Foreword from our Chief Executive Ian Anderson
Foreword
Have you ever noticed how sports fans treasure the progress of a ‘good young’n’ over pretty much everything else?
They might brag about the uber-expensive star signing, but they sing about ‘one of their own’. And there’s good reason for this: the player that has come through the ranks has the DNA and identity of the club in their blood; from the way they have been trained, their camaraderie with other players and coaches, appreciation of values, respect of those in supporting roles, loyalty, the way they project themselves back into their community, and of course, the pure love of the game. Those players that come through the ranks are the embodiment of the club, and make it easier for other players that join subsequently to comprehend what it means to be a part of that club.
Iceni would not claim to be a sports team (albeit we’ve been known to represent ourselves pretty successfully in a multitude of activities), however we recognise those values intuitively; for club read tribe.
Iceni will always provide a warm welcome to people joining at any stage of their career, and we will relentlessly seek to employ the best and brightest talents. But we do have an innate focus on developing our own people. We want to be representative of the communities we work in, and a company that anyone can join, regardless of race, class, status, or educational background.
Joining the Iceni Projects Academy opens the door to the potential for a successful and worthy career. It demands hard work, a willingness to learn, to try new things and apply new skills, and patience. Not everyone will succeed. But those that do will have a special bond within the tribe, and will help to carry the company forward for the generations that follow.
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Who We Are
Learn more about us and what we do
Meet a Few of Us
Get to know some of our most recent members of the tribe
Our Opportunities
Have a look at what we have to offer Our Rewards
Discover what you can look forward to
What We Look For
Find out what we’re looking for and how to apply
Who We Are
We believe that everything we do is ultimately about people, and as a consultancy operating within the built environment, we want to create great places for people.
Our tribe is drawn from many countries with more than 13 nationalities and over 6 spoken languages. We value and celebrate diversity and inclusion in every aspect of our day to day life: in our people, culture, client-base and projects.
We have open plan offices in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
We believe in responsibility: to our staff, our clients, to the environment and communities. We work for a variety of different clients, including developers, strategic land promoters and local authorities, with one aim - to create high quality and sustainable places.
We ensure that our own workplace sets standards of wellbeing and enjoyment, with an annual ski trip, book/ running/cycle clubs and socials.
We work in the spirit of collaboration and fun, and we are ambitious for you, as well as for us.
Our expertise spans a wide range of disciplines including Planning, Economics, Impact Management, Transport, Heritage and Townscape, Design and Landscape, Sustainability, Engagement and Archaeology.
Place
Planning
Econo
Built
Employees
5 Regional Offices
7 Disciplines
10 Specialisms Working with over 100 Local Authorities and Major Housebuilders A Carbon Neutral Business
Meet a Few of Us
We are delighted to welcome new members of the tribe each year. With us, your career roadmap is just that: yours. We want you to achieve your full potential and we will put you at the centre of our learning programme.
Your journey with us has been designed to give you all-round exposure in the different areas of expertise, through a rotation system. We also want you to experience a range of different projects and our trajectory sets out the skills and learning you should expect over the course of the two years.
At Iceni, we aim to foster an environment where you feel comfortable to ask for advice and support that you need. We have several different formats of learning, ranging from formal training seminars, to a buddy system, through to a weekly Dropin Surgery where you and the other graduates can ask questions and discuss project work with your senior members of staff.
Here are some of the newest members of the tribe and their learning journeys with us
From Work Experience to Graduate Apprentice
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I was introduced to Iceni’s work experience programme through the career’s advisor at the school. I was uncertain about the value of doing work experience at first, but after a week at Iceni learning about various teams, including strategic planning, transport, environment, engagement, and sustainability I was grateful to have been introduced to Iceni and its members in this welcoming and informative way.
My interest to pursue a career at Iceni was then supported despite not having a town planning background, and I was granted an opportunity to work full time until I start my parttime masters with Iceni and the University of Westminster, to study Urban and Regional Planning (RTPI Apprenticeship). This unconventional route of joining Iceni was ideal for me knowing that I will be able to work whilst studying and aim towards obtaining my masters, a chartership and lifelong experience.
As I begin to learn more about town planning, I am encouraged to advance in my work, which contributes towards elevating my professional development. Being able to progress professionally as a valued member of the Iceni tribe has allowed me to express myself as an individual in such a short period of time. A crucial component to my personal identity is through religious expression, and I firmly believe that fostering an environment that acknowledges and respects these beliefs is essential.
Rabeka Begum Assistant Planner (Graduate Apprentice), Planning
From Work Experience to Graduate Assistant Planner
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I started with Iceni in January 2023 working part time whilst studying for my masters in City Planning at the University of Glasgow. I have found working part time with Iceni extremely beneficial for my learning as I was able to utilise the more theoretical aspects of the course in a practical manner.
Whilst being part of the Glasgow team I was able to get stuck in on a range of projects including residential schemes, mixed-use and strategic land promotion. In particular, my favourite project to get involved in has been the redevelopment of Glasgow’s St Enoch Shopping Centre. This project was a really exciting one, located in the centre of Glasgow, the project forms part of wider city regenerative efforts to transform Glasgow city centre.
During my internship with the Glasgow team, I was fortunate enough to head down to London for an Iceni breakfast seminar where I was able to meet some of the other teams and gain better insight into the company as a whole. The cross-disciplinary approach to planning alongside the strong social culture both appealed to me for starting my career in planning.
In September 2023, I began working full time as an Assistant Planner with Team Strategic, based in the London office. I look forward to working across the team on a range of different projects whilst working towards my chartership of the RTPI (as well as a cheeky social here and there!).
Lauren Cadore Assistant Planner (Graduate), Strategic Planning
From internship to Heritage Consultant
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Iceni provided me with the opportunity to undertake a work placement in the Heritage and Townscape team back in 2021. The work placement formed part of my masters course and aimed to provide real world experience alongside academic study. However, it soon became apparent to me that Iceni’s approach to early careers excels beyond the 'real world’ average. Instead, at the core of Iceni’s work experience programme is dynamism and respectfulness for the individual and their learning. Ultimately, resulting in a supportive, proactive, and energetic work experience environment.
I felt encouraged to approach tasks with conviction, knowing that I was supported at both a team and a companywide level. Iceni’s approach enabled me to experience a wide breath of work and rounded understanding of the sector. My contribution and inputs to projects were actively heard and valued.
As my work experience drew to a close, I realised that I didn’t want to experience the average ‘real world’ offered by other consultancies and instead wished to continue to be part of something bigger. The obvious solution was to apply for Iceni’s Graduate Programme…
Two years later, having finished the Iceni Graduate Programme, I am now a Senior Consultant and feel as valued and supported as I did on Day 1.
Hugo Tomassi
Senior Consultant, Built Heritage & Townscape
From internship to Heritage Consultant (Graduate level)
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My journey at Iceni as a Heritage Consultant began with a six-month internship that I was thrilled transferred into a permanent role. My entry into this field began with my work at a conservation charity in London, having completed my undergraduate degree in History. My academic interests then led me to pursue a MSt degree in Architectural History at the University of Cambridge, where I began to build a more refined and detailed understanding of our built environment. Throughout my academic journey, I had always been intrigued by Architectural History and was keen to find a way to integrate this passion into my professional life, so transitioning from Cambridge to the internship with Iceni was the perfect route through which I could apply my theoretical knowledge.
My time as an intern at Iceni was more comprehensive than I had initially anticipated. I quickly found myself involved in a wide range of projects and working on many aspects of the workload of a Heritage Consultant, whether that was historic research, evaluating the significance of historic buildings or assessing the impact of proposals on the historic environment. It was a great learning experience and I felt that I had been given opportunities that not everyone entering the industry at my level could expect. One part of this is Townscape, which is often overlooked which I think when prospective Heritage Consultants consider the profession, but it is a diverse part of the job, exploring the sensitivities and opportunities of our built environment beyond just listed buildings and conservation areas.
Oliver Taylor
Heritage Consultant, Built Heritage & Townscape
Our Opportunities
We provide a wide range of career opportunities, depending on where you are on your journey.
Office Open Days
Spend a busy and interactive day with us and learn about the work we do. You will know if what we have to offer is of any future interest to you.
Work Shadowing (1-5 days)
Join our team and project meetings to experience what we do in our day-to-day work life. It will help you gain more insight in our areas of expertise and help you decide if you wish to continue exploring it.
Work Experience (2-3 weeks)
Work alongside our consultants on exciting projects and understand more about the type of work you could be doing. It will help explore which area of the built environment you would like to work in.
Summer Internship (1-4 months)
Working alongside specialists in your chosen business area, you’ll work on client projects to give you the best insight into what we’re about. You’ll have the opportunity to build networks with your colleagues and peer group.
Sandwich or Placement (6 to 12 months)
Develop a broad range of business skills, enhance your commercial thinking and experience our culture. You’ll be a key member of the tribe, working on real client engagements and be supported to reach your full potential. This is ideal if you need to complete a placement as part of your degree – plus if you’ve completed some professional exams on placement, you’ll qualify faster if you re-join as a Graduate.
Apprenticeships
Gain your professional qualification while working with us. We will fund your education and provide you with exposure to exciting project work and time off to study.
Graduate Programme
Join us after you graduate and you’ll work alongside, and learn from an experienced team working on a range of projects and disciplines. We will support you to gain your professional qualification and take you through an immersive learning journey to become a brilliant professional in your chosen field.
Learn on the next page who each programme is best catered for
Our Opportunities at a glance
Office Open
Days Event
Work Shadowing
1-5 Days (Unpaid)
Work Experience
2 to 3 Weeks (Paid)
Summer Internships
1 to 4 Months (Paid)
Sandwich or Placement
6 to 12 Months (Paid)
Apprenticeship
3 to 5 Years (Paid)
Graduate Programme
2 years
Penultimate Year Students Final Year Students Graduates
Our Rewards
We offer a wider range of competitive rewards to support our paid employees. Here are just some of them.
flexible & hybrid working
25 days holiday & option of additional purchase
social club & parties
learning support & financial support for studies
cycle to work scheme & electric vehicle leasing
discretionary bonus scheme
travel to work loan
annual health & well-being allowance
health cash plan & health assessment
counselling services
time off & employee assistance support
9% pension contribution
career break
What We Look For
We are looking for individuals ready to invest plenty of effort, commitment, flexibility and passion into their future. If you are invested, we are invested. If you are resilient, creative, hard working and passionate, willing to go the extra mile for our clients, we would like to hear from you.
All of the routes into Iceni offer you the opportunity to grow as a professional, to meet new people and work on exciting projects while building long lasting relationships.
We hope you find this handbook supports you at the start of your career and that you can look back in two years and measure your success against the objectives within it.
To apply for any of our programmes, send your CV and a covering letter explaining why you would like to join us to: hr@iceniprojects.com