Trainee Transport Planner

The Home, United Kingdom

7/23/2025

JOB DESCRIPTION

Costain helps to improve people’s lives by deploying technology-based engineering solutions to meet urgent national needs across the UK’s energy, water and transportation infrastructures.

Our transportation consultancy sector vision is “To be the UK’s top engineering and technology solutions provider, leading the highways industry in end-to-end service delivery.”

We have a rare opportunity for a motivated and enthusiastic professional to shape the future of our Transportation Consultancy business, a key part of our Leading-Edge Strategy.

As a Consultant / Graduate Transport Planner, you will offer expertise in cutting edge transportation advisory placing Costain in a strong position to offer new alternatives in this market. In addition to providing traditional advisory, business case development and economic appraisals, this rare opportunity offers scope to work with our specialist technology team to explore emerging technologies in infrastructure design and future mobility.

As a key member of the Costain Transportation Consultancy team you will enjoy extensive professional development opportunities and be part of this rapidly expanding team of dynamic professionals.

This is a great opportunity to enhance your career by being at the very forefront of innovation with our clients who are shaping the future direction of not only our business but projects and programmes of the future. The industry is rapidly changing and our ability to add value at an earlier stage in a project’s lifecycle has never been greater.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support for multi-disciplinary consultancy (pre-construction) projects;
• Supporting Business Case work;
• Working on multi-disciplinary transportation infrastructure projects;
• Developing scheme options and understanding engineering feasibility; and
• Participating in stakeholder and community consultation.
  
  

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

Relevant Degree: A bachelor's or master's degree in a relevant discipline such as Transport Planning, Civil Engineering, Geography, Urban Planning, Mathematics, or Environmental Science.

Knowledge:

• Fundamental Transport Planning Principles: Understanding of core concepts like trip generation, distribution, mode choice, assignment, and the four-step model.
• Transport Policy & Legislation (UK specific desirable): Awareness of national and local transport policies, guidance (e.g., NPPF, Local Transport Plans), and relevant legislation.
• Sustainable Transport Concepts: Knowledge of active travel (walking, cycling), public transport integration, and strategies for reducing car dependency.
• Basic Data Analysis & Interpretation: Understanding of statistical concepts and the ability to interpret transport data (e.g., census data, traffic counts).
• GIS Principles: Basic understanding of Geographical Information Systems and their application in transport planning.
  
  

Skills:

• Strong Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to dissect complex problems, identify key issues, and develop logical solutions.
• Excellent Written Communication: Ability to produce clear, concise, and well-structured reports, emails, and presentations.
• Strong Verbal Communication & Presentation Skills: Ability to articulate ideas effectively to colleagues and potentially clients.
• Data Analysis Software Proficiency: Competence in using Microsoft Excel for data manipulation, analysis, and presentation.
• Report Writing: Ability to structure and write professional technical reports.
• Teamwork & Collaboration: Ability to work effectively within a team environment, contributing to shared goals.
• Time Management & Organisation: Ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritise workload, and meet deadlines.
  
  

Experience:

• Academic Project Work: Evidence of completing projects or dissertations related to transport planning, data analysis, or spatial analysis.
• Microsoft Office Suite: Proven experience using Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for academic or professional purposes.
  
  

Desirable

Knowledge:

• Traffic Modelling Principles: Basic understanding of traffic flow theory, junction analysis (e.g., PICADY, ARCADY, LINSIG), and/or macro-simulation software (e.g., VISSIM, Paramics, SATURN, EMME). Even a theoretical understanding is beneficial at graduate level.
• Development Planning Process: Awareness of the planning application process and the role of transport assessments within it.
• Transport Economics/Appraisal: Basic understanding of cost-benefit analysis or other economic appraisal techniques for transport schemes.
• Smarter Choices/Behaviour Change Principles: Awareness of strategies to encourage sustainable travel behaviour.
• Public Transport Operations: Understanding of public transport networks, operations, and service planning.
  
  

Skills:

• GIS Software Proficiency: Practical experience with GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS) for mapping, data visualisation, and spatial analysis.
• Programming/Scripting Skills: Familiarity with languages like Python or R for data analysis or automation.
• CAD Software Awareness: Basic understanding of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software and its use in infrastructure design.
• Data Visualisation Skills: Ability to present complex data in an accessible and visually appealing manner (beyond basic Excel charts).
• Survey Design & Implementation: Experience in designing or conducting transport-related surveys (e.g., traffic counts, pedestrian counts, questionnaire surveys).
  
  

Experience:

• Work Placement/Internship: Prior work experience (even short-term) in a transport planning consultancy, local authority transport department, or a related engineering field.
• Project Management Exposure: Any experience assisting with or managing small projects, even in an academic setting.
• Engagement with Professional Bodies: Membership or active participation in relevant professional organisations (e.g., CIHT, TPS, ICE).
• Volunteering/Extracurricular Activities: Participation in activities that demonstrate problem-solving, teamwork, or leadership skills.
  
  

ABOUT US

Costain helps to improve people’s lives with integrated, leading edge, smart infrastructure solutions across the UK’s energy, water, transportation and defence markets. We help our clients improve their business performance by increasing capacity, improving customer service, safeguarding security, enhancing resilience, decarbonising and delivering increased efficiency. Our vision is to be the UK’s leading smart infrastructure solutions company. We will achieve this by focusing on blue chip clients whose major spending plans are underpinned by strategic national needs, regulatory commitments, legislation or essential performance requirements. We offer our clients leading edge solutions that are digitally optimised through the following five services which cover the whole lifecycle of their assets: future-shaping strategic consultancy; consultancy and advisory; digital technology solutions; asset optimisation and complex programme delivery. Our culture and values underpin everything we do.

Costain appreciate the time and effort taken when applying for one of our positions but, due to the high volume of responses, we are unable to provide individual feedback on candidates at application phase.

We do share individual feedback following an interview .

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that disclose they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer.

It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people.

For more details please go to the Disability Confident website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign