Overview
As a Graduate Civil Engineer at the Environment Agency, your passion for engineering and the environment can make a real impact. Climate change is reshaping our world, and you can be at the forefront of solutions that protect communities, wildlife, and natural resources. This is your chance to launch a career that combines purpose, innovation, and real‑world impact.
Recently recognised as the highest new entrant onto The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers list, our Graduate Training Scheme is a structured, hands‑on programme spanning 4–5 years that gives you the skills, experience, and opportunities to become future leaders within the Environment Agency.
Programme Highlights
* Diverse Placements: 6–12 month rotations across a wide range of teams—including asset management, strategic planning and site supervision. This gives a holistic understanding of flood defence engineering projects and allows collaboration with specialists in Modelling and Forecasting, Natural Flood Management, National Fisheries Service, and Health and Safety.
* Flexible Pathways: Your journey is tailored to your interests and development needs. Whether you are drawn to geotechnics, hydraulics or engineering project management, we pair you with the right learning opportunities to become an effective, intelligent client.
* Learning & Development: Accredited by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the programme guides you toward Incorporated (IEng) and Chartered (CEng) status.
The Environment Agency is fully committed to inclusivity and reflecting the communities we serve, offering flexible work arrangements for all our vacancies. Join us in a diverse environment where every voice is heard and valued.
Team & Support
The strength of our Engineering Graduate Training Scheme lies in its extensive support networks, spearheaded by a dedicated team of Professional Development Advisors. They coordinate a large community of Supervising Civil Engineers, Delegated Engineers, Career Mentors and broader peer support groups, nurturing engineering talent and facilitating a busy calendar of collaborative learning opportunities.
Experience & Skills Required
We’re looking for proactive, adaptable graduates who are inquisitive and self‑motivated. You must be comfortable working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders and keen to make the most of the variety of opportunities our different teams can offer.
To join our Engineering Graduate Training Scheme, you’ll need to be a graduate with an accredited BEng (preferred) or, ideally, an MEng degree in Civil Engineering (or equivalent). It is essential that both your degree and masters are accredited by the Institution of Civil Engineers as satisfying the academic requirements of becoming either an Incorporated or Chartered Engineer with the ICE. Please check the eligibility of both your BEng and Masters qualifications before applying at ICE qualification search tool.
We are unable to process CVs as part of shortlisting; all candidates must fully populate the Higher Education qualifications section of the application form to allow us to confirm eligibility for the role.
Eligibility, Application & Timeline
Shortlisting will take place in January 2026 with interviews in February/March 2026. Successful candidates start in September 2026.
Candidates with a BEng qualification will join us on Graduate Engineer Pay Step 2 (£31,452) and candidates with an MEng (or equivalent) join on Pay Step 3 (£32,237).
Successful candidates are required to hold or have acquired a full UK driving licence within 6 months of starting the role.
Additional Information
If you have any questions about the scheme, please email gradengineers@environment-agency.gov.uk.
Graduate Engineers learn from others in the office and on site; hybrid working arrangements are offered.
Some travel is required to access our flood defence assets, development events and team meetings.
Everyone that joins us is required to undertake training and participate in incident response duties to support communities and prevent harm to the environment.
All candidates must commit to the Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability meeting the minimum criteria for the post.
Competencies
* Competence 1 – Achieves Results
Give a specific example of a piece of work you have delivered, describing how you prioritised your workload and managed any setbacks to meet the final deadline.
* Competence 2 – Works in Teams
Give an example of a time where you built relationships with a new team and described how you worked effectively together to achieve a challenging common goal.
* Competence 3 – Environmental Awareness
Describe an engineering project that considered the impact of the activity on the environment. Explain how the environmental issues were identified and what actions were taken to overcome them.
* Competence 4 – Uses Initiative
Give an example of when you identified an opportunity for improvement and describe the role you played in implementing change.
Disability & Inclusion
We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share. The Environment Agency also has a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.
Artificial Intelligence Statement
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application; however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Any plagiarism, or presentation of others’ ideas or AI‑generated text as your own, may lead to withdrawal of your application and disciplinary action.
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