Graduate Civil Engineering Career Path: Water

Aberdeen, United Kingdom / Belfast, United Kingdom / Brighton, United Kingdom / Bristol, United Kingdom / Cambridge, United Kingdom / Cardiff, United Kingdom / Edinburgh, United Kingdom / Glasgow, United Kingdom / Inverness, United Kingdom / Leeds, United Kingdom / London, United Kingdom / Manchester, United Kingdom / Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom / Reading, United Kingdom

Before making an application, please browse all graduate opportunities available as we will only accept one application per candidate. Once you have made an application you will not be able to make changes to your selection or make a new application. The exception is if we open new vacancies in the new year.

To avoid missing out on your preferred role, we recommend applying as early as possible, as positions will close once filled.

Turn your ambition into action - apply now and shape your future with us.

Engineer a Better Tomorrow – For People, Planet, and Progress

At Mott Mac Donald, we’re not just designing infrastructure—we’re shaping the future of water. As a wholly employee‑owned company, we have the freedom to focus on what truly matters: delivering social outcomes, empowering our people, and protecting the communities and environments we serve.

As a Graduate Civil Engineer, you’ll join one of our specialist teams—
Water Engineering, Dams & Reservoirs, or Rivers & Catchment
—each playing a vital role in solving complex challenges and delivering sustainable solutions that improve lives and safeguard the environment.

Join our Water Division, a centre of excellence tackling climate change, ageing infrastructure, and population growth. You’ll contribute to safe, sustainable water systems for generations to come.

• Design pipelines, water and wastewater treatment facilities through feasibility, outline, and detailed stages.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver integrated, sustainable solutions.
• Support projects from planning and modelling to construction, commissioning, and handover.
• Use digital tools to enhance design quality and efficiency.
• Grow your technical and project management skills through mentoring and training.

Be part of a legacy of innovation in dam and reservoir engineering. You’ll help design and assess critical infrastructure that supports water supply, flood protection, and hydropower.

• Develop conceptual, preliminary, and detailed designs for dams, spillways, intakes, and drawdown facilities.
• Undertake hydraulic and structural analyses, contributing to flood studies and emergency planning.
• Attend site inspections and monitoring activities for hands‑on experience.
• Prepare drawings, reports, and specifications that shape real‑world outcomes.
• Gain exposure to project, commercial, and client management.

A civil engineer specialising in rivers and catchment management plays a vital role in safeguarding and enhancing natural water systems. In this role, you’ll apply civil and hydraulic engineering skills to solve practical challenges in dynamic river environments—such as managing erosion, sediment transport, and fluctuating flow regimes.

• Design for resilience:
  Develop sustainable solutions to reduce flood risk, improve water quality, and support habitat restoration across catchments.
• Collaborate across disciplines:
  Work closely with hydrologists, ecologists, and local stakeholders to create integrated strategies that balance infrastructure needs with environmental protection.
• Apply technical insight:
  Use data analysis, fieldwork, and modelling to support resilient catchment planning that promotes biodiversity, protects communities, and adapts to climate change.
• Grow with purpose:
  Receive mentoring, structured training, and hands‑on experience to build your technical and professional skills.
• Champion integrity and inclusion:
  Uphold ethical engineering practices and contribute to a culture that values every voice and celebrates diversity.

• Empowering Growth:
  We support your development with structured training,…