Graduate Project Manager
Find out exactly what skills, experience, and qualifications you will need to succeed in this role before applying below.
Location: Exeter
Salary: £30,000
Start Date: September 2026
Application Deadline: 18th April 2026
Who we are...
At Pennon, we literally bring water to life. We keep taps running, protect the environment, and support the communities we serve across the South West. Delivering this means managing complex, high-value projects that safeguard water quality, improve resilience, and keep our essential services operating every day.
Our project teams plan, coordinate, and deliver the solutions that make all of this possible. We care about doing things safely, responsibly, and well. We learn, collaborate, experiment - and we'll welcome your ideas from day one.
If you're diligent, curious, organised, and motivated to see projects through from concept to completion, you'll thrive here.
What you'd be doing...
As a Graduate Project Manager, you'll play a key role in shaping and delivering projects that have tangible impact across our network, environment, and communities. You'll develop core project management capability while gaining real responsibility from early stages.
In this role, you will:
Deliver Time-Cost-Quality Outcomes
* Support the planning and delivery of projects to ensure they are completed on time, within a controlled budget, and to the required quality standards
* Help define project scopes, milestones, and schedules, ensuring clarity for delivery teams and partners
* Monitor project spend, financial forecasts, and cost controls, escalating risks early
Drive Project Performance
* Track progress across live projects, ensuring tasks, dependencies, and deliverables stay on track
* Identify emerging risks or issues using data, stakeholder input, and site information
* Work with engineers, contractors, suppliers and internal teams to maintain momentum and solve problems collaboratively
Ensure Compliance & Good Governance
* Support delivery of projects that meet regulatory obligations (e.g., environmental, water quality, health and safety)
* Maintain accurate project documentation, approvals, change records, and audit trails
* Uphold our safety-first culture across all stages of delivery
Collaborate & Influence
* Build relationships with a wide range of stakeholders - technical and non-technical
* Facilitate discussions, challenge assumptions, and ensure everyone is aligned on priorities
* Communicate clearly through reports, briefings, presentations, and project updates
Learn & Develop
* Gain broad exposure to how the water industry plans and delivers infrastructure
* Develop professional project management skills (scope, risk, cost, schedule, governance)
* Work toward professional accreditation, should that be a path you choose
If you enjoy working with structure and clarity - but also know how to adapt when real-world complexity hits - this role will stretch and grow your capability in meaningful ways.
Who you are...
We're looking for graduates who want to understand how things work, who enjoy solving problems, and who care about making things better for people and the environment. You don't need to arrive as a fully-formed project manager - curiosity and a proactive attitude will take you a long way.
You might be a great match if you:
* Have a degree in Engineering, Project Management, Environmental Science, Business, or a similar technical or analytical discipline
* Are diligent, organised, and able to bring structure to complex information
* Enjoy understanding how systems work and are confident asking questions to get clarity
* Communicate well with different audiences, from contractors to senior leaders
* Can make sound judgements based on evidence, data, and risk awareness
* Put people and safety first in your decision making
* Care about delivering outcomes that support sustainability and long-term value
* Have the right to work in the UK
If this sounds like you - or if you're drawn to the role but unsure if you tick every box - we'd still like to hear from you. The most important thing is your drive to learn, contribute, and grow.
What's in it for you...
* A structured graduate programme that builds project leadership skills
* Mentoring and support, including a dedicated buddy and access to experienced project managers
* Real project responsibility, with opportunities to lead workstreams that deliver visible value to communities
* Competitive salary and benefits package
* Work with meaning - projects that protect the environment, improve resilience and support essential public services
* A culture shaped by values: safety, integrity, collaboration, innovation, and customer care
Support toward professional accreditation (APM, engineering bodies, or other relevant pathways)
Closing Date: 18th April 2026
We reserve the right to close this vacancy before the advertised Closing Date.
Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK for the full duration of the 2-year programme. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this programme.
We're committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve and ensuring everyone can participate in our recruitment process fully and fairly. If you need any adjustments or face any barriers in our processes, just let us know. We'll work with you to make sure you can show us what you can do.
Our core values, which are essential to our success, are:
Be Rock Solid - Build trust and be trusted. Be the one we all look to and can depend on.
Be You - We want you to bring your best everyday. Be yourself and make your mark in your individual way.
Be the Future - Embrace change. Drive Progress. xsngvjr Own the challenge.