Pre Construction Graduate Management Trainee (office-based)

About the opportunity:

As a Pre-Construction Management Trainee, you will gain valuable experience in the early stages of the project lifecycle, supporting the teams responsible for securing new business opportunities and preparing projects for successful delivery. Working alongside experienced pre-construction professionals, you will develop an understanding of how projects are planned, costed, and bid for, while building knowledge of the wider construction industry.

Throughout the programme, you will work with a range of teams across the business, including Estimating, Commercial, Design, Operations and Social Value, helping to coordinate information and contribute to high-quality bid submissions. You will learn how to understand client requirements, develop bid strategies, and support the production of compelling proposals that showcase our expertise and capability.

What you will do:

Over the course of the programme, you will:

• Support the Pre-Construction team in preparing bids, proposals and tender submissions for new project opportunities.
• Assist in identifying client requirements, priorities and challenges to help develop effective bid strategies and solutions.
• Produce customer-focused content for bid submissions, tailoring responses to meet the specific needs of each client and opportunity.
• Help coordinate input from teams across the business to ensure bid submissions are accurate, compliant and submitted on time.
• Create and maintain responsibility matrices, action trackers and programme schedules to support the effective management of bid activities.
• Maintain document control systems, ensuring case studies, project information, evidence and supporting documentation are up to date and readily available.
• Support information gathering, research and content development for submissions, presentations and client meetings.
• Develop an understanding of the project lifecycle, from opportunity identification and tendering through to project delivery.
• Build relationships with colleagues and stakeholders across the business to broaden your knowledge and understanding of different functions and their role in securing and delivering successful projects.
• Continuously develop your understanding of the industry, market trends and customer priorities to support the creation of high-quality bid submissions.
• Gain the relevant technical and behavioural knowledge for your role, through the completion of a technical manual, behavioural workshops, short-term placements and relevant qualifications.

About you:

To be successful, you'll:

• Be passionate about building a career in the built environment.
• Be curious, eager to learn and committed to your personal development.
• Build positive relationships and work collaboratively with others.
• Take ownership of your work and act with integrity and professionalism.
• Approach challenges with a positive, solution-focused mindset.
• Be organised, adaptable and able to prioritise effectively.
• Be committed to delivering high standards and making a positive impact.

What's in it for you?

At Wates, we're committed to helping you build a successful career in construction. Alongside hands-on experience in your chosen career pathway, graduates who do not hold a degree in a construction-related subject will be enrolled onto a relevant Level 4 apprenticeship, providing additional learning and development to help accelerate your career in the built environment.

You'll also benefit from mentoring, structured training, behavioural workshops and support from experienced professionals throughout your programme. We encourage and support our trainees to continue their professional development through industry-recognised qualifications and, where applicable, work towards chartership.

In addition, we offer:

• Competitive salary
• Private medical insurance
• Car allowance
• Health & wellness programme
• 26 days holiday + bank holidays
• Birthday Day off

Entry Requirements

To be eligible for this programme, you must:

• By September 2027, you must have obtained a bachelor's degree with a predicted or achieved classification of 2:2 or above.
• A full UK driving licence is required.

Locations: Warrington or Manchester

Important: Travel Requirements

As a project-based business, our teams work across a variety of locations. Depending on the role, you may be required to work from different project sites within the region or nationally throughout the programme.

Please carefully consider this requirement before applying, as travel and mobility are essential parts of the role. Successful candidates must be willing to travel in line with project and business need.

Ready to apply?

 If this sounds like the opportunity for you, we'd love to hear from you!

Applications close on 10 November 2026.

A few things to consider before you apply:

• Some vacancies might close earlier if we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible
• We value authenticity and encourage you to complete your application without the use of AI tools. This helps us gain a genuine understanding of your individual strengths, experiences and potential.
• Only one application will be accepted per recruitment year. Any additional applications will be automatically withdrawn.

About Wates

Established in 1897, we are one of the UK's leading family-owned development, building and property maintenance companies. With 6,000 employees and now in our fourth generation of family ownership, we're committed to the long-term sustainability of the built environment and to making our industry more inclusive and representative of the communities we work in.

With multiple businesses working across the built environment, we can offer a wide range of career opportunities.

As part of our trainee programme, you'll join a network of around 200 peers, learning and working together as you build connections and develop your career at Wates.

Our commitments

Wates is proud to be an employer where everyone can thrive, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, we will be happy to support you. To discuss your requirements, please contact us at watesrecruitment@peoplescout.co.uk.

Please note that some roles may require additional pre-employment checks due to the nature of the work.