2026 UK Graduate Ports Project Manager Career Path: Transport

Mott Macdonald; City Of London; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A global engineering consultancy is seeking a Graduate Project Manager to contribute to impactful projects. You'll engage with clients and work on project programming, planning, and coordination. Ideal candidates have relevant degrees and strong problem-solving skills. This role offers mentorship and a structured career development program, along with a competitive salary and benefits.

Benefits

Biannual salary reviews

Contributory pension up to 7%

Flexible benefits scheme

Qualifications

• Less than 12 months' relevant experience.
• Minimum of a bachelor's degree, obtained no earlier than 2024.

Responsibilities

• Engaging with clients and stakeholders.
• Project programming and financial planning.
• Contract administration and design coordination.

Skills

Proactive initiative

Effective communication

Attention to detail

Analytical problem solving

Knowledge of environmental issues

Data management familiarity

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering, project management, coastal science or geography

Job description

Overview

Are you ready to shape a better tomorrow? Join us as a Graduate Project Manager and become part of a team that's passionate about creating meaningful change through Port and Coastal projects that serve communities and protect our planet. As we continue to grow, we're looking for talented graduates to join our collaborative and inclusive teams across the UK. You'll work alongside experienced professionals in technical advisory, design management, and project management, contributing to projects that make a real difference - from transforming public buildings to supporting the transition to net zero.

What Yourom Be Doing

• Engaging with clients, end users, statutory bodies, and stakeholders
• Project programming and financial planning
• Feasibility studies and options appraisals
• Contract administration and design coordination
• Building trusted relationships with clients and colleagues
• Supporting and learning from experienced consultants

Eligibility

To be eligible for this opportunity, you will have less than 12 months' relevant experience (excluding placements) and have a minimum of a bachelor's degree (obtained no earlier than 2024) or expected to achieve one, in one of the following degree disciplines:

• Any engineering
• Project management
• Coastal science
• Geography

Application Guidance

In your application, you should aim to demonstrate your genuine interest in both the opportunity and in joining Mott MacDonald. You can do this by highlighting any relevant experience or interests—such as modules you've studied, previous work experience, or any research you've undertaken about our company, values, and projects. We personally review every completed application we receive as our selection process is entirely human-led; we do not use AI tools. We ask you to answer each application question with authenticity so we can get to know the real you.

Joining us as a graduate is your opportunity to shape your own story. We are looking for graduates with the following strengths:

• Proactively takes initiative to complete tasks efficiently and independently.
• Communicates effectively and clearly with clients and colleagues.
• Delivers high quality written work with strong attention to detail and clarity.
• Demonstrates a structured and analytical approach to problem solving.
• Well-rounded knowledge on wider environmental issues
• Familiarity with data management, analytics and digital technologies

Flexible working and sponsorship

As we want the best people for the role, we support flexible working. Please ask us at interview stage about any flexibility you may need. Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is 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.

Graduate development and benefits

A graduate position should be more than just a job. We know this and so do you. With our graduate roles we aim to give you the experience and technical knowledge you need to progress your career. From the moment you join us, youind youor you will be assigned a mentor, who will guide you to meet the objectives of your professional training needs. You will join our three-year early careers soft skills development programme - Accelerating your Future, designed to give you the skills and tools necessary for a long-lasting successful career here at Mott MacDonald. You will have the opportunity to make a difference; learn more about Our Purpose and the difference we can make!

• Biannual salary reviews: for the first three years of your career with us, there will be biannual salary reviews.
• A competitive salary: in addition to biannual reviews, we ensure that you're given a salary that matches the current industry standard.
• Contributory pension up to 7% of your salary: guidance and options to invest in your future.
• A flexible benefits scheme: ability to manage a range of benefits to suit your needs.

Our social and inclusion commitments

Our social side: From joining us, you'll have opportunities to expand your social and professional network, join sports and social activities, volunteer, and access discounts on cinema tickets, travel, fashion, utilities and more. Equality, diversity and inclusion: We promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all and strive to create an inclusive environment. Agile working: We support flexibility and trust to meet client, team and personal commitments.

About Mott MacDonald

We're a global engineering, management and development consultancy. Our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming our clients' businesses, our communities and employee opportunities. Our values: progress, respect, integrity, drive, excellence