Commercial Management Trainee - Graduate

Location: Multiple

Pay range: Competitive

Established in 1897, and celebrating our 125th anniversary in 2022, the Wates Group is one of the leading privately-owned construction, residential development and property services businesses in the UK. We employ over 3,800 people and work with a wide range of public and private sector customers and partners. We're committed to the long-term sustainability of the built environment, and aim to eliminate carbon from our operations by 2025. We're honoured to have recently received a Queen's Award for Enterprise in the Sustainable Development category, which is a record third win for the company. We're also committed to increasing the proportion of women at all levels of our business, and broadening the ethnic diversity of our workforce.

Wates Construction is a UK-wide contractor working with partners in both public and private sectors to create a more sustainable built environment and deliver lasting legacies for the communities in which we work. We have significant experience of using innovation to deliver complex projects in a range of sectors including, education, residential, commercial, healthcare and historical restoration. Our projects are delivered through four regional businesses - Central, London, North and South.

When you join us on the Commercial Management Trainee programme, you'll develop an understanding of our commercial processes and activities, and be involved with project delivery in relation to profit and risk management. Learning how to value and pay sub-contractors, and prepare and issue payment notices, you'll also prepare tender and contract documents, and develop an understanding of our professional standards and governance procedures, and how to implement these.

You'll have wide range of additional responsibilities, including producing and analysing reports to ensure projects are financially viable, and providing contractual, commercial and financial information to your line manager and other functions. We'll expect you to safeguard Wates' contractual position in respect of the progress of works, design responsibilities and our legal obligations to sub-contractors, and you'll build effective working relations with key stakeholders, clients, wider teams and supply chains. You'll also be involved in forecasting, risk assessment and the monitoring of cashflow, and help to build a bid winning strategy while identifying our customer's key requirements. On successful completion of the programme, you'll move into an Assistant Quantity Surveyor role.

To be a success on the programme you'll enjoy learning new things, have a curious nature, be a superb communicator and you won't be afraid to ask questions. Organised, reliable and professional, and a problem solver with the ability to think logically, you'll have the initiative to start and complete tasks. It's important that you possess good time management skills, and are able to prioritise your work to meet agreed deadlines. With a full UK driving licence, you'll have obtained or be working towards a 2:2 degree in any subject.

Please be aware that you should be willing to commute for up to an hour a day around the location you apply for. This location can change if you're assigned to a new site, and as Wates don't support relocation, you should be comfortable that you can meet this requirement.

Locations and driving licence:

SE & SW: Driving - Yes
South East: Driving - No, desirable
Warrington: Driving - Yes
Cambridge: Driving - Yes
London: Driving - No
Luton: Driving - Yes
East Midlands: Driving - Yes
Leatherhead: Driving - Yes
Leeds: Driving - Yes
Manchester: Driving - Yes
Midlands: Driving - Yes
Oxford: Driving - Yes

Our Early Careers programmes offer rotational development, technical and behavioural training, and a host of additional benefits. We provide the foundation skills, knowledge and experience you'll need to build a long-term, successful career as you're mentored by some of the best professionals in the industry. We have over 150 talented trainees on our programmes, providing amazing opportunities to build a network, collaborate and share learning with your peers.

In addition to learning from the best, you'll enjoy a competitive industry salary and benefits package, be supported all the way through to Chartership, and as we'll rotate you around our business unit, you'll get a full breadth of experience. You'll also receive structured development, a combination of technical and behavioural training, professional mentorship and guidance, and great exposure to our senior leaders. If your degree is in a non-construction related subject, you'll also complete a higher apprenticeship in Quantity Surveying as part of your trainee scheme.

Applications for this role close at midday on Monday 19th December. This date may be brought forward or extended in line with the number of applications we receive.