Graduate Town Planner - Water - 2026 (Reading)

STANTEC; Reading; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading environmental consultancy in Reading is seeking a Graduate Town Planner to join their Graduate Programme. This is an exciting opportunity for recent graduates to work on impactful water sector projects, preparing planning applications and providing expert advice. Successful candidates will thrive in collaborative environments and have a strong desire to learn and adapt. The role offers a competitive salary and permanent employment, emphasizing professional growth.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Private medical insurance

Holiday buy and sell

Group income protection

Life assurance

Professional progression plan

Qualifications

• Recent graduate passionate about shaping the built environment.
• Interest in engineering projects, particularly in the water sector.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and submit planning applications for water infrastructure projects.
• Provide expert planning advice to clients ensuring compliance.
• Complete detailed planning assessments and draft comprehensive reports.
• Advise on permitted development rights and EIA screening submissions.

Skills

Adaptability

Perseverance

Focus

Eager to learn

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Town/Urban/City Planning or Geography

Job description

Overview

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 Reading, joining our 2026 Graduate Programme.

Are you a recent graduate with a passion for shaping the built environment and an interest in critical infrastructure? We have an exciting opportunity for a Graduate Town Planner to join our team in Reading, playing a vital role in delivering essential services for the water sector.

This role offers a fantastic starting point for your career, where you\'ll contribute to environmentally driven projects that ensure the secure supply of water and comply with ever-evolving environmental standards. You\'ll gain invaluable experience working across a diverse range of projects within a supportive, multidisciplinary environment.

You'll be an integral part of our small, specialist planning team, working closely with experienced professionals in the wider environmental team. Your key tasks will involve preparing and submitting planning applications for a variety of water infrastructure projects and providing expert planning advice to clients, ensuring their compliance with national and local planning requirements. You will also be completing detailed planning assessments for new projects, including site history research, and drafting comprehensive reports in support of planning applications and other planning submissions. Additionally, you'll be advising on permitted development rights and progressing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening submissions.

Take a look at our Water business line here:- Water (stantec.com), and check out the career journey of one of our current graduate planners here:- 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/Urban/City Planning, Geography (or equivalent), and a keen interest in engineering projects, we’d love to receive your application if you are:

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

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 (see more on our ERGs here: Stantec Employee Resource Groups)

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!

#NextGen #StantecCareers #UKGraduate

About Stantec

The Stantec community unites more than 32,000 employees, working in over 450 locations across 6 continents. We have been working with our clients and communities in the UK for over 150 years. We plan, design, deliver and manage the development and infrastructure needed to support the creation of sustainable, healthy and prosperous communities.

Our teams provide effective and relevant solutions, translating our clients’ vision into valued consents, deliverable plans for projects and programmes, and efficient designs for delivery, based on technical excellence and deep market insights. We deal with today’s challenges, but also keep a fairer, better tomorrow in sight, looking at how we deliver clean growth, support radical changes in our economy and meet the needs of future communities.

With every community, Stantec redefines what’s possible - YouTube

Equal opportunity

Stantec Is An Equal Employer

Stantec provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for future and current employment, supporting inclusion & diversity. We prohibit discrimination on the grounds of demographic background in any condition of employment. Stantec is in compliance with laws and regulations, and ensures equitable opportunities in all aspects of employment.

We want to ensure all our applicants have the same opportunity for success. Please inform us of any support/reasonable adjustment you may need as a result of a disability, long-term health condition, neurodiversity or other personal circumstances, to enable you to perform to the best of your ability during the recruitment process. Please contact Careers.UK&[e-mail] and a member of our team will be happy to assist.

ReqID: 7650