What it does: Professional services
Staff stats: Around 10,000
The good bits: Flexible working options
The not so good bits: Pay could be higher
GHD is a global professional services company that leads through engineering and architectural skills and experience. Their forward-looking, innovative approach connects and sustains communities in Australia and around the world, delivering extraordinary social and economic outcomes.
In Australia there are more than 4000 diverse and skilled individuals connected by 44 offices across the country, many in regional locations. The company has been involved in iconic, community changing projects such as North East Link, Level Crossing Removal Project, Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro, Western Sydney Airport and Snowy 2.0.
Globally, GHD spans five continents – Asia, Australia, Europe, North, South America and the Pacific region, employing more than 10,000 employees across more than 200 offices.
To find out more, visit our website.
GHD is an employee-owned company with a stated vision and a determination to address humanity’s most urgent needs: to ensure water, energy and urbanisation are made sustainable for generations to come.
If you're ready to kick start your career as a change-maker, GHD is the answer. GHD is committed to to encouraging your curiosity, fostering your ideas, and creating meaningful change together.
Start a conversation with GHD today and discover a culture that nurtures and rewards brilliant minds.
GHD is an equal opportunities employer. It hires without regard to an individual's race, colour, religion, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age or national origin.
GHD strives to be an inclusive community where everyone feels they belong. Their culture celebrates and reflects the brilliant diversity of their people, their clients and the communities they work in.
Their approach broadly encompasses all elements of diversity, acknowledging all individuals are unique. This includes factors such as educational background, thinking and leadership styles, culture, sexual orientation and gender identity, age, neurodiversity, reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and flexible working arrangements.
GHD is committed to sustainable development. It aspires to improve the physical, natural and social environments of the communities in which it operates. The firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility program, GHD in the Community, is designed to produce positive social and environmental impacts. These program sponsors or otherwise supports organisations including Engineers Without Borders around the world.
Given the size of GHD and the scope of its operations, there are plenty of opportunities for strong performers to advance rapidly. GHD encourages employees to attain professional accreditation in their discipline. It also provides them with access to the GHD Business School. This provides “diverse learning opportunities” that allow GHD employees to “acquire the experience and knowledge you need to be a truly effective member of our team”.
Grads can participate in GHD’s Young Professionals Group, which “mixes learning and global networking across a wide range of social, community and professional development activities”.
Like all GHD employees, grads are encouraged to make use of their Career Pathways tool. This supports and guides employees to develop an impressive portfolio of skills and experiences, so they are well-positioned to advance their careers.
Like most professional service firms, GHD expects a high standard of performance but rewards its employees handsomely for their efforts. GHD has a genuine commitment to diversity and, in particular, creating a more female-friendly workplace. At GHD, you’ll have the opportunity to work on a range of projects and will potentially have opportunities to travel around New Zealand and internationally.
Our globally connected network
12 countries, 5 continents
200+ offices
10,000 + people
5 Market Sectors
70+ services - providing a breadth of consultancy services across engineering, architecture, environmental and construction sectors
Graduate Development Assignments
As a client service-led organisation, you will have opportunities to work on a diverse range of projects for clients in varied locations, working in collaborative multi-disciplinary teams led by industry leaders. We cover the full project lifecycle - from planning to designing, sustaining, enhancing and retiring assets - across the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation.
Projects
In our client service-led organisation, you will have opportunities to work on a diverse range of projects for clients in varied locations, working in collaborative multi-disciplinary teams led by industry leaders.
Professional Development
GHD is committed to the principle of lifelong learning. With the support of the GHD Business School, your professional development will be achieved through 70% on-the-job learning, 20% coaching and mentoring, and 10% attendance at structured workshops and courses.
On the job learning includes exposure to a variety of projects, disciplines, and metropolitan and regional locations. This will give provide you the opportunity to work with and learn from a variety of different people.
You will develop your capabilities to become a great technical consultant for clients, and progress your career goals.
GHD encourages staff to attain Professional Accreditation status in their relevant discipline. There are many external Accreditation Programs available to GHD people.
Networking
Participating in GHD's Young Professional Group mixes learning and global networking across a wide range of social, community and professional development activities to enhance your experience at GHD. Joining a community of peers from different disciplines, you will develop lasting personal connections and expand your thinking.
Joining a community of peers from different disciplines, you will develop lasting personal connections and expand your thinking.
Innovation
Innovation is acting on the powerful ideas of our people, clients and partners. At GHD, we are harnessing our market sector knowledge and technical talent across our global network to identify the opportunities and challenges facing communities and then delivering the solutions.
We nurture a culture at GHD that embraces optimism, collaboration, experimentation and curiosity. The Smart Seeds challenge is an example of an initiative that brings together young leaders from GHD and partner organisations to solve some of the most pressing issues facing cities today.
Diversity and Inclusion
At GHD, we strive to be an inclusive community where everyone feels they belong. Our inclusion and diversity (I&D) focused culture is core to who we are and what we stand for.
Our culture celebrates and reflects the brilliant diversity of our people, our clients and the communities we work in.
Our approach broadly encompasses all elements of diversity, acknowledging all individuals are unique. This includes factors such as educational background, thinking and leadership styles, culture, sexual orientation and gender identity, age, neurodiversity, reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and flexible working arrangements.
We have a bold aspiration to be a leading employer for I&D in our industry, and we are continuously striving to do better. Our commitment to I&D focuses on what greater inclusion can unlock for our people, our clients and our industry.
As a diverse business, GHD recruits grads from many disciplines. The firm aims to hire people who will embrace its values of safety, teamwork, respect and integrity.
The recruitment process appears to involve making an online application then attending an interview. If you want to make it to the interview stage, you’ll need to submit a strong cover letter. One that, along with all the standard information, outlines how your skills match the grad role on offer and how your “unique contribution of attributes” can add value to GHD. If you are invited to an interview, make sure you convey what you’re hoping to get out of working at GHD, what skills and passion you bring to the table and how your academic qualifications, as well as your life and work experience, make you a natural fit for both the firm and the role you are applying for.
GHD’s two-year grad program takes an integrated, holistic approach to develop future leaders and technical specialists. The program is a combination of tailored learning and development programs, site visits, business and social networking events, and mentoring. You will also gain invaluable on-the-job experience and create networks that will last a lifetime.
GHD is an employee-owned business, which means the better the firm does, the better it’s employee shareholders do.
As part of its efforts to create a more diverse workforce, GHD has introduced flexible working arrangements, as well as generous maternity and paternity leave. It appears the firm offers the standard benefits such as subsidised insurance and gym memberships and a well-stocked office kitchen.
Over time, staff may be offered the opportunity to buy shares in the firm but need to sell them when they leave.