Graduate Town Planner - Community Development - 2027 (Manchester)

The Opportunity

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.

The Opportunity

Join our 2027 Graduate Programme as a Graduate Town Planner in our Manchester office, where you’ll be part of a market-leading Community Development discipline.

As a Stantec Graduate Town Planner, you’ll join a collaborative team of 25 professionals and fellow graduates, developing your expertise within a creative and interdisciplinary environment. You’ll gain exposure to a wide variety of projects across the residential, commercial and environmental sectors, supporting work from initial research and site appraisals through to planning applications, community engagement, plan promotion and planning appeals.

You’ll contribute to the delivery and coordination of projects, working closely with colleagues from a range of disciplines to help ensure successful outcomes. Our Town Planning team specialises in large-scale, complex mixed-use and residential-led developments across the North West, including new communities, garden villages, regeneration projects, environmental initiatives and major infrastructure schemes.

This role offers excellent opportunities to broaden your planning knowledge, build professional skills and gain experience in multidisciplinary project delivery while being supported by experienced colleagues throughout your development.

Take a look at our Infrastructure business line here: Infrastructure Planning | Stantec, and review the career journey of some of our early careers professionals here: Career Stories | Stantec

About The Role

Day to day, you’ll be:

• Undertaking planning research and site appraisals to support project development.
• Assisting with the preparation and submission of planning applications.
• Supporting community engagement and stakeholder consultation activities.
• Contributing to the promotion of local plans and planning policy responses.
• Assisting with planning appeals and the preparation of supporting documentation.
• Working on a diverse range of residential, commercial and environmental projects.

We are committed to supporting employees in achieving relevant professional qualifications and accreditation. The applicable professional qualification for this role is with the The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

Your Impact

This role will help deliver sustainable, resilient infrastructure and community developments that create lasting benefits for people, places and the environment. Working across a range of projects, you will support the planning, design and delivery of infrastructure solutions that enhance communities, promote sustainable growth and improve quality of life. Your work will contribute to addressing key challenges such as climate resilience, resource efficiency and environmental stewardship, helping clients deliver innovative, future-ready solutions that meet the needs of both local communities and wider society.

About You

At Stantec, we value your potential over past experience. Along with a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in an RTPI accredited degree, a knowledge of Adobe, Microsoft office plus sketch up and design would be beneficial, and a keen interest in working in the Infrastructure sector, you’ll be:

• 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.

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

Why Join Us?

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)

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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About Stantec

The Stantec community unites more than 34,000 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.

Stantec provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for future and current employment and prohibit discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We prohibit discrimination in decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, referral, promotion, compensation, fringe benefits, job training, terminations or any other condition of employment. Stantec is in compliance with laws and regulations and ensures equitable opportunities in all aspects of employment.

Building an inspired, inclusive work environment that attracts, supports, and develops world-class talent is a crucial key to our success. If you are excited by this role but worry that your experience doesn’t exactly align, we encourage you to apply.

At Stantec we want you to perform your best at every stage of the recruitment process and are committed to ensuring it is accessible to all. If you need any support or require adjustments to be made then please contact [email protected] and we will talk to you about how we can support you.