Strategic Planning Graduate 2025

Are you looking for a career where you can shape London’s future?  We’re looking for people who are passionate about helping London grow in a sustainable way, and become a more attractive place to live, work and visit. 

Salary  

£31,000, rising to £32,250 in the second year. 

Location  

London/ Hybrid  

NB: Hybrid working within this role enables a balance of 50 per cent of time split between the office and home over a 4-week period. Hybrid working arrangements can evolve subject to business requirements.   

What we offer 

You will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards vary according to the business area but mostly include:

• Free travel on the TfL network for you and a nominee who lives in the same household  
• Final salary pension scheme  
• Discounted national rail and Eurostar travel 
• 30 days Annual leave (Pro rata dependent on role) plus public and bank holidays.  
•  Private healthcare discounted scheme   
• Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme 
• Retail, health, leisure and travel offers & many more   

Duration   

2 years    

Entry requirements   

A minimum of a 2:2 degree in any discipline.     

Proposed start date  

8th September 2025   

Job overview

Our Professional Services teams focus on the employees at the heart of our business. The Strategic Planning graduate scheme provides individuals with the opportunity to shape the wider business, London’s transport network and London itself.    

Sustainability  

Sustainability is intrinsic to TfL’s work ethos, and we ensure that we operate in a sustainable way to protect and regenerate the natural world. Being part of the Strategic Planning graduate scheme, you’ll understand how our business operates sustainably and how we are planning a sustainable future for London.   

What will I be doing?  

As a graduate, your two-year development programme will be made up of four placement rotations. Our aim is to equip you with the range of skills and experience you need for your successful career within strategic planning.  

During your time on the scheme, you could have placements across a range of teams including Strategy, Spatial Planning, Local Communities and Partnerships or the Chief Customer and Strategy Office.   

We also understand that everyone’s career is different, so every graduate’s journey is unique so we try to tailor the placements to your interests. Here’s an idea of what yours could look like:  

Placement 1 – Strategy and Planning – 6 month placement

This team sets the strategic direction of the city’s transport. We are proud to be at the forefront of the organisation’s efforts to transform the Capital’s transport to create a city where people choose to walk, cycle or use public transport and can do so free from the harmful effects of air pollution. In doing so, we play a vital role in addressing the climate emergency. You could be placed in areas such as developing the strategy to achieve net zero carbon for road transport by 2030, planning the delivery of London’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy or making freight transport safer, cleaner and more efficient for London. 

You will commission and carry out research, analyse data and engage with teams from across the organisation along with external stakeholders in order to develop evidence-based policy or scheme options. You will provide advice on your specific area of focus. You will use this to assist with drafting briefings, reports and presentations to influence and support decisions around the development and promotion of policies and projects.   

Placement 2 – Local Communities and Partnerships – 6 month placement

This team builds connections with London’s diverse communities, local businesses, and political stakeholders.  

Through effective engagement and consultation, we help TfL understand the needs, wants, and sometimes frustrations of living, working or playing in London. By harnessing these relationships, and the intel we gather from this, we make sure our decision makers can reflect on community and stakeholder feedback to make the best possible future transport decisions for London.  

Our engagement and consultation work stretches across every facet of TfL’s transport remit. From reshaping the bus network, to building new tube lines to major policy decisions on Congestion Charge and ULEZ. 

You will support or team of engagement and consultation specialists to work with and strengthen relationships with local politicians and community leaders. This will involve supporting local engagement activities, researching key local policy areas, and supporting the delivery of local and pan London consultation delivery. You will also work with our community engagement and consultation leadership team to identify and build new proposals, projects, and initiatives to strengthen how we work with young Londoners, the seldom heard, and other underrepresented community groups.   

Placement 3 – Spatial Planning – 6 month placement

This team lead TfL's work with the Greater London Authority, boroughs and developers to integrate land use and transport planning to solve London's biggest challenges including achieving net-zero and tackling the housing crisis. We develop and influence policy, secure third-party funding, masterplan changing areas of London, and make the case for transport investment. 

You will be involved in developing the London Plan (London's overarching spatial strategy) and shape local/area plans to deliver mode shift in practice, lower car ownership, reduce carbon and drive future fares revenue growth via sustainable development. 

You will be involved in planning many of the biggest and most challenging development and regeneration opportunities in London as well as early feasibility on new interchanges with a focus on sustainability and inclusion. This will involve making a compelling case to government and others for transport investment.  

Placement 4 – Chief Customer and Strategy Office – 6 month placement  

In Customer and Strategy, a broad range of disciplines are covered. We devise strategies, plan for London’s future, undertake research and engagement, and provide insight and data. The Office for the Chief Customer and Strategy Officer is at the heart of the department. As part of this placement, you’ll have the opportunity to shadow the Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, working alongside them on their priorities for our organisation.

You’ll also learn about the governance processes which set out the processes and structure for the organisation, working with the team to prepare for Executive Committee sub-groups and various Boards and Panels.

As part of this placement, you’ll work closely with the other Offices across TfL and the Greater London Authority, preparing briefings, reports and correspondence. No two days are the same and you’ll be working alongside a team of experts in their field.  

What qualifications will I gain?

We can offer the opportunity for graduates, if they wish, to undertake the Transport Planning Society (TPS) Professional Development Scheme, which TfL is a licence holder for. This can be completed in around three years, and TfL is able to provide continuing support to candidates that roll off this 2-year graduate scheme into other TfL positions through to completion of the Professional Development Scheme. At this point, a participant will be awarded a Certificate of Completion by the Transport Planning Society and be entitled to use the post nominal incorporated Transport Planner, incTP. In achieving that, they will have completed the 'knowledge requirements' and thus the first stage in applying for the Transport Planning Practitioner (TPP) qualification. 

Where can this career take me?

Graduates who complete this scheme progress to a variety of roles. Examples of immediate progression are: 

• City Planner 
• Business Strategy Planner 
• Engagement Officer 
• Strategy & Problem Solving Officer

What training and support will you get?

Our award-winning teams will support your ongoing development, through a wide range of on-the-job practical experience and placements. We'll support your professional development through a combination of training, mentoring, and networking. 

You'll also receive one-to-one guidance throughout the programme from your:   

• Placement manager: Responsible for your day-to-day management and support with your development 
• Scheme sponsor: A senior manager who acts as a technical and professional adviser and has line manager responsibility 
• Buddy: Usually, an apprentice or graduate who gives support to you and ensure that you feel welcomed in the organisation 
• Development adviser: Supports your professional development through providing career coaching and career progression at TfL 

What do we look for?

Our core values are extremely important to us, and we desire candidates who are:  

• Caring about our colleagues, our customers and our work 
• Open to each other, to new ideas and to working together 
• Adaptable to diverse needs and willing to innovate 

Application process

The application process consists of 5 steps, including online assessments which will need to be completed within an allocated time frame. We highly recommend that you read through this document thoroughly so that you can familiarise yourself with the process.