Meet the Scheme Alumni
Former Assistant Planners at TfL share their experiences:
“The placement has developed their skills enormously and allowed them to work with such a great set of people who are so skilled in the planning profession. They were made to feel so welcomed and felt like a valued member of the team.”
“They have had the chance to work on some fantastic projects with some great people. They are excited to go back to university and put their new knowledge to the test.”
“Having great people around at work matters! At TfL, they worked alongside the best teammates and forged friendships with many of them. As a result, the time they spent at TfL has also been a wonderful personal experience that they cherish deeply to date. If someone is lucky enough to be offered a placement at TfL, they shouldn’t hesitate—just go for it!”
Salary
£25,294 pro rata
Location
Stratford, London, E20 1JN
You will be expected to be in the office 4 days a week. With agreement from their manager, you may work from home one day per week.
What we offer
TfL offers excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards include:
- Free travel on the TfL network for the successful candidate 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
Applicants should be at university working towards a minimum of a 2:2 degree in urban planning, geography, or another relevant built-environment discipline.
Candidates will need to have completed at least two years of university by summer 2025 to be eligible for this scheme. This role is designed for a sandwich year student.
Start date:
8th September 2025
Job overview
London is an iconic city. With Spatial Planning at the heart of major planning and investment decisions, TfL is responsible for helping ensure it stays that way. TfL seeks 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. The team works to shape London’s future proactively by supporting sustainable development in London and ensuring good future public transport provision. The department leads on integrating land use planning and transport to support the Mayor’s objective of ‘Good Growth.’
The team develops policies through the London Plan, Opportunity Area Planning Frameworks, and Local Plans, along with guidance to ensure successful implementation. They identify and make the case for transport infrastructure to support growth and secure funding from new developments. The team also advises on urban realm design, contributes to the planning and delivery of successful major developments, and helps realise improvements to, and mitigate impacts on, the transport system and the environment.
They support the Mayor's Transport Strategy and deliver good growth for London by helping planning applicants, the rest of TfL, the Greater London Authority (GLA), boroughs, and other stakeholders to combine land use and transport planning.
Sustainability
Sustainability is intrinsic to TfL’s work ethos, ensuring operations are carried out in a sustainable way to protect and regenerate the natural world.
Successful candidates will help support and implement sustainable development through the Mayor’s ‘good growth’ agenda on projects.
What will the successful candidate be doing?
They will work at the cutting edge of the relationship between development and transport, contributing to exciting and innovative proposals in London, which are often of national significance, and developing an improved understanding of the planning process.
Opportunities to become a Spatial Planning Assistant at TfL are expected to be available in several teams, including Development Management and London Plan & Planning Obligations.
In Development Management, they will help ensure that development delivers the Mayor’s planning agenda, including Healthy Streets, Vision Zero, and Good Growth, while safeguarding and promoting London’s transport operations and infrastructure. Tasks include identifying and resolving transport issues and delivering opportunities for new and improved transport arising from development. They will assess planning applications by reviewing local planning policies and working closely with TfL, the GLA, local authorities, developers, and other key stakeholders.
The London Plan & Planning Obligations team shapes policy at the city-region scale and ensures developer contributions are used for critical transport infrastructure. The role includes analysing income from the Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy, commenting on planning applications, and responding to local plan consultations to ensure alignment with the London Plan. They will collaborate with stakeholders across TfL, the GLA, local authorities, and developers.
Where can this career take someone?
Students who complete this programme often secure positions as planning consultants in both the public and private sectors in the UK and abroad. This Year in Industry placement is 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 they receive?
TfL’s Spatial Planning department supports ongoing development through a wide range of on-the-job practical experience and professional development via an established training programme, mentoring, and networking opportunities throughout the placement.
They will receive one-to-one guidance throughout the programme from:
- Placement manager: Responsible for ensuring they feel welcomed in the organisation, managing their day-to-day activities, and providing support.
- Scheme sponsor: A senior manager acting as a technical and professional adviser.
What does TfL look for?
TfL’s core values are extremely important, and they seek candidates who are:
- Caring about colleagues, customers, and their 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, to be completed within an allocated time frame.
Candidates should read through the process thoroughly to familiarise themselves with it.
Candidates holding qualification certificates should upload copies with their application. If they are due to sit final exams or need to replace certificates, these can be provided later.
Please click on this link for which describes each stage of the https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/careers/how-to-apply-for-apprentice-and-graduate-roles?intcmp=66755
Inclusive Recruitment Process
TfL operates a transparent recruitment process that removes barriers for disabled candidates.
As a Disability Confident employer, TfL offers guaranteed interviews to candidates who meet the minimum criteria for skills, knowledge, and experience.
TfL’s candidate experience includes a fair and robust reasonable adjustments process, in collaboration with Occupational Health and other expert organisations.
Contact TfL
Candidates should reach out if they require any reasonable adjustments.
- Phone: 0203 005 1680 (Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 17:30)
- Email: EarlyCareersCampaigns@tfl.gov.uk