidates who meet these requirements, regardless of race, nationality, or ethnic origin.

Please be aware that it’s your responsibility to explore avenues of working in the UK, as we’re not able to provide advice on this. For information about visas please visit https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas‑immigration/work‑visas

At National Grid, it's our people that provide our true superpower. They drive and sustain our growth, their unique differences only making us stronger, so we pride ourselves on placing diversity, equity and inclusion at the heart of who we are and what we do and are committed to building a workforce of the future which represents the communities we serve. We welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office where and when needed. All our offers are based on the right to work in the UK, qualifications, the innovation from creating diverse teams and perspectives, as well as business need.