Graduate System Engineer (PRAMS) - HS2

This two-year infrastructure systems engineering and technical assurance graduate scheme focuses on requirements verification, hazard tracking, and asset configuration management for major rail systems.

About the project

Tunnel and Lineside Mechanical and Electrical is a Rail Systems contract for HS2 awarded to Costain to deliver power and ventilation systems to the entire line. It is complex delivery as there are 9 different rail systems contracts who need to cooperate to deliver the functions to enable HS2 to start operations. 

The Systems Engineering and Technical Assurance function supports the successful definition, integration, assurance and progressive acceptance of complex infrastructure systems. The team works across requirements management, configuration management, system safety, interoperability, PRAMS, technical assurance, interface management and digital engineering processes.

The Graduate Systems Engineer will be developed across core systems engineering disciplines, with the long-term aim of becoming a technically authoritative professional capable of leading structured engineering decision-making in complex project environments.

About the role

As a Graduate Systems Engineer, you will support the delivery of systems engineering and technical assurance activities across the project lifecycle. You will contribute to the definition, allocation, management and verification of requirements, hazards, configuration items and assurance evidence.

The role is intended to develop capability in the systems engineering disciplines of:

• PRAMS: Performance, Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety

• System Safety

• Interoperability

• Configuration Management                                                

• Requirements Management

You will be guided in the use of IBM Rational DOORS and other project software tools used to manage requirements, hazards, interfaces, configuration information, assurance evidence and technical records.

The role requires strong attention to detail, curiosity, disciplined thinking, and the aspiration to develop into a future technical authority. You will initially support workshops and assurance activities, and will progressively take responsibility for preparing, facilitating and leading elements of systems definition, hazard allocation and requirements allocation workshops.

Costain's Graduate Development Programme

The programme will focus on helping you to grow your personal and leadership skills, alongside business and of course, the technical skills you will learn day-to-day on the job. 

The programme is delivered in a variety of formats throughout the 2 years and will allow you to establish a network of contacts that will help and support you through your first 2 years and beyond. We expect some of our graduates to rotate after a period of 8-12 months, to another project/sector of the business to fully understand the depth and breadth of the services offered by the company. Our line managers are fully supportive of the Graduate Development Programme and will be involved in helping you along the way. 

In addition to the programme, we offer mentoring and support in every area of work, as well as a structured training programme to enable graduates to work towards achieving Chartership. Graduates may have the opportunity to work on a number of exciting and progressive projects around the UK during the 2-year period, in sectors including nuclear, highways, rail, water, airports and tunnels. 

Responsibilities

1. Support requirements management activities

Assist in the capture, structuring, allocation, tracing and reporting of project requirements using IBM Rational DOORS and associated digital tools.

2. Support hazard and safety management activities

Contribute to the allocation of hazards, safety requirements and assurance evidence, supporting system safety workshops, reviews and records.

3. Support PRAMS and technical assurance activities

Assist in the development, collation and management of evidence relating to performance, reliability, availability, maintainability and safety requirements.

4.  Support configuration management activities

Help maintain controlled technical information, configuration item records, baselines, change records and traceability between requirements, assets, designs and assurance evidence.

5.  Support interoperability and compliance activities

Assist in the identification, allocation and management of interoperability requirements, applicable standards, regulatory obligations and assurance evidence.

6.  Participate in and progressively lead workshops

Support systems definition, hazard allocation, requirements allocation and assurance workshops, initially through preparation and record keeping, and progressively through facilitation and technical leadership.

7. Maintain accurate records and reports

Produce and maintain clear, accurate and auditable records, including action logs, allocation matrices, workshop outputs, requirements reports, configuration status information and assurance trackers.

8. Engage fully with the apprenticeship and professional development pathway

Actively participate in structured learning, mentoring, professional development and project-based experience with the aim of developing toward professional registration and future technical authority responsibilities.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

Essential 

• A strong interest in systems engineering, technical assurance, infrastructure, rail, digital engineering or complex engineered systems.

• High attention to detail and appreciation of the importance of accuracy, traceability and controlled information.

• Good analytical skills, with the ability to structure information logically and identify relationships between requirements, hazards, assets, interfaces and evidence.

• Good written and verbal communication skills.

• Confidence to engage with engineers, designers, safety specialists, delivery teams and other stakeholders.

• Willingness to learn specialist tools, including IBM Rational DOORS and other requirements, configuration, assurance and reporting systems.

• Good IT capability, including Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.

• Ability to work collaboratively and to build positive working relationships.

• Ability to organise work, manage actions and follow through on commitments.

• A professional attitude, with the aspiration to develop into a trusted technical authority.

• Awareness of systems engineering principles, requirements management, configuration management or safety assurance.

• Awareness of infrastructure, rail, transport, energy, defence or other complex project environments.

• Awareness of standards, assurance processes, asset information or digital engineering environments.

• Experience using structured databases, reporting tools, dashboards or engineering information systems.

• Exposure to workshops, stakeholder engagement, technical documentation or project coordination.

• Interest in professional registration through an appropriate engineering institution.

Desirable

• Awareness of systems engineering principles, requirements management, configuration management or safety assurance.

• Awareness of infrastructure, rail, transport, energy, defence or other complex project environments.

• Awareness of standards, assurance processes, asset information or digital engineering environments.

• Experience using structured databases, reporting tools, dashboards or engineering information systems.

• Exposure to workshops, stakeholder engagement, technical documentation or project coordination.

• Interest in professional registration through an appropriate engineering institution.

About you

Essential 

• A degree, or expected degree, in relevant engineering, science, mathematics, technology or systems-related discipline; or equivalent apprenticeship / vocational route aligned to the role.

• Have passion for Costain's Carbon Net Zero targets  

• Detail-focused and methodical.

• Curious and willing to ask questions.

• Comfortable working with complex information.

• Able to communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Organised, reliable and proactive.

• Open to feedback and committed to continuous improvement.

• Interested in developing technical judgement and professional authority over time.

• Comfortable supporting workshops and progressively taking on a more visible facilitation role.

Desirable

• ​ Degree or modules covering systems engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software engineering, safety, reliability, data, asset management or project management.

• Membership, or willingness to pursue membership, of a relevant professional body such as INCOSE, ICE, IET, IMechE, SaRS, IfSE or equivalent.

 About Us

Costain helps to improve people’s lives with integrated, leading edge, smart infrastructure solutions across the UK’s energy, water, transportation and defence markets. We help our clients improve their business performance by increasing capacity, improving customer service, safeguarding security, enhancing resilience, decarbonising and delivering increased efficiency. Our vision is to be the UK’s leading smart infrastructure solutions company.

We will achieve this by focusing on blue chip clients whose major spending plans are underpinned by strategic national needs, regulatory commitments, legislation or essential performance requirements.

We offer our clients leading edge solutions that are digitally optimised through the following five services which cover the whole lifecycle of their assets: future-shaping strategic consultancy; consultancy and advisory; digital technology solutions; asset optimisation and complex programme delivery. Our culture and values underpin everything we do.

Costain appreciate the time and effort taken when applying for one of our positions but, due to the high volume of responses, we are unable to provide individual feedback on candidates at application phase.