2027 Savills Graduate Programme - Planning

Role title: Graduate Planner (September 2027 start)

Salary: London: £30,000 and £1,500 sign on bonus / Regions: £27,000 and £1,000 sign on bonus (Please note that some regions will offer a higher salary of £30,000 and £1,500 sign on bonus, dependent on the location and the Cost of Living)

Locations: London, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Reading, Oxford, Southampton

About this role:

With over 300 planners across the UK, we are the largest planning department in any mainstream real estate practice with a reputation for success and professionalism.

We work with all types of property, but have specialisms in urban mixed use, housing, retail, major sports venues, energy, master planning, urban design, environmental impact assessment, community engagement, heritage and Section 106 agreements/Community Infrastructure Levy.

We negotiate planning permissions for everything from major urban regeneration schemes to modest domestic extensions. Our department consists of planners skilled in assembling evidence and building a case to achieve planning permission from local authorities, planning inspectors and government ministers.

Planning role locations:

London - Head Office (Margaret Street)

Click here and click here to hear from some of our London Planning Graduates. Click here to hear from one of our London Senior Planners.

Edinburgh, Reading, Bristol, Birmingham, Oxford, Southampton, Newcastle, Cardiff, Glasgow

Click here and click here to hear from our Regional Planning Southampton and Cardiff Graduates.

The Southampton Planning Team is a Centre of Excellence for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Savills. As a graduate in the team you have the opportunity to be involved in a wide variety of high profile and strategic EIA projects including Residential, Commercial and Mixed-Use developments in urban and non-urban environments. Working alongside our EIA specialists you would gain experience of applying the EIA Regulations to support major planning applications with clear and objective environmental evidence beginning with EIA Screening into Environmental Statement preparation leading to application determination and implementation. Click here to find out more.

Click here and click here to hear form our Birmingham Planning team.

The Central Planning team have 25 planners from graduate to director based in Reading and Oxford. We work across urban and rural sites across the region and are working on an exciting and wide range of projects from site promotion for 10,000 new homes, educational and high tech / science industry projects, renewable energy and battery storage schemes and applications for new homes on grey belt land. We are looking for someone who is proactive, driven and who wants to work for the top planning consultancy in the Country on a wide range of high profile projects in a stimulating environment, but also have fun and contribute to the vibrant team dynamic. Click here to find out more.

The Newcastle Planning team has rapidly grown to 9 planners, making us one of the largest teams in the region. We are commercially focused, working across a range of land-use sectors including housing, urban and mixed-use, industrial, rural and energy and infrastructure, and sit within the biggest planning consultancy within the UK. Successful graduates will experience hands-on working on some of the North East’s most high profile projects for a wide variety of clients in a diverse office environment.

As a planning Graduate you will be expected to prepare planning appraisals, undertake research and analysis, prepare planning applications, contribute to the preparation/editing of Design and Access Statements, Sustainability Statements and other planning documents. There will be a variety of exciting projects to work on, helping develop your knowledge and skills. Your input is an essential part of our working processes.

The assessment process for this role:

Online Application – CLICK HERE TO APPLY

CV and Question – Applications close at 11.59pm on 19th October 2026 - We reserve the right to close applications at our discretion prior to the stated deadline. We recommend submitting your application as soon as possible to ensure consideration.

Online Assessment – SHL (will be sent on application completion and will need to be completed by 12pm on 20th October 2026)

Screening Calls for Shortlisted Candidates –

10th -12th November 2026

Assessment Centre & Panel Interview (on same day) –

7th and 8th January 2027 (London, Margaret Street)

Please see routes to qualification here.

Before completing the application form, please click here to check if your degree is accredited by the RTPI or not. If not, please define your application as a Non-Cognate application.

How you’ll make an impact:

× High attention to detail, well organised and a proactive approach

× Ability to empower those around them

× Strong verbal, numerical and report writing skills

× A team player with leadership potential

× Ability to Listen to others and Collaborate effectively

× Strategic approach to problem solving

× Highly motivated

× Ability to challenge in a positive way

× Computer literate

Ahead of anything else, we look for individualism and diversity in our graduate intake - so it's very important at every stage of the selection process that you take the opportunity to show us what you're really like. Be honest and above all, be yourself.

Key skills:

× Decision Making

× Collaboration

× Building Relationships

× Planning and Organising

× Adaptability

× Resilience

Future Talent Objectives:

Technical & Professional Knowledge - Demonstrate a strong foundational knowledge and understanding of the profession you are training within, the qualification you are completing, and the role you are undertaking.

- Enrol and begin active progress towards your qualification, understanding the competencies/KSBs required and maintain an up-to-date record of experience

- Complete all required induction training (including mandatory training on MyLearning)

Business Awareness – Asks good relevant questions, demonstrating curiosity and enthusiasm to know about the business.

- Has a foundational understanding of the UK business strategy, the team strategy and your contribution towards both.

- Adhere to additional requirements in place, set by your division. Has a clear understanding of their personal brand – office attire, etiquette and team expectations

Work Quality – Accurately completes tasks on time, with guidance from team members where required.

- Approach tasks with team and client expectations in mind

- Show attention to detail in all outputs, including data accuracy, formatting, and compliance with Savills’ brand and policies

Time Management – Maintain good time keeping, both personally and professionally.

- Arrive at work in good time, make every effort to be a reliable team member, emulating the working culture of your team

- Meet agreed deadlines consistently, prioritising tasks effectively - communicating any capacity issues or questions early and proactively to your team

Effective Communication – Begin building effective working relationships with colleagues across the team and wider business.

- Have regular 1:1s with your line manager and encourage team members to provide feedback on your work

- Adapt style with different stakeholders, maintaining professionalism at all times

Benefits (headline):

× Permanent Contract for all graduates, as opposed to a 2 year training contract

× Interest free season ticket loan

× Pension Scheme – Royal London

× Company mobile phone and Laptop

× Training and APC costs covered

× 25 days annual leave

× Employee Assistance Programme – A 24 hour service available to all staff and completely confidential

× Discretionary bonus scheme and employee discounts

Training:

We provide comprehensive training and revision programmes to support you passing your Royal Town Planning Institute Assessment of Professional Competency (APC) and you will be allocated a mentor to guide you through this process.

During the two year training programme you will work with people in the Planning department to build up a variety of experience and contacts to be able to meet the APC requirements, but also to cross sell and share information with our multi-disciplinary teams as you progress through the business. Experiencing a variety of teams and working styles is fundamental to developing your understanding of Savills, the market and our clients. As a graduate, you'll also have regular opportunities to attend technical, business skills and personal development activities - including conferences, courses, lectures, networking, revision sessions and social events.

Career Development:

Once you've successfully passed your APC and become a member of the Royal Institution of Town Planners (RTPI), you'll continue to receive training and career development opportunities. We ensure that your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is current and that all staff are fully up-to-date with changes to legislation and business needs.

Find your place to thrive:

Savills is an organisation full of extraordinary individuals. Brilliant people at the forefront of their specialisms, eager to drive progress for themselves, their colleagues and our business as part of a truly inclusive culture.

No matter the role you’re in, we all share one purpose: to help people thrive through places and spaces. This is built into our DNA, shaping the way we behave to deliver the best results. We define it by four key values. We listen, We empower, We challenge, We collaborate.

Right to work in the UK and employment offer:

Any employment offer made is contingent on you obtaining and maintaining the right to work and reside legally in the UK. We welcome applications from candidates who have their own right to work within the UK, where you can maintain and demonstrate your right to work throughout the duration of your employment. You will be asked to provide evidence of your right to work during the recruitment process.

Savills are unable to sponsor candidates for this role as the Home Office's eligibility criteria will not be satisfied.

Use of AI: https://www.savills.co.uk/contact-us/careers/future-talent-careers/graduates/graduate-application-process.aspx

Click here to apply: https://savillsgraduates.teamtailor.com/jobs/8259908-2027-savills-graduate-programme-planning/b3e92728-a5b2-4b34-959d-b3921f3f1a86