Mott MacDonald
2027 UK Graduate AI Engineer Career Path

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Job Description
Mott MacDonald is using AI to help our people deliver smarter, safer, and more sustainable outcomes for clients and communities. You’ll join Group AI and Information Management, a collaborative team responsible for developing, supporting, and scaling secure AI solutions across the business.
As a Graduate AI Engineer, you’ll work alongside data scientists, engineers, and software developers to build, run, and improve our AI solutions throughout their lifecycle. This is a hands-on technical role in which you’ll spend much of your time writing code, testing solutions, and solving engineering and data science problems. Our team primarily develops in Python, although we also welcome candidates whose experience is mainly in R. You’ll contribute to real projects, develop practical programming and engineering skills, and learn how reliable production AI solutions are delivered and maintained. Over time, you’ll take greater ownership of your work while bringing fresh ideas and perspectives to the team.
Key responsibilities
- Developing AI solutions: work with experienced colleagues to design and build AI-enabled products and services, turning ideas and prototypes into working solutions.
- Maintaining production AI solutions: support, monitor, and improve live AI solutions, investigating issues and making changes that keep them reliable, secure, scalable, and effective.
- Understanding user and business needs: engage with stakeholders to understand the context behind a problem, clarify requirements, and help ensure solutions deliver useful outcomes.
- Testing and improving solutions: evaluate outputs, investigate issues, question assumptions, and use evidence and feedback to improve quality, performance, and usability.
- Communicating your work: contribute to technical documentation, demonstrations, and discussions, explaining your approach and findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Working safely and responsibly: learn and apply the team’s standards for security, governance, responsible AI, and good software-development practice.
- Learning as part of the team: take part in reviews, knowledge-sharing, and collaborative delivery, seeking support when needed, and gradually taking ownership of more complex work.
Candidate Specification
At Mott MacDonald, we’re looking for curious, motivated graduates who want to make a real difference. Join our purpose-driven teams where your ideas matter, your growth is supported, and your work enhances the world we live in.
To be eligible for this opportunity, you will have less than 12 months’ relevant experience (excluding placements) and hold, or expect to achieve, a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD in a quantitative subject, such as:
- Data Science
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Physics
In your application, you should aim to demonstrate your genuine interest in both the opportunity and in joining Mott MacDonald. You can do this by highlighting any relevant experience or interests - such as modules you've studied, previous work experience, or any research you've undertaken about our company, values, and projects.
We personally review every completed application form we receive as this part of our selection process is entirely human led – we do not use AI tools at this stage and kindly ask you not to either. We want you to answer each application question with authenticity so we can get to know the real you. Joining us as a graduate is your opportunity to shape your own story.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
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Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
We are looking for graduates who can demonstrate the following strengths. We do not expect you to arrive as a finished AI engineer; we are interested in your potential, how you think and communicate, and how you learn with support.
- Critical thinking: you can break down unfamiliar problems, question assumptions, consider evidence, and reach a reasoned conclusion.
- Clear technical communication: you can explain technical ideas in a way that suits your audience, verbally and in writing.
- Programming capability: you have a sound foundation in programming and can use coding agents responsibly to help you develop, test, and understand working code.
- Teamwork: you collaborate constructively, listen to others, share your thinking, and follow through on commitments.
- A fresh perspective: you are willing to offer new ideas and respectfully challenge how things are done.
- Curiosity: you ask thoughtful questions about the team, technology, business, and processes, and actively build on what you learn.
We are seeking someone with a proactive approach to learning and professional development, who is curious about emerging technologies, including awareness of AI technological trends and possibilities.
UK Immigration
Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024.
Our ethos is to develop, train, and retain our graduates and therefore we are looking for a long-term relationship with our graduates. For this reason, we cannot accept applications from candidates who would be working under the Graduate visa route or other time-limited visas, (irrespective of visa duration), due to their temporary nature and the requirement for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route in future.
We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.
AI Usage
At Mott MacDonald, we see the value AI can bring, but we take a people-first approach to hiring. While AI tools can help candidates prepare and build confidence, every application and hiring decision is reviewed by our recruitment and hiring teams. We encourage the responsible use of AI while ensuring we get to know the real person behind the application.
Accessibility
We want you to feel supported and able to perform at your best throughout our recruitment process. If there is anything we can do to make applying or interviewing with us more accessible, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we'll be happy to discuss how we can help.
About your development
A graduate position should be more than just a job. We know this and so do you. That’s why with our graduate roles we aim to give you the experience and technical knowledge you need to progress your career. From the moment you join us, you’ll receive the training you need. You will be assigned a mentor, who will guide you to meet the objectives of your professional training needs. You will join our three-year early careers soft skills development programme – Accelerating your Future, which is designed to give you the skills and tools necessary for a long-lasting successful career here at Mott MacDonald.
Our social side
Being part of Mott MacDonald means more than just work; there’s a huge range of fun and exciting things that you can get involved in.


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From the moment you join us, you’ll have the opportunity to expand your social and professional network, whether it’s meeting other graduates or joining forces with other members of staff from around the company at our annual sports day. Each of our offices has a sports and social committee which will give you the chance to be part of a variety of sports, social, and charity events. We’re committed to promoting a strong culture of social responsibility and encourage our staff to play active roles in the local community.
It’s worth noting that sports and social committees tend to vary from office to office, so as well as getting involved in what’s already on offer, don’t be afraid to suggest new events or initiatives that you think could be a great addition. From your first day, you’ll have access to Perks at Work, giving you discounts on cinema tickets, travel, utilities, and much more, helping you make the most of our employee benefits.
Agile working
At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.
Equality, diversity, and inclusion
We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.
Benefits
Financial wellbeing
- Biannual salary reviews: We believe hard work should be recognised and rewarded. To support your development and progression, you'll be eligible for salary reviews twice a year during your first three years with us, subject to successfully completing your probation period.
- We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
- Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
- Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
- Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving, and will writing.
- As an independently owned business, we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways, including annual bonus schemes.
Employee Ownership
- Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
- Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
- As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long-term impact and contribution.
- Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
- For our senior roles, you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.
Health and wellbeing
- Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
- Health cash plan to support you with everyday health costs and treatments.
- Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
- A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including
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