2026 Graduate - Proposal Engineer

Veolia is a global leader in environmental services, operating across all five continents with nearly 218,000 employees. Specializing in water, energy, and waste management, Veolia designs and implements innovative solutions for decarbonization, depollution, and resource regeneration, supporting communities and industries in their ecological transformation. Within this framework, Water Tech brings together a dedicated team of experienced professionals committed to tackling the world’s most complex challenges related to water scarcity, quality, productivity, and energy. Together, we pursue a shared mission to create a more sustainable future.

VEOLIA GRADUATE PROGRAM 2026

PROPOSAL ENGINEER

Location: Madrid, Spain (Hybrid working model)

Required: DEGREE IN Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, Environmental, or similar)

Application Deadline: 19th April 2026

Salary: 

NOTE: The title 'Graduate 2026' relates to our program name, not the year we expect you to have graduated.

Veolia are ready to launch our Graduate Recruitment Campaign for 2026!

You will join us between July and October 2026 and complete our 1-year fully immersive graduate programme. This structured development journey leads to exciting long-term career opportunities across our global operations.

This is a permanent position from day one, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to our graduates' long-term success and development. We believe in investing in our future leaders by offering permanent contracts rather than fixed-term positions, providing our graduates with job security and peace of mind from the start. This approach allows you to fully focus on your development and career growth.

At the end of the 12-month graduate program, we conduct comprehensive career conversations with each graduate to explore their strengths, interests, and aspirations. This discussion helps determine the most suitable career path within our company. Our commitment to permanent employment reflects our confidence in our graduate program and our dedication to nurturing long-term talent. It also demonstrates our strong track record of graduate retention and career progression within Veolia.

We pride ourselves on our positive and inclusive culture that emphasises equality and collaboration rather than focusing on hierarchy. At Veolia, our employees' diverse perspectives are encouraged and valued. Joining us means you will participate in our thriving DEI communities and related initiatives.

Veolia has a meaningful purpose where you'll be part of something bigger than just a job; you'll be part of a network driving ecological transformation and making a meaningful impact on society and the environment through our work.

Our Graduate Program is our commitment to developing talented employees through:

• Structured training on both essential and technical skills
• Networking opportunities
• A dedicated support network of a Program Leader, Line Manager, Mentor, Coach, and HR Manager
• Experiential learning, delivered on a monthly basis
• For times in-person workshops at key locations at our operations across Europe
• A Sustainability Challenge to develop your entrepreneurial skills
• Regular reviews with your support network - and a great chance for feedback

As a Graduate Proposal Engineer, you will lead project opportunities from inquiry to order, developing safe and effective water treatment solutions for customers. You'll collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across Sales, Engineering, and Project Management. You'll develop winning strategies, create customer-facing proposals, and optimize costs while learning from industry experts. This role offers hands-on experience in water treatment innovation with regional and international travel opportunities.

Day-to-Day Duties and Learnings:

• Lead project opportunities from customer inquiry through to contract award, developing winning strategies with support from experienced Proposal Managers
• Review customer specifications and documentation to understand project requirements and assess technical feasibility
• Create comprehensive customer-facing proposals and supporting technical documentation in collaboration with global Veolia teams
• Develop and consolidate project budgets using costing tools, driving cost optimization while managing risks and opportunities
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams including Sales, Tender, Engineering, Sourcing, Finance, and Legal departments on complex proposals
• Communicate proactively with customers throughout the commercial development process and maintain accurate proposal records
• Participate in developing initiatives and tools to optimize proposal response times and improve costing accuracy

Ideal Skills and Experience:

• Master's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, Environmental, or similar) (essential)
• Fluent in English and Spanish (oral and written)
• Other European languages are useful
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Proficiency in Google Workspace or similar platforms
• Willingness to travel
• Comfortable working in remote global teams
• Ability to multi-task and deliver results against demanding deadlines
• Proactive and action-oriented approach
• Knowledge of water and wastewater treatment technologies is a plus
• Interest in integrating AI tools and software programming skills in Python 

As an inclusive company, Veolia is committed to diversity and gives equal consideration to all applications, without discrimination.