Urban Designer

Sustrans; West of England; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days leave per annum

Ability to buy extra week of annual LE

Staff volunteer days

24/7 support service

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

Walk Wheel Cycle Trust is seeking an Urban Designer to join a multi-disciplinary team delivering active travel infrastructure. You will create clear technical design outputs using AutoCAD and related tools, support projects through RIBA stages, and engage with communities to shape solutions that improve places for walking and cycling.

We value creativity, collaboration and equity, and offer a generous leave policy, pension and flexible working.

Qualifications

• Design degree or equivalent in a relevant field with 2+ years of experience or 5 years in a relevant design role.
• Competence in using design software appropriate for the role, e.g. AutoCAD suite incl. Civil 3D.
• Understanding of street and active travel design guidance, healthy street design, and inclusive design principles.
• Ability to take holistic design approach to create places and routes for active travel that feel safe and welcoming.

Responsibilities

• Use technical design expertise and software to produce accurate project outputs, including improvements to the National Cycle Network.
• Collaborate with internal colleagues to deliver design outputs and reports that support our strategy for active travel.
• Engage with external partners, regulatory authorities, local communities and stakeholders to shape and deliver solutions.
• Engage with communities and young people to co-design active travel improvements.
• Manage straightforward projects from start to finish through all RIBA stages.
• Apply street and active travel design guidance (Active Travel England, Manual for Streets, LTN 1/20, National Design Guide, Healthy Streets, Inclusive Mobility, Traffic Signs Manual, and Highway Works specifications).
• Contribute to business development by preparing project proposals and supporting tender submissions.

Skills

Urban design

AutoCAD Civil 3D

Community engagement

Adobe Creative Suite

Education

Design degree or equivalent, e.g., Urban Design/Landscape Architecture/Architecture

2+ years in design role OR 5 years in design

Tools

AutoCAD

Civil 3D

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

About the role

Team: Delivery/ Infrastructure

As an Urban Designer at Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, you will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team which includes designers, engineers, technicians and other specialists. Together, you will deliver projects and programmes that support the Trust’s strategic priorities to create new and improve existing places for people to walk, wheel and cycle.

You will be responsible for creating clear and accurate technical design work. You will use your professional skills and experience to complete tasks with minimal supervision. The work plays a key role in delivering complex projects that support our mission to provide high quality and sustainable infrastructure.

In this role, you will use your design/technical knowledge, to apply practical and creative problem solving, producing clear and accurate technical design work, as well as engagement outputs for non-technical audiences/members of the public/children and young people. You will work closely with colleagues across different disciplines and contribute to solutions that help improve places for people to walk, wheel and cycle. Your contribution is important to creating high quality, sustainable and inclusive active travel networks.

Our Urban Designers also often lead community engagement related to infrastructure design, bringing communities and partners along a journey where early involvement can help shape outcomes that work for local communities. If this is something that interests you, there will be opportunities to get involved in designing and delivering community/stakeholder/school engagement events, as part of our established collaborative design process. We will arrange any necessary DBS certificates needed.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Use technical design expertise and design software including AutoCAD and Adobe Creative Suite, to produce accurate and reliable project outputs and deliverables, including improvements to the National Cycle Network.

• Collaborate with internal colleagues to deliver a wide range of impactful project design outputs and reports/documents, that support our strategy, making active travel a genuine choice for everyday journeys.

• Engage with external partners, regulatory authorities, local communities and other key stakeholders to scope, shape and deliver solutions that work for people.

• Engage with communities and young people, to collaboratively design active travel improvements that work for local people.

• Manage straightforward projects from start to finish through all RIBA stages.

• Use of street and active travel design guidance to support design development and outputs. Use of key guidance documents will include Active Travel England’s guidance and tools, Manual for Streets, LTN 1/20, National Design Guide, Healthy Streets, Inclusive Mobility, Traffic Signs Manual and Specification for Highway Works.

• Contribute to business development activities by preparing agreed project proposals and supporting with tender submissions.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a creative, fastmoving environment and wants to stretch their skills across a wide range of disciplines. Working for the Trust means being part of a passionate, multiskilled team where you’ll collaborate with our designers, engineers, behaviour change colleagues, ecologists, sustainability experts and other specialists to shape real, positive change in communities. It’s an opportunity to grow your technical expertise, tackle meaningful challenges, empower local communities to shape changes, and make a visible impact on the places people walk, wheel and cycle every day.

About you

We’re looking for someone who has experience and understanding in the areas listed below. You don’t need to meet every requirement - if you feel you’d be a good fit, we encourage you to apply.

• A design degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant design field, such as Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, Architecture, or another relevant and clearly demonstrated design specialism, with at least two years of experience. OR five years of work experience in a relevant design role.

• Competence in using design software that is appropriate for the role, e.g. AutoCAD suite including Civil 3D and other packages.

• A working understanding of street and active travel design guidance, healthy street design, and inclusive design principles.

• Ability to take a holistic design approach to creating places and routes that facilitate people travelling actively, whilst helping people feel safe, welcome, and included.

• A working understanding of health and safety management, including how to apply the CDM Regulations.

• The ability to work in a way that promotes the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and adults at risk.

• An ability to communicate with a wide range of audiences, from community members through to technical design professionals.

Living our values

At the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, we’re a values‑driven organisation. We’re looking for people who are:

Always Learning – curious, open‑minded and committed to continuous improvement.

Championing Equity – inclusive, respectful and focused on ensuring everyone has a voice and fair opportunity to succeed.

Taking Ownership – proactive, responsible and empowered to make things better.

Delivering Together – collaborative, transparent and motivated by shared success.

Through our values we make it possible for more people to walk, wheel and cycle safely, healthily and joyfully.

Additional information

• Application deadline: 23:59, 01 November 2026

• Interviews will be held at our Bristol Hub, during the week commencing 09 November 2026.

• We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those underrepresented in our workforce, including people of colour and candidates with disabilities.

• Adjustments are available throughout the application process.

Why work for us?

At Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, you'll be part of a movement to make it easier for people to walk and cycle.

We're all here to change things. You'll be part of an incredible community of talented, passionate, creative problem solvers all working together to change things for the better.

We act locally and think big - we have a vision of a society where the way we travel creates healthier places and happier lives for everyone.

You’ll be questioning the status quo and daring to imagine a different world. You'll work on exciting, impactful projects that will stretch and empower you and you'll be rewarded by seeing the difference you make to people, communities and the planet.

We believe including everyone is central to who we are and what we want to achieve. We welcome difference and pride ourselves on creating a culture where you can be yourself and where your wellness is supported.

You'll be guaranteed to make friends for life and work with a team that is incredibly flexible, supportive, ethical and fun.

What we offer

Wellbeing

• 28 days leave per annum plus bank holidays for full-time working.
• Ability to buy an extra week of annual leave (pro rata for part-time staff).
• Staff volunteer days.
• 24/7 free, impartial and confidential support service.
• We are members of the Green Commute Initiative and Cycle Scheme who both offer cycle to work schemes.

Financial

• Up to two extra days of paid leave (pro rata for part‑time colleagues) when travelling sustainably for holidays
• Group Personal Pension scheme with a 6% or 7% of basic salary contribution being matched by Walk Wheel Cycle Trust.
• Bike, computer and season ticket loans.
• Discount benefits.
• London Weighting Allowance of £4,530 for all those living within a London Borough (32 local authority districts plus the City of London).
• Death in service benefit – 3 times annual salary.

Family-friendly

• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay.
• Flexible Working practices (full-time hours are 37.5 per week, Monday - Friday).