Register Your Interest - Planning Graduate Scheme 2027

Current Team Information

With nearly 300 planners across the UK, we are the largest planning department in any mainstream real estate practice with a reputation for success and professionalism.

We work with all types of property, but have specialisms in:

• Urban mixed-use
• Housing
• Retail
• Major sports venues
• Energy
• Master planning
• Urban design
• Environmental impact assessment
• Community engagement
• Heritage
• Section 106 agreements / Community Infrastructure Levy

We negotiate planning permissions for everything from major urban regeneration schemes to modest domestic extensions. Our department consists of planners skilled in assembling evidence and building a case to achieve planning permission from local authorities, planning inspectors and government ministers.

Planning Role Locations

London – Head Office (Margaret Street)

Our Heritage and Townscape team based in London are recruiting this year. The team has the specialist knowledge and unrivalled expertise to ensure our clients have the best possible guidance throughout the planning, development and transactional processes.

We take great pride in our robust, personable and commercially minded advocacy, ensuring the intricate topics of archaeology, built heritage and townscape are approachable and remain clearly communicated. We confidently articulate and negotiate associated considerations, utilising our professional experience with external parties on behalf of colleagues, project teams and our clients. This ensures all remain informed throughout streamlined planning, development and transactional processes.

The UK has a rich and complex built environment. When considering the purchase, disposal or development potential of a site, understanding the complexities of the associated archaeological, built heritage and townscape context is crucial. In doing so, you gain an accurate reading of the opportunity and value and can realise contextually responsive proposals for the site, avoiding unwelcome surprises.

We are a team of 10 specialist consultants with varied backgrounds that have an incredibly collegiate approach to the exciting work that we do. We work with development teams to find alternative uses, as well as secure the sale and development potential of some of the most sensitive buildings/structures and areas in the UK. This involves historic research and design advice, including the articulation of development potential and likely impacts based on proposals and our understanding of intended change. The work is diverse and allows you to see some of the most architecturally and historically significant built and natural environments in the UK.

The work requires attention to detail and excellent written and verbal communication.

Cambridge and Chelmsford

The East of England team sees graduates as the future of our team and has welcomed 4 new graduates into our team of thirteen professionals over the last 4 years. We are committed to providing our graduates with continuing opportunities and, having completed her Masters whilst with us, the first of these graduates has now been promoted to Senior Planner.

We provide planning consultancy services across the East of England, predominantly in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Our expertise includes:

• Strategic land promotion
• Five-year housing land supply
• Management of complex planning applications/reserved matters

Team members have experience giving evidence in Local Plan Examinations, major Public Inquiries and Appeal Hearings. Our objective is to provide commercially informed, positive and proactive planning advice, and we are looking to welcome a new graduate to be based in our Chelmsford or Cambridge offices.

Southampton

The Southampton Planning Team is a Centre of Excellence for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Savills.

As a graduate in the team, you have the opportunity to be involved in a wide variety of high-profile and strategic EIA projects including Residential, Commercial and Mixed-Use developments in urban and non-urban environments.

Working alongside our EIA specialists, you would gain experience of applying the EIA Regulations to support major planning applications with clear and objective environmental evidence, beginning with EIA Screening into Environmental Statement preparation, leading to application determination and implementation.

We also have roles in:

Leeds, Reading, Wimborne, Manchester, Cardiff, Bristol, Guildford, Oxford

About This Role

As a Planning Graduate, you will be expected to:

• Prepare planning appraisals
• Undertake research and analysis
• Prepare planning applications
• Contribute to the preparation/editing of Design and Access Statements, Sustainability Statements and other planning documents

There will be a variety of exciting projects to work on, helping develop your knowledge and skills. Your input is an essential part of our working processes.

How You’ll Make an Impact

Good communication and organisational skills and a proactive approach are vital to succeed as a Planning Graduate. You will need the ability to manage a varied workload working as part of a team, while also using your own initiative and being passionate about delivering the best service possible for your clients.

Your skills will include:

• Strong verbal, numerical and report writing skills
• Ability to empower those around them
• A team player with leadership potential
• Ability to challenge in a positive way
• Strategic approach to problem solving
• Ability to listen to others and collaborate effectively
• Highly motivated
• Computer literate

Ahead of anything else, we look for individualism and diversity in our graduate intake — so it's very important at every stage of the selection process that you take the opportunity to show us what you're really like. Be honest and above all, be yourself.

Training

We provide comprehensive training and revision programmes to support you in passing your Royal Town Planning Institute Assessment of Professional Competency (APC), and you will be allocated a mentor to guide you through this process.

During the two-year training programme, you will work with people in the Planning department to build up a variety of experience and contacts to meet APC requirements, and also to cross-sell and share information with our multi-disciplinary teams as you progress through the business.

Experiencing a variety of teams and working styles is fundamental to developing your understanding of Savills, the market, and our clients.

As a graduate, you'll also have regular opportunities to attend technical, business skills and personal development activities, including:

• Conferences
• Courses
• Lectures
• Networking
• Revision sessions
• Social events

Career Development

Once you've successfully passed your APC and become a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), you'll continue to receive training and career development opportunities.

We ensure that your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is current and that all staff are fully up-to-date with changes to legislation and business needs.

Benefits

• Permanent contract for all graduates, as opposed to a 2-year training contract
• Interest-free season ticket loan
• Pension Scheme – Royal London
• Company mobile phone and laptop
• Training and APC costs covered
• 25 days annual leave
• Employee discounts – save money using our MyRewards on thousands of discounts and offers
• Pitch your idea to our Board via the Savills Dragons Den (Innovation and growth initiative)
• Sports activities (Hockey, Netball, Skiing, Rugby, Football, Cricket, Badminton & Squash)
• Employee Assistance Programme – a 24-hour service available to all staff and completely confidential
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• ShareSave – Save As You Earn share option scheme

Register Your Interest

To be the first to know once applications open, register your interest today!