Graduate Civil Engineer - Regulated Water (London or Reading)

Jacobs; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering firm in the UK is seeking a Graduate Civil Engineer to join its Graduate Development Programme. This programme offers structured support for career growth through on-the-job learning and mentoring. As part of a multi-disciplinary team, you will work on significant projects in the water sector, delivering innovative solutions for water treatment plants and networks. Applicants must have a relevant degree and the right to work in the UK. The position offers hybrid working and diverse opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

Flexible workstyle

Free medical cover

Professional development reimbursement

Wellbeing focus

Community engagement opportunities

Qualifications

• A degree in Civil Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering or a similar field.
• Must have the permanent right to work in the UK.
• Ability to drive your career forward and adapt to changes.

Responsibilities

• Provide sustainable solutions for the design of water treatment plants.
• Work within a multi-disciplinary team on high-profile water sector projects.

Skills

Self-starter

Adaptability

Thirst for learning

Education

Relevant Degree or Master's in Civil Engineering

Job description

Graduate Civil Engineer - Regulated Water (London or Reading)

Join the Jacobs Graduate Development Programme (GDP) and have a meaningful, positive impact on our environments, communities and societies. Bring your passion, your ingenuity and your vision. Let’s see the impact we can create, together.

What will you get?

Our Graduate Development Programme is a structured two‑year scheme designed to support your development at the start of your Jacobs career journey. Through a combination of blended learning, mentoring, progress reviews and networking, you will establish yourself as knowledgeable and competent across four key focus areas: human skills, consulting skills, champion our strategy and your passions.

The Graduate Development Programme allows you to customise your learning journey to reflect your specific interests, career goals, and technical skillset – creating a graduate experience that is unique to you.

The GDP is an experience programme, meaning a large portion of what you’ll learn will be on‑the‑job. You’ll work with your manager and mentor to collect the learning experiences that will be most meaningful for you.

The programme is more than just a steppingstone. It’s a launchpad for your career, offering you the tools, experiences and support you need. Join us and unlock your potential as you work on meaningful projects and collaborate with industry leaders to deliver outcomes and solutions for complex challenges.

About the opportunity

Jacobs has secured multi‑year contracts and projects with leading clients in the water sector throughout the UK and Ireland. We need a range of skills to deliver these fantastic opportunities and are therefore recruiting professionals from all disciplines who are looking to grow their careers in the water sector. We embrace flexible working and welcome candidates based throughout the UK and Ireland.

You will join our team of over 1,000 water professionals, working on a range of high‑profile projects and become part of a world‑leading company with excellent career prospects. You will work with teams who have a successful track record in delivering projects specialising in water / wastewater networks, water / wastewater treatment, asset management, integrated catchment management, network modelling and project / programme management. You will work within a multi‑disciplinary structure, striving for technical excellence, delivering your projects for agreed timeframes and budgets.

Due to unprecedented demand in the water sector, our teams are currently working on programmes of work for the major water companies in the UK undertaking the following range of activities:

• Working as part of a multi‑disciplinary team, you will be providing innovative and sustainable solutions for the design of water treatment plants, pumping stations and distribution networks to supply drinking water.
• Design of wastewater treatment plants and drainage network assets to meet the challenge of improving the quality of our rivers.
• Design of pressure and gravity pipelines.
• Design of site layouts in markets as diverse as water, data centres and energy and power.
• Preparation of feasibility studies for new water and wastewater assets including for the regional transfer of water across the UK within the RAPID SRO programme.

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment in which staff can pursue their interests and develop new skills, whilst contributing to our growth strategy. In ensuring we do things right, we will support the development and expansion of our technical capabilities in areas where our clients need it, now and in the future. In challenging the accepted, we will continue to aim higher whilst delivering high quality technical work in a cost‑effective way.

Jacobs prides itself on having a diverse and inclusive team and we are looking for talented graduates to work on a wide range of projects, and we offer excellent career progression while enabling you to play your role in protecting our environment and making a lasting impact. Whatever you decide to do, our friendly teams will be on hand to help you along the way.

The start date for this position is February 2026.

Qualifications

• A relevant Degree or Master’s level qualification in Civil Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering or similar
• A flexible self‑starter who is keen to drive your career forward
• Adaptable to change, with a thirst for learning new things
• You must have the permanent right to work in the UK

What else we provide

• A flexible workstyle, embracing a hybrid working pattern and supporting those who need to balance work / life commitments a bit differently than others
• Free single medical cover and digital GP service
• Reimbursement towards relevant professional development and memberships
• A focus on safety, health, and wellbeing, prioritising our people through a culture of caring and positive mental health champion network
• Opportunities to give back to our communities through our Collectively programme, incorporating matched‑funding, paid volunteering time and charitable donations

We want you to bring your whole, authentic self to Jacobs.

As a disability confident employer, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a vacancy. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

We value collaboration and believe that in‑person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices / projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.