Design jobs in United Kingdom

YTL UK is offering an exciting opportunity for undergraduate engineering students seeking an industrial placement year. With multiple roles available across our group companies, you'll join a team delivering multi-million-pound engineering projects that make a meaningful impact on both society and the environment.

Our well-established Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) Placement Student programme has grown year-on-year, and is supported by our graduate engineers and former placement students, so that you get the very best out of your year with us.

Building on the success of the programme, we are now expanding to include Automation (Industrial Control) placements.

This placement will run between July 2026 and August 2027.

As a Mechanical & Electrical Placement Student, you'll have the opportunity to work within Wessex Water and the wider YTL UK company. You'll play a key role in the design and construction of major water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

You will be placed in one of the following teams based on a combination of your interests, education and interview outcomes:

• Mechanical Design
• Electrical Design
• Automation (Industrial Control)
• M&E Delivery.

The role can involve tasks as varied as carrying out pump surveys to ensure sites run efficiently, procurement of key items, project planning, commercial activities and much more. You will attend design meetings to learn about the design and construction process, inputting your ideas to help achieve our goals. You will also take part in various on‑site activities with advice and guidance from senior and experienced Engineers.

As an M&E Placement Student, you will be part of our team delivering innovative water and wastewater treatment projects across the Wessex Water region, as well as working with engineers across all disciplines. You will get the opportunity to gain real management and commercial experience as well as access to professional technical qualifications within defined programmes accredited by professional engineering institutions, such as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

During your placement year, you will be encouraged to engage with the Monitored Professional Development Scheme (MPDS), during which you will be mentored by a professional engineer, with your placement year counting towards future applications for Incorporated (IEng) or Chartered (CEng) Engineer status.

As an Automation (Industrial Control) Placement Student, you will write software to an approved specification for Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) - the brains behind automated control at water treatment works and pumping stations, and gain exposure to the full project lifecycle.

Roles within our Mechanical or Electrical Design teams will involve elements of both high‑level feasibility studies and in‑depth, detailed design activities.

You will experience the variety of challenges and tasks that come with engineering and construction, and will be expected to work alongside colleagues in both an office and construction site setting. The role is varied, with no two days being the same.

You must be currently undertaking an undergraduate Mechanical or Electrical Engineering degree for the M&E placement, and/or an electronics or computer science‑related degree for the Industrial Control (Automation) placement.

We are looking for hard‑working, punctual students who have a genuine interest in engineering and, in particular, the water industry.

We expect you to:

• embrace YTL UK's company ethos and BEST (Behaviour, Excellence, Service and Teamwork) values
• be flexible, know how to connect with others and pride yourself on being proactive and bringing positive, bright ideas to the team
• feel comfortable taking responsibility for tasks and projects you've been assigned
• be able to manage your own time and adapt to change
• be driven to succeed, aspire to excellence and think outside the box.

This role will involve travelling around the Wessex Water region, so possession of a full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle are essential. Mileage will be reimbursed at the HMRC‑set rates.

Shortlisted applicants will be required to attend a one‑hour interview, focusing on their engineering interests, experiences to date, aims for a placement year, and time for you to ask current placement students any questions you might have. You may be called back for a further interview.

• A combined pension contribution of up to 20%.
• Career progression and professional development opportunities.
• 25 days' holiday rising to 28 with length of service.
• The opportunity to sell up to five days of holiday every year.
• The opportunity to buy up to ten days of holiday each year (subject to conditions).
• A healthcare package that allows you to claim back healthcare costs.
• Life assurance of up to eight times your salary.
• Cashback and discounts from more than 3,000 retailers.
• One paid volunteering day each year.
• Enhanced family leave and pay arrangements.
• Access to an interactive health and wellbeing platform.
• Support from trained mental health first aiders.
• A £1,000 referral fee if you recommend someone who is successfully recruited by us.

YTL UK is part of the international YTL Group based in Kuala Lumpur. The UK companies include:

• Wessex Water – one of the top‑performing water and sewerage companies in England and Wales, serving 2.9 million people across the South West
• YTL Developments – a major UK developer currently redeveloping a 350‑acre former airfield into an award‑winning, exciting mix of houses, apartments, schools, commercial space, restaurants and hotels, to make a truly sustainable new community
• YTL Construction UK – a top 20 UK contractor providing fully integrated services to infrastructure, residential, commercial, industry, energy and environmental sectors
• YTL Arena – the development and operation of an entertainment complex that includes a 20,000 capacity arena, conferencing and exhibition space
• plus a number of other retail, environmental and specialist businesses.

Our people tell us that YTL UK is a great place to work, which is why so many of them stay with us! You will have a unique opportunity to develop and progress your career within such a diverse group.

We are passionate about diversity and inclusion – with that in mind, all applicants are welcome. We are delighted to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and are a Disability Confident Employer.

If you require reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process, please inform a member of our Recruitment team.