Graduate - Commercial & QS (Milton Keynes)
High Speed Two (HS2)
HS2 is Britain’s new high-speed railway connecting London and Birmingham. It is the first new intercity railway to be built north of London in more than a century.
We currently have one Commercial graduate opportunity available at our EKFB Integrated project team (IPT) site in Milton Keynes. Please note that this site cannot be accessed by public transport, therefore the successful candidate will need to be able to get to and from site accordingly. The role will also require regular travel to various other IPT sites and other office locations across the HS2 line of route.
The HS2 Commercial Graduate Programme has been tailored to build capability and competence, providing exposure and experience with the teams working on our major contracts.
This is your opportunity to be part of something unique and work alongside our talented engineering, project delivery teams and supply chain partners; to help shape the final product, delivering an incredible passenger experience and helping to deliver the HS2 strategic benefits including levelling up the UK and delivering a carbon neutral railway.
Whilst on the HS2 Commercial Graduate Programme you will undertake rotations across a range of commercial teams which may include Procurement and Supply Chain, Project Management and Project Controls, Stations Commercial, Civils Commercial, Rolling Stock & Systems Commercial teams. These teams provide a key role in helping HS2 deliver with confidence, providing commercial expertise and strategic capability to meet increasingly complex challenges on our major high value delivery contracts. Please note the rotational placements may vary and are subject to business requirements.
As we have a number of contracts in various stages therefore there is a unique opportunity to gain pre and post contract commercial experience across a range of contract types learning the skills to build a career in commercial and project management.
Tasks would include but will not be limited to:
- Support on Tender Evaluation processes,
- Interim payment assessments,
- Managing contract change (compensation events)
- Cost reporting and analysis and validation of estimated final contract costs
- Supporting general contract advice to the Project Team
- Managing risks,
- Analytical work in support of resolving commercial issues
- Working closely with the HS2 and Contractor Project Delivery teams.
Skills:
- Ability to build effective and collaborative working relationships within multidisciplinary teams and with a variety of stakeholders
- Ability to compile, assess and analyse information, data and reports
- Planning and organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise and deliver day to day tasks to agreed deadlines and agreed standards
- Ability to communicate effectively using a range of mediums, including presentations
- Ability to evaluate complex issues and problem solve
Knowledge:
- On track to achieve or already hold a minimum of a 2:2 in a commercially focussed bachelor's degree, accredited by RICS in Quantity Surveying or Commercial Management (or equivalent) or a minimum of a pass grade in a RICS-accredited Quantity Surveying or Commercial Management Post Graduate Diploma (or equivalent)
- Knowledge of IT software such as MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint (or equivalent)
- We encourage and support our commercial graduates in their professional development journey, and there will be an expectation for successful candidates to work towards professional accreditation with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
Does HS2 offer sponsorship if I do not have the Right to Work in the UK?
To be eligible to apply to the HS2 Graduate scheme for our September 2025 in-take, any applicant will need to already have the on-going Right to Work in the UK, that is not time-bound in any way.
Due to the nature of our organisation, HS2 are not able to sponsor any applications as we do not hold the required sponsorship license from the UK Home Office and candidates are not allowed to sponsor themselves.
We appreciate the Right to Work question can be complex to understand, so if you are unsure of your Right to Work status in the UK, please email us at HS2Jobs@hs2.org.uk and we will be happy to advise further. Please note, to enable HS2 to comply with UK Home Office policy, your Right to Work status will be checked early in the recruitment process.
Our graduate programme salaries:
Salaries are currently pending pay review however please see below figures based on 2024;
Outside of London
Basic £23,750 + 15% Flexible allowance
Please note the rotational placements may vary and are subject to business requirements.
