Location
London (hybrid; office-based with site visits)

Hours
Full time (exact hours not stated in the advert)

Salary
Competitive salary, plus car allowance

About the Role
Wates is recruiting a Planning Graduate Management Trainee to join its 2026 trainee programme in London. You’ll help plan and coordinate the delivery of a wide range of construction projects, working alongside experienced planners from initial tender through to completion. Using industry-leading planning software, you’ll help build and maintain construction programmes, track progress against key milestones, and flag risks or delays early. You’ll also help analyse project performance data for reports that support decision-making, join planning meetings, and work closely with project, design, commercial and delivery teams so programmes reflect what each project needs. Regular site visits will give you practical insight into how construction work is sequenced and delivered. Graduates without a construction-related degree will also be enrolled on a relevant Level 4 apprenticeship.

Experience
No previous experience is required. This is an entry-level graduate programme for people starting a career in the built environment.

About you
You’ll be passionate about building a career in construction, curious, and committed to your own development. You build good working relationships with colleagues, clients and supply chain partners, take ownership of your work, and act with integrity. You’ll bring a positive, solution-focused attitude, strong organisation, and the ability to adapt and prioritise. You must be willing to travel to different project sites across the region or nationally as needed.

Qualifications
By September 2027, you must have a bachelor’s degree with a predicted or achieved 2:2 or above. A Basic DBS check is required.

Benefits
Private medical insurance, pension scheme, life assurance, flexible benefits, car allowance, car salary sacrifice scheme, health and wellness programme, enhanced family leave, 26 days’ holiday plus bank holidays, and your birthday off. You’ll also get mentoring, structured training and support towards professional qualifications and chartership.

Good to know
Applications may close early if there’s high demand, and only one application per recruitment year is accepted. Wates asks candidates to complete their application without AI tools. Reasonable adjustments are available on request via [email protected].