Graduate Town Planner - Manchester - 2026

Stantec Consulting International Ltd.; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A global consulting firm in Manchester is seeking a Graduate Town Planner to join their 2026 Graduate Programme. This role offers an opportunity to develop town planning expertise and engage in a variety of projects. Candidates should possess a Bachelor’s degree in Town Planning or Geography and demonstrate adaptability and collaborative skills. The position includes benefits like private medical insurance and a permanent contract.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Private medical insurance

Holiday buy and sell

Group income protection

Life assurance

Professional progression plan

Collaborative team environment

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Town Planning or Geography required.
• Ability to adapt to changing situations and tasks.
• Focus on important tasks while overcoming distractions.

Responsibilities

• Support the team on a range of planning projects.
• Assist in the preparation and submission of planning applications.
• Conduct site assessments and strategic evaluations.

Skills

Collaborative work

Adaptability

Focus on tasks

Problem-solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Town Planning or Geography

Job description

With every community, Stantec redefines what’s possible.

Application Deadline: Recruitment is ongoing. Please apply as soon as possible as the advert may close once we have sufficient applicants.

Your role:

We are looking for a Graduate Town Planner to be based in Manchester, joining our 2026 Graduate Programme.

As a Stantec graduate, you will collaborate with your team and wider cohort, developing your town planning expertise within an exciting and creative interdisciplinary environment.

You will be based in our Manchester city centre office, part of our award-winning Northern planning team. You will gain client facing experience from an early stage and benefit from outstanding professional development opportunities within an innovative and exciting multi-disciplinary community.

As a Graduate Planner, you will develop your planning knowledge and skills by supporting the wider team on a range of projects. You will build close working relationships with a variety of clients including local authorities, property developers and private landowners.

Assisting with a broad variety of projects, your duties could include:

• Appraising sites to determine their suitability for proposed development schemes.
• Assisting in the preparation and submission of planning applications and monitoring the progress of applications post‑submission.
• Liaising with and seeking advice from other technical disciplines such as transport, acoustics, and ecology.
• Demonstrating that a proposed development is policy compliant/researching whether a proposal could benefit from permitted development rights.
• Working on evidence‑based projects such as retail and leisure studies.
• Developing strategies for securing planning permission and drafting advice notes for clients.
• Undertaking site assessments as part of Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessments and Sequential Assessments.
• Assisting colleagues with planning inquiries from other technical disciplines.

You will join a supportive and successful team with exciting career opportunities, great client exposure and professional development and work in an innovative and exciting inter‑disciplinary environment.

Take a look at our Town Planning business line: Town Planning, and review the career journey of one of our Town Planners: My Stantec Story: Building a career in planning with Joseph Lynch.

About you:

At Stantec, we value your potential over past experience. Along with your Bachelor’s degree in Town Planning or Geography, we’d love to receive your application if you are:

• A Perseverer - You stay composed in the face of setbacks, approaching challenges with confidence and determination.
• An Adapter - You’re able to remain calm in new and changing situations, comfortably switching between a variety of dynamic and exciting tasks.
• A Focused Individual - You focus on what matters, tuning out distractions to perform effectively in any situation.
• A Collaborator - You work effectively with lots of different people, considering others’ perspectives to shape better outcomes.
• An Eager Learner - You learn from your experiences and the world around you, using this knowledge to anticipate how situations may unfold.

Please note, we ask our graduates to come into the office 4 days per week, to ensure that you receive sufficient time with your team and receive the appropriate level of support.

What we can offer you:

• A competitive salary
• Private medical insurance
• A range of benefits, including holiday buy and sell, group income protection and life assurance
• Permanent employment contract to demonstrate our commitment to your long‑term career at Stantec
• Professional progression plan, supporting you to gain professional chartership
• A supportive and collaborative team environment and Early Careers peer group and wider ERG network

Applicants must have an unconditional right to live and work in the UK for an indefinite period without limitation.

Please take a look at our Graduate FAQs Graduate Application FAQs if you have any questions. We look forward to receiving your application!

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