Graduate architectural assistant - part 1 / sandwich placement year (manchester)

AECOM is ranked as the No. 1 Global Design Firm by ENR and is 4th in the Zora Design 2025 Top Architecture firms in the world review. With around 1,200 architectural staff globally, we currently have 159 architectural staff in the UK based in 4 locations ,73 of which are based in our Manchester and Warrington office. AECOM employs around 7480 multi-disciplinary staff in the UK.

AECOM has been named in the fortune 100 Worlds Most admired Companies for the past 10 years and listed as one of 2024 World's most Ethical Companies for its commitment to integrity and making a positive impact by Ethisphere for the past 8 years. The global architecture team have won a range of awards in recent years with UK recent wins for Sunderland Tran station, our virtual consultation platform and office hub developments for the HMRC.

Our Architectural team is buoyant and growing with several large frameworks and projects recently won in a variety of sectors and geographies. The Practice is therefore recruiting exceptional and ambitious Part 1 Architectural Assistants to join its busy design studios.

Examples of projects our Architectural team are currently involved in include: 

• Manchester Oxford Road redevelopment- AECOM are delivering the upgrades to the station as part of a full multi-disciplinary team.
• Belfast Children’s Hospital - A new circa £300m hospital in the centre of Belfast.
• Luton Stadium – new 25,0000 seater stadium in the heart of Luton.
• MoJ & MoD Framework – AECOM have multiple framework awards for the government departments, to design from prisons to barracks, and from complex high security buildings to masterplan defence sites around the globe.

Job Responsibilities

As a Part 1 Architectural Assistant you will work with senior members of our teams on a wide range of projects at all stages of the design and construction process. From day one, you will be involved in important and challenging projects. Every day will be different, and you will be required to use your skills and knowledge to solve problems and provide key input into our projects. You will work in a team to provide technical solutions, and your day could involve anything from producing designs, graphics, to assisting in technical reports, travelling to construction sites to conduct surveys or review build quality or participating in client, design team or on-site progress meetings.
 
 Core Responsibilities:

• Assisting in the preparation of conceptual design work and the presentation of projects.
• Supporting the design development of project proposals and feasibility studies.
• Supporting the technical delivery and implementation of projects including preparing working drawings, specifications, and contract documentation.
• Involvement in designers risk workshops and technical review processes.
• Work across a range of RIBA Stages and project types.

• BA (Hons) degree in Architecture or equivalent. Minimum 2:1 – or working towards this if a sandwich placement
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, also Photoshop preferable; plus, REVIT is essential and an assessment of your currently level of knowledge and understanding will form part of the application process.
• Ability to communicate effectively to internal and external clients, both verbally & in writing with the confidence to engage with a variety of people (clients, colleagues, stakeholders, and sub-contractors alike) and the aptitude to rationally explain, explore and discuss technical issues and capture feedback.
• Enthusiastic, hard-working, with ambition and drive
• Ability to structure & prioritise work effectively through close cooperation with the team as a whole.
• Ability to work in a team and independently without losing initiative & focus.
• Report writing skills.
• Ideally a full driving licence to attend site where public transport is not available and also to transport equipment where necessary.
• You will be required to obtain UK government security clearances.
• All early years members of the team are asked to work from the office 3 days a week with the other two days being from the office or working from home in accordance with our freedom to grow policy.
• The mandatory day in the office for the Manchester team is a Wednesday and the other days can vary and be agreed with those with which you are working. There is the option to also work from our Liverpool office and you may also be asked to work from our Warrington office.

• Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible since CVs will be reviewed, and candidates selected on a rolling recruitment basis for either immediate or advanced offer start.    
• Please include a covering letter with your application and provide all predicted and/or obtained academic grades and details of the dates you are able to work to/from and well as locations you would be interested in. 
• You must have the right to work in the UK.

At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity 

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long-term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role. Please let us know using this email address   if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.