Flood & Coastal Project Engineer Graduate

Closing date: 16 June 2026

Salary: Grade 12 - £28,595 per annum, increasing in set increments as per the Graduate Scheme, to a final salary of Grade 11 - £32,597 per annum.

Contract: The Graduate scheme is fixed term for a period of 2 years.

Make a real difference from day one as a Flood & Coastal Project Engineer Graduate with Somerset Council. In this role, you’ll work alongside experienced planners and Flood Resilience teams, helping to deliver projects that protect communities from flooding and support areas adapting to coastal change.

You’ll build hands-on experience by supporting research, working on real projects, and collaborating with colleagues and partners across Somerset. It’s a great opportunity to learn on the job, develop your technical and project skills, and see the direct impact of your work on local places and people. If you’re looking for a role where you can grow, feel supported, and do work that genuinely matters, Somerset Council is a fantastic place to start.

Role Summary:

As our Flood & Coastal Project Engineer Graduate, you’ll support teams delivering projects that help Somerset manage flooding and adapt to coastal change, while building your own skills and experience along the way. You’ll make a real difference by contributing to research, analysis and project work that helps protect communities and strengthen resilience across the county. Working closely with colleagues and partners, you’ll play an important part in improving services, supporting key programmes, and helping Somerset Council create safer, more sustainable places to live and work.

What you'll do - Key Responsibilities: 

• Support the delivery of flood and coastal resilience projects by assisting with research, analysis, and day-to-day project activities.
• Work with colleagues and managers to help implement improvements to systems, processes and ways of working across the service.
• Provide technical and administrative support to project teams, helping ensure projects are delivered efficiently and effectively.
• Help maintain project documentation, track progress, and support coordination of project meetings and activities.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with internal teams, external partners, and stakeholders.
• Use your initiative to manage your own workload, prioritising tasks to meet deadlines and team objectives.
• Contribute to problem-solving by identifying challenges and helping to develop practical solutions with support from senior colleagues. 
• Take part in training and development opportunities, building your skills and knowledge as part of the graduate programme.
• Support wider team activities where needed, providing flexible assistance across different projects and workstreams.

What We’re Looking For – Knowledge, Experience and Skills:

Essential

• A relevant degree or equivalent qualification, with a classification of at least 2:2 (obtained within the last 3 years).
• Understanding of operational systems, processes and procedures.
• Strong technical and IT skills.
• Knowledge of equality, diversity and inclusion principles.
• Awareness of health, safety and wellbeing practices.
• Experience working independently and using your own initiative. 
• Ability to prioritise tasks and manage your time to meet deadlines.
• Experience undertaking research and analysis.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, partners and stakeholders.
• Good organisational skills and ability to manage a varied workload.
• Ability to assess the level of support needed and respond appropriately.
• Commitment to continuous professional development.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of project management principles and practices.
• Experience coordinating or supervising work to meet team or Flood and Coastal objectives.
• Experience supporting the delivery of complex Flood and Coastal projects.
• Problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.
• Experience maintaining project documentation and supporting meetings.
• Additional technical or IT-related qualifications.
• Project management or related certifications.
• Professional certifications relevant to the Flood and Coastal area.

Additional Information: 

• Fixed-term contract for 2 years.
• Full-time, 37 hours per week.
• Professional Development Plan will be provided across the 2 years; including cohort training sessions around skill development and reflective practice. 
• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities 
• Regretfully, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for VISA sponsorship.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Neil Ogilvie, Service Manager – Flood and Coastal Management via email: neil.ogilvie@somerset.gov.uk