Start your career with us | Turner & Townsend

Early careers

Hear from our graduates and apprentices

The opportunity of a lifetime

Turner & Townsend’s Graduate Development Program (GDP) provides you with a structured learning environment that supports you to become a well-rounded consultant in order to help you accelerate your career as far and fast as possible.

The GDP is designed to be:

a platform to enhance knowledge and gain first-hand experience
a training schedule to support and capture your learning and development needs and achievements
a learning tool document to track and report the development of your capabilities.

As a GDP participant, you will be provided with a development path that is not only aligned to our internal competency frameworks, but also supports professional development and qualifications, including RICS, APM, CIOB and ICE. This will help you and your manager monitor and plan your learning needs to enable ongoing progress and growth.

The 24-month GDP incorporates a training program that will provide you with technical and behavioral training to enhance your knowledge and skills.

Two colleagues sitting together looking at a tablet in a plant-filled office.

Program detail

The program

A graduate development program offering a carefully designed experience, with a fusion of market-leading technical training and on-the-job learning.

Available positions

Work alongside your degree through an internship role. You should be in your penultimate or final year of university studies.

Timing and schedule

— A two-year graduate programm

— Full-time permanent employment 

— Flexible working to help fit your
schedule.

Program areas

We offer four development programs to our graduates

Our programs call for a range of skills and professional approaches. Whether you relish the day-to-day challenges of project management, possess the precision and communication demands of project controls, appreciate the complexity of cost management, or want to help drive future innovation within the industry, the challenge is there.

Project management

Project managers are responsible for day-to-day management of a project. They must be competent in managing the six aspects of a project: scope, schedule, finance, risk, quality, and resources. Project managers work on specific projects that have definite outcomes and deal with the constraints of deadlines and budgets.

We work with clients on the world’s biggest construction projects and no two projects are ever the same. Project managers apply their technical skills in collaborative environments. It is here that we promote innovation and efficiency to really add value and make the difference. It’s this unique combination of skills that make Turner & Townsend project management one of the most exciting roles in the business.

Controls and performance

Project controls uses integrated time and cost analysis to measure project performance and predict future outcomes. A project controller works with the project manager to define objectives, analyze progress, and manage the performance of an entire project. Working with the project team, the project controller recommends actions to be taken, to improve progress and ensure success.

The discipline encompasses schedule development, budgeting, and cost control, earned value management, risk management and change control. Project controls integrates these functions to report accurately on the status of the project and future predictions. This information is used to influence project decision-making. Project controls offers the opportunity to influence a project’s success at a high level and play a critical part in delivering a project to meet business needs.

Cost and commercial

Cost and commercial managers are responsible for delivering best value from construction projects across real estate, infrastructure, and natural resources sectors. A career in cost and commercial management offers a great balance of work before and during construction.

At inception, we use our strategic skills to support the client during the business case phase to define the target cost for the facility. Prior to the construction phase of a project the role involves estimating costs, working with architects to improve the affordability of design, procuring suppliers for the build phase, and placing contracts. The construction phase is about controlling the cost to original budget, working closely with the client and project team to deliver a successful project.

Data and technology

Data and technology enables all functional groups to perform to their full potential. A data and technology specialist works collaboratively with internal and external team members to gather, organize, store, analyze, model, and report on insights that can help the organization deliver faster and more effective outcomes. A career in data applies to a wide variety of industries and is essential in driving organizations to make more data-driven decisions. This discipline encompasses working with tools and processes that can allow for the automation of data and insights. Data and technology employs principles such as data structure, data preparation, data analysis, and data visualization to help provide organizations with descriptive analytics to inform on current and past performance. These principles can help automate repetitive tasks and make the flow of data more efficient and readily available. This discipline is about effectively communicating data-driven results to create a tangible impact across any organization or industry.

What we're looking for in applicants

Graphic of clog in head, representing 'thinking head'

Commercial thinkers

We look for strategic, analytical thinkers who are motivated to learn and adapt.

Quality driven

We look for people who can adapt quickly to changing demands and circumstances while still performing to the best of their abilities.

Compassionate

Being compassionate and showing genuine concern for other people’s well-being is a key part of working with us and helps foster our supportive and caring workplace.

Graphic of three people sitting with speech bubbles above their head, representing a 'group meeting'

Team player

We look for people who inspire and uplift the people around them, boosting team morale and encouraging peak performance.

Adrian Predoi, Director, Head of Programme Advisory, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in a suit and bow tie smiling outdoors in front of a glass building

Fatema Janoowala

Senior Consultant

“What makes Turner & Townsend a great place to work is our people. Everyone here, my Directors and line managers, went out of their way to create an inclusive and productive environment for me, and I know that'll be the case for the next class of Graduate Development Program as well.”

Alex Clouser

Associate Director

“What I enjoyed most about the Graduate Development Program experience is the framework for empowering yourself, the way it's structured to develop certain skill sets and help you constantly evolve your goals.”

Recruitment process

Here's what to expect when you apply

We look for people who are not only skilled but also a great fit for our team and culture. Our recruitment process is a two-way conversation – designed to give both you and us the chance to see if we’re the right match for each other.

If you believe you have what it takes, review the processes and guidelines below and then, contact us.

Digital analyst

Project controls analyst

Cost management analyst

Project management analyst

Step1: Pre-application

Meet the team at one of our events and decide which program is right for you.

Step 2: Online application

Submit your CV/resume and answer the online application questions.

Step 3: Video recorded interview

If your online application is successful, you will be asked to take part in an interview using video recorded software. This will focus on your qualifications and your motivation for the opportunities that Turner & Townsend offers.

Step 4: Live video interview

If successful after Step 3, you will be invited to participate in a live video interview.

Step 5: Virtual office video

If successful after step 4, you will be invited to participate in a final, group session virtual interview. During this interview, you will get to meet your office leadership team, hear about local projects and ask any remaining questions you may have.

Step 6: Onboarding

If you are offered a place in our program, you will need to complete the onboarding process. At this stage, you will be made aware of the team you will be working with, as well as the location.

How we support you

Our program is designed to bring out the best in you.

During the GDP, you will be provided with people dedicated to supporting you throughout your development journey. In addition to your Line Manager and ‘Buddy’, the Human Resources team will be responsible for supporting your development and progress throughout the program. In addition to exposure to various experiences within our business, Graduates will also be provided with formal and informal training throughout the course of the two-year program.

The benefits we offer include:

competitive salary
structured learning and development sessions throughout your program
access to a range of online learning tools
401K
employee assistance program
company-sponsored social events

Hints and tips

This may sound like common sense, but experience shows us that a few simple steps will help you as a candidate for the GDP:

Research the different programs and the company so you know what you are applying for.
Make sure your contact details are correct and your CV/resume is up to date.
Be organized – apply on time and don’t miss deadlines.
Prepare before your interview by reviewing our website and learning more about our projects and business.
Act in a professional manner, be on time and wear business attire.
Think of questions you might want to ask at interview stage
Take your time and think about your answers.

Remember, the process really is as much for you as it for us. Use this opportunity to find out more about the role and our company, so you are confident you have made the right choice.