Civil Engineering Summer Placement (3227)

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to anyone working towards a degree in Civil Engineering, or closely related subject, to gain some valuable experience working with other professionals across a variety of interesting projects. Transport Scotland offers a real opportunity to help shape the future of transport in Scotland – for people, the economy and the planet.

Our Summer Placements are for a period of up to 12 weeks during June-September, subject to start date. We can accept applications from students at any stage of their degrees provided it is not their final year. Candidates must be returning to university in Autumn 2026.

Job description

Responsibilities:

The main duties will involve supporting a team of existing chartered technical professionals engaged on delivering Transport Scotland’s business plan on behalf of Scottish Government.

The work will be varied and challenging and will require an understanding of engineering principles and an awareness of current political issues. Successful candidates will be expected to work with the minimum of supervision and therefore must have an appreciation of their personal strengths and development needs.

Successful candidates where possible will be placed in one of Transport Scotland’s Directorates that best fits their particular skills and career expectations.

Person specification

QualificationsCandidates must demonstrate that they are working towards a degree in Civil Engineering, or closely related subject (such as highways and transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering etc.) and that they are members of a relevant Professional Institution at an appropriate level. Candidates must be returning to university in Autumn 2026. Success profileSuccess profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on. Behaviours:

• Lead Criteria: Working Together - Level 1
• Making Effective Decisions - Level 1
• Communicating and Influencing - Level 1
• Developing Self and Others - Level 1
  

You can find out more about Success Profiles here: Success profiles: candidate guide - gov.scot

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

How to apply

Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1500 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above.

In the event of a high number of applicants, an initial sift will be conducted using the CV and supporting statement on the Lead Criteria Working Together Behaviour as listed above. Candidates who pass the initial sift will have their applications fully assessed against the rest of the Behaviours.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and presentation.

Assessments are scheduled for w/c 30 March 2026 however this may be subject to change.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Julie Wallace
• Email : julie.wallace@transport.gov.scot

Recruitment team

• Email : scottishgovernmentrecruitment@gov.scot