Graduate Town Planner - Birmingham or Nottingham

Arup; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Arup is offering a graduate opportunity in town planning based in Birmingham or Nottingham, part of a national network. The role supports planning applications, policy documents and evidence studies, while performing data analysis and involving stakeholders to inform major infrastructure and regeneration projects.

You will work with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver sustainable, inclusive places using GIS, dashboards and AI-enabled approaches.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate or bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning or related discipline; RTPI-accredited degrees preferred and support for competence assessment.
• Desirable skills include GIS mapping software, data handling and visualisation tools, and practical interest in applying AI to planning tasks.

Responsibilities

• Support preparation of planning applications, policy documents, spatial strategies and evidence studies.
• Perform research, data analysis and reporting for planning, regeneration, infrastructure projects using digital tools.
• Contribute to environmental and socio-economic impact assessments and consent processes.
• Assist with stakeholder and community engagement activities, including workshops and meetings.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver sustainable, inclusive places.
• Utilise digital and AI tools to improve speed, clarity and evidencing of advice.

Skills

GIS tools

Excel

Power BI

AI & automation awareness

Data analysis

Education

Urban Planning or related degree

RTPI-accredited preferred

Tools

ArcGIS

QGIS

Job description

The Opportunity

Arup is a global consultancy with advisory and technical expertise across more than 150 disciplines. We guide, plan and design the future of the built environment. Globally, each year we recruit hundreds of graduates and students who help us see things differently and solve the most complex challenges facing our clients, climate and communities.

With 150 town planners across 17 UK offices, Arup's Town Planning team works on some of the UK's most high-profile and complex projects, providing end-to-end planning and policy advice to public authorities, infrastructure providers, developers, property companies and landowners. Our work spans planning policy, spatial strategy, regeneration, major infrastructure planning, development management and research, helping to deliver more sustainable, resilient and inclusive places. As part of a multidisciplinary firm, we work closely with engineers, environmental specialists, urban designers and economists to tackle challenges such as housing delivery, climate change and infrastructure provision.

The role would be based within either our Birmingham or Nottingham offices, working as part of a wider national network of town planners. We are working on projects of national significance that will shape the future of the region. Our infrastructure work includes planning for the sustainable growth of Birmingham Airport, ensuring that the region has the energy it needs by planning for major new grid connections as well as working on new nationally important reservoirs. Our policy work includes working with both the East Midlands and West Midlands Combined Authorities to support the preparation of Spatial Development Strategies and establishing an exciting new vision for Nottingham’s future regeneration.

In This Role You Will

• Support the preparation of planning applications, planning policy documents, spatial strategies and evidence-based studies for public and private sector clients.


• Undertake research, data analysis and report writing to inform planning, development, regeneration and major infrastructure projects, applying digital tools, GIS and AI-assisted techniques to interrogate evidence and communicate findings clearly.


• Contribute to environmental, socio-economic and other impact assessments that support planning and consent processes.


• Assist with stakeholder and community engagement activities, including workshops, consultations and meetings.


• Work collaboratively as part of multi-disciplinary teams with planners, engineers, urban designers, environmental specialists, economists and other experts to deliver sustainable and inclusive places.


• Help us use digital and AI tools well – from spatial data, dashboards and visualisation to automating routine policy and site analysis – so that our advice is quicker to produce, easier to understand and better evidenced.

https://www.arup.com/projects/ratcliffe-on-soar-power-station-site/

Is this role right for you?

For this opportunity, we are seeking the following qualifications, skills and attributes:

• An undergraduate or bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline, such as Urban Planning, Architecture, Geography & Geospatial Science or Urban Design. RTPI-accredited degrees are preferred, and we will support you through your RTPI Assessment of Professional Competence.


• Desirable technical skills include experience using GIS, mapping or spatial analysis software (e.g. ArcGIS or QGIS); comfort with data handling and visualisation tools (e.g. Excel, Power BI); and a practical, critical interest in how AI and automation can be applied responsibly to planning tasks such as evidence review, consultation analysis, site appraisal and reporting.

To Be Considered For a Graduate Opportunity, Your Application Must Include a Copy Of Your Academic Transcript And Meet The Following Criteria

• Full working rights in the country of application


• No more than 12 months of full-time experience in a comparable role


• Recently graduated, or on track to graduate, from your most recent degree, related to your role of choice, before employment starts.

• Changemakers: You care about sustainable development and want to see your work make a genuine difference.


• Innovative minds: You think critically, ask hard questions, and are genuinely open to new approaches.


• Growth seekers: You are curious, actively seek feedback, and look for ways to keep developing.


• Adaptable adventurers: You are comfortable with uncertainty and adapt readily as projects and priorities evolve.

You should be able to start this opportunity on 1 September 2027.

Advert Closing Date: 16 October 2026

Eligibility

Please note that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. Therefore, you must ensure that you are eligible to work permanently in the UK without our sponsorship.

What we offer you

At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together.

Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognises the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.

We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling permanent members to share in the results of our collective efforts.

We take an approach to flexible working that supports the diversity and wellbeing of our graduates.

We also provide for our permanent members Private medical insurance, Life assurance, Accidentinsuranceand Income protection cover. In addition, you’ll have access to flexible benefits to help you look after all aspects of your wellbeing and give you the freedom and flexibility to find the best solutions for you, your family, and your individual needs.

Different people, shared values

Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.

Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at www.arup.com/careers/your-life-at-arup. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas.

We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible to all candidates. Please [e-mail] to let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application or interview process, and/or to perform the essential functions of the role. We will do everything we can to support you.

As a Disability Confident Level 2 Employer in the UK, we will strive for one third of all our interview places to be allocated to candidates who have disclosed they are disability confident and best meet the requirements of the role.