Spatial Planning Placement

Spatial Planning Placement

Work at the cutting edge between development and transport and shape life in London.

Salary

£25,294

Location

Stratford, London, E20 1JN

You will be expected to be in the office 4 days a week. With agreement from your manager, you may work from home one day per week.

What we offer

You will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards include:

• Free travel on the TfL network for you and a nominee who lives in the same household
• Discounted national rail and Eurostar travel
• Minimum 28 days Annual leave (Pro rata dependent on role) plus public and bank holidays.
• Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme
• Retail, health, leisure and travel offers & many more

Duration

1 year

Entry requirements

You will be at university working towards a minimum of a 2:2 degree in urban planning, geography or another relevant built-environment discipline.

You will need to have completed at least two years of university by summer 2026 to be eligible for this scheme. This role is designed for a sandwich year student.

Successful candidates must have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the scheme, as at the start date. This role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa scheme. If you do not have the right to work in the UK, or only have a right to work here for a limited time which is lesser than the duration of the scheme, you should be aware that TfL will be unable to sponsor you for this role.

Proposed start date:

7th September 2026

Job overview

London is an iconic city. With Spatial Planning at the heart of major planning and investment decisions, we are responsible for helping ensure it stays that way. We are looking for people with big ideas and a passion for planning to help shape the future of the Capital.

It is an exciting time to join the Spatial Planning department. We work to shape London’s future proactively by supporting sustainable development in London and ensuring good future public transport provision. We lead on the integration of land use planning and transport to support the Mayor’s objective of ‘Good Growth’. We develop policies through the London Plan, Opportunity Area Planning Frameworks and Local Plans, along with guidance to make sure they are successfully implemented. We identify and make the case for transport infrastructure to support growth and secure funding from new developments. We advise on the design of the urban realm. We contribute to the planning and delivery of successful major developments by realising improvements to, and mitigating the impacts on, the transport system and the environment.

We support the Mayor's Transport Strategy and deliver good growth for London. We do this by helping planning applicants, the rest of TfL, the Greater London Authority (GLA), boroughs, and other stakeholders to combine land use and transport planning.

What will I be doing?

You will be working at the cutting edge of the relationship between development and transport. You will make a valuable contribution to exciting and innovative proposals in London, which are often of national significance, helping you develop an improved understanding of the planning process.

Opportunities to become a Spatial Planning Assistant at TfL are expected to be available in a number of teams including Development Management and London Plan & Planning Obligations.

In Development Management you will help ensure that development delivers the Mayor’s planning agenda, including Healthy Streets, Vision Zero and Good Growth whilst safeguarding and promoting London’s transport operations and infrastructure. You will identify and resolve transport issues and seek to deliver opportunities for new and improved transport arising from development. You will help assess planning applications by reviewing local planning policies and work closely with other parts of TfL, the GLA, local authorities as well as with developers and other key stakeholders.

The London Plan & Planning Obligations team plays an important role in shaping policy at the city region scale and ensuring developer contributions are used for critical transport infrastructure. Your role within the team will include analysing income from the Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy, commenting on planning applications and responding to local plan consultations to ensure they align with the London Plan. You will work closely with a broad range of stakeholders within TfL, and elsewhere including the GLA, local authorities and developers.

The Growth and Master planning team sit at the heart of how the city grows, ensuring that new developments are well-connected, inclusive, and sustainable. Working in collaboration with colleagues across TfL and the GLA you will help shape London’s future by developing area plans for key growth areas, opportunity areas, and major interchanges. You’ll lead studies and project teams by setting objectives, guiding analysis, and delivering evidence-based solutions on specific transport modes and themes that support London’s evolving needs.

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.

You will help support and implement sustainable development through the Mayor’s ‘good growth’ agenda on projects.

Where can this career take me?

Students who have completed this programme have secured positions as planning consultants in both the public and private sectors in the UK and abroad. This Year in Industry placement would be relevant to those seeking built-environment careers in:

• Development management
• Property development
• Transport planning
• Policy making
• Regeneration
• Master planning
• Sustainability
• Local Government / Civil Service

What training and support will you get?

Our department will support your ongoing development, through a wide range of on-the-job practical experience. We will support your professional development through a combination of an established training programme including mentoring and networking opportunities throughout the placement.

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.

If you already hold your qualification certificates, please upload copies of these to your application. If you are due to sit final exams or need to replace any certificates, these must be provided at a later stage.

You will receive information and guidance around each assessment stage as you progress through your application.

Please pay close attention to emails and deadlines provided noting you have 1 week to complete online assessments and we cannot re-issue these tests once the deadline passes.

Assessment centres for graduates and intern roles will take place from December-January, please note that many roles only have 1 assessment day and we are unable to guarantee alternative dates. We are conducting assessment centres in person and virtually (role dependent).

Our city. Made better by you.

TfL is a place that’s open to your ideas. Where you can make a tangible impact and see the positive results of your work on the people and places around you. It’s a place where you can thrive and achieve. Where you’re encouraged and enabled and empowered to feel pride in the work you do. The clue is in the name, really. We work together for a better London. A better place for everyone. Constantly improving and enhancing how we operate to shape a city of the future.

Inclusive recruitment process

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria.

In High Volume campaigns including Graduate, Apprentice and Intern recruitment the minimum criteria we set is achieving a pass mark in our first stage assessments, adopting a proportionate approach as part of the Disability Confident scheme.

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments for any stages of the application process.

Meet the Scheme Alumni

Previous Assistant Planners at TfL share their experiences:

“The placement has developed my skills enormously and allowed me to work with such a great set of people who are so skilled in the planning profession. I was made to feel so welcomed and I felt like a valued member of the team.”

“I have had the chance to work on some fantastic projects with some great people. I am excited to go back to university and put my new knowledge to the test.’’

“Having great people around at work matters! At TfL, I got to work alongside the best teammates and forged friendships with many of them. As a result, the time I spent at TfL has also been a wonderful personal experience that I cherish deeply to date. If you’re lucky enough to be offered a placement at TfL, don’t hesitate, just go for it!’’

Contact us

Contact the recruitment team by:

Phone: 0203 005 1680 (Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 17.30)

Email: EarlyCareersCampaigns@tfl.gov.uk

How to apply

To apply for this role and to find out more, please click on the apply button. Please note that applications may close before the application deadline, so apply early to avoid disappointment.