Public Sector & Policy Graduate Jobs

This 12-month maternity cover role offers graduates a structured entry into local government planning, involving the assessment of residential and commercial applications, report writing, and presenting cases to the Planning Committee.Mid Devon District Council is looking to recruit a Planning Officer to join its high performing development management service to provide 12 months maternity cover.The role involves handling a variety of applications, including householder, minor residential and commercial, prior approvals and pre-application advice, so is ideal for graduates / post graduates or those early in their planning career. You will attend Planning Committee, where relevant, to present your cases.  You will contribute towards a culture of mutual support and development across the team.An ability to analyse planning issues and to write high quality letters, reports, and appeal statements whilst meeting agreed deadlines is something we will work with you to develop in conjunction with our supportive Principal Planning Officers and Area Team Leaders. We are looking for people with good communication and presentation skills and the desire to enhance them.  You will be supported by regular one to ones with a Team Leader, have access to Continuous Professional Development and work with a small and friendly, team of Planners with all levels of experience.Mid Devon provides an opportunity to working in an attractive rural area close to the city of Exeter and within easy reach of the Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks, Blackdown Hills National Landscape and the north and south Devon coasts, dealing with a range of developments across our market towns and villages. We have a culture of developing and promoting our people with our principal officers all progressing within the team.  The post would suit a person looking for a first role in planning including those who have  completed a first degree in a relevant discipline that allows for progression onto an RTPI accredited course.  We are looking for someone who is keen to develop their experience of dealing with a wide range of applications for planning permission, prior approvals and written representation appeals.To be successful in this role you must have a positive approach to challenges, problem solving, and the ability to use your initiative, be able to innovate and seek creative solutions to planning for new homes and jobs and securing the delivery of infrastructure.

Posted 9 days ago

This three-and-a-half-year fixed-term programme offers graduates hands-on experience through rotations in management accounting, auditing, and financial control while funding and supporting the completion of a nationally recognized accountancy qualification.Graduate Trainee Accountants will undertake a range of placements across a number of teams within the Finance function. The work is likely to include:Management accountingBudget preparationFinancial accountingFinancial controlProject workInternal auditingThere may also be opportunities to gain some experience in the following areas: Treasury managementProcurementPayment processingFinancial information systemsGraduate Trainee Accountants will be required to show measurable improvement in their performance over the specified three and a half year training period. Objectives will be set at the start of each placement and assessed at the end of each placement.  At the end of the three and a half years fixed-term contract, a position with the Council is not guaranteed, although candidates will be encouraged to apply for internal positions towards the end of their placement. If at the end of the three and a half year period a position has not been secured, candidates will leave the organisation.The post offers new entrants to the labour market the chance of paid employment combined with the opportunity to be trained in the relevant occupational area. The post includes the opportunity to gain valuable work experience, to contribute to the work of the department and to gain a nationally recognised accountancy qualification. In the early stages of employment, Graduate Trainee Accountants are closely supervised, however, as you gain more experience, you will be expected to carry out duties on your own or as lead officer on occasion and to be able to prioritise your workload appropriately.You will follow a well-established structured training programme which has achieved Best Practice Employer accreditation. The trainee programme takes approximately three years.We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone feels valued and able to be their best. We particularly encourage applications from women for senior roles, as well as people from minority ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities or neurodivergent people, care experienced people, carers and LGBT+ people across all levels of the organisation, all of whom are currently underrepresented. All applicants will be considered fairly based on skills and experience. Disabled and care-experienced applicants who meet the minimum job criteria will be guaranteed an interview.As part of our goal to improve organisational culture and create a great place to work together for the people of Edinburgh, we want to make sure we're recruiting the best people. We’re interested not only in your skills and experience but also in your approach to work. Therefore, part of our interview process will be an assessment of how you would bring Our Behaviours of Respect, Integrity and Flexibility into your ways of working.Our salary range typically reflects the initial starting salary and annually increases until it reaches the top of the range.About Us:Are you keen to shape the future of Scotland’s capital city? The City of Edinburgh Council is looking for dedicated and enthusiastic individuals to work with us and deliver key services across our capital city. We’re the second largest local authority in Scotland with a workforce of over 19,000 who all play a crucial role in maintaining and supporting vital services to over 500,000 residents. We offer an incredible variety of career opportunities across a broad range of sectors. Join us and you’ll find a role where you can make a difference and grow your career.Our Culture:Our Behaviours, respect, integrity, and flexibility guide everything that we do, and we strive to make sure all colleagues feel valued and have a sense of belonging in the workplace. We want to make sure that we bring people into our roles who demonstrate Our Behaviours and are dedicated and committed to our purpose of serving our community. We are focused on delivering excellent customer service to meet citizens needs and make the city a better place.Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:We recognise the benefits that diverse perspectives, experiences and backgrounds bring to our organisation, and we’re committed to employing a workforce that represents the population of the city we serve. We particularly encourage applicants from under-represented groups including women, LGBT+ people, racially minoritised groups, people with disabilities and people who are neurodivergent.

Posted 10 days ago

A Development Planning role with East Ayrshire Council focused on producing local development plans, supporting public sector planning activities, and gaining professional planning competency within local government.Job DescriptionWork as part of a team to produce the East Ayrshire Local Development Plan and provide a range of professional planning activities delivered within the Development Planning section, whilst undertaking the Assessment of Professional Competence. At all times, working to assist with the promotion, delivery and integration of the Council’s key objectives; specifically in relation to the Community Plan, Shared Commitments, Single Outcome Agreement and Best Value. ResponsibilitiesWe follow the national guidance in relation to pre-employment checks namely “Safer Recruitment Through Better Recruitment”. With regards to requests for references and in line with this guidance, during your application process you should provide details of a minimum of two appropriate and relevant references, one of which should be from your current or most recent employer. It is also a requirement that the reference from your current or most recent employer is from an appropriate senior manager and it is not a reference from a former peer operating at the same level. The IndividualThis is a full time permanent post and the admin base is Opera House, Kilmarnock.The hours of work are 35 per week working: Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm and Friday 9am to 4pmThe salary for the post is £35,654 - £38,675 per annum.The workstyle for this post is ‘Mobile’ - 20-49% of your time in an office or other work location. You will work at your administrative base or another agreed office location between 1 to 2.5 days per week and the remainder of the week at home or other work locations as required.It is the expectation that all office-based employees (with the exception of those working in schools) will work to the higher end of their allocated workstyle in terms of time spent in the office or at other work locationsEast Ayrshire Council is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcomes applications from all members of the community. We encourage applicants from underrepresented groups including Black and Minority Ethnic people, disabled people and LGBT people. We are also keen to decrease occupational segregation and so encourage women to apply for managerial posts and/or roles in which they are underrepresented. East Ayrshire Council is a Disability Confident employer and a Recruit with Conviction Ambassador.

Posted 13 days ago

A South Yorkshire flood resilience graduate scheme focused on environmental management, flood risk reduction, community engagement, and infrastructure planning across local authorities and environmental organisations.The Graduate scheme offers you the chance to be involved in meaningful work that helps deliver on building flood resilience for South Yorkshire, gain valuable experience in the workplace and to develop some of the skills, knowledge and experiences that can help you in your future career aspirations.Water doesn’t respect local authority boundaries, and our working practices need to change so we are responding not as individual organisations but as the people best placed to make things better.Across the partner organisations, you’ll gain experience alongside a range of teams who operate to make South Yorkshire more flood resilient. This could be practically, understanding how highways maintenance can impact our flood resilience, to how water is included in assessing planning applications, or how nature based solutions play their part in reducing flooding.For all graduates, the main purpose of the role is to gain experience of the variety of activities involved in responding to flood risk across South Yorkshire and to undertake work in their allocated department to support with the delivery of these activities and services. We will give all graduates the relevant background, the opportunity to work on live problems. And assess flood risk on a catchment basis.Graduates will also undertake learning and development activities relating to various aspects of workplace and careers skills, in order to enhance their own development and support their progress with any variety of future career or education ambitions they may have.These graduate positions are offered to graduates, qualifications will not be limited to engineering or flood relates courses.A chance to understand the breadth of what is involved in driving flood resilience in South Yorkshire, from community engagement to flood defences and nature based solutions.What are we looking for?We are looking for candidates who are passionate and enthusiastic.You don’t need to have firmly made your mind up about a career – that’s the point – never considered a role in flood resilience? This is your chance.We are looking for someone who is organised, self-motivated, and able to work well within a team. What will Connected by Water get out of it?We want to raise awareness of how varied and interesting a career in flood resilience can be. We know you will bring fresh insight and ideas.The practicalities:Up to six placements are being offered as part of the Scheme, hosted by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council on behalf of Connected by Water. Successful applicants will work with the different organisations which are part of Connected by Water (the four local authorities of South Yorkshire, Yorkshire Water, the Environment Agency, Mayoral Combined authority, plus work with wider stakeholders).

Posted 16 days ago

A graduate museum data evaluation role focused on analysing social impact, audience engagement, and community outcomes from cultural and heritage programmes.Bradford District Museums and Galleries (BDMG) is the local authority Museums Service for Bradford. BDMG runs four sites across the Bradford District, providing free entry for all to collections including world-class art, industrial machinery, archaeology, geology, natural history, costume, and photography archives. There are permanent collections on display as well as a vibrant series of temporary exhibitions and events. This post would be part of the Learning and Outreach Team. This team is responsible for the development and delivery of learning programmes, family learning and early years, community co-created work, events, and volunteering. The successful candidate would, with support from the Learning and Outreach Manager, work across all departments within the Museums Service to build a comprehensive picture of the impact of our work. Job Introduction We are seeking a Graduate Museums Audience Data Evaluation Analyst to join the Museums and Galleries team and play a key role in the delivery of high‑quality projects across the district.This is an excellent opportunity for a someone with experience in evaluation and data management in the culture sector to contribute to the strategic development of the Museums Service, providing data analysis, evaluation methodology, and impact assessment expertise. You will work closely with the Learning and Outreach Manager and teams across the Museums and Galleries service, helping to shape our evaluation practices and our understanding of the impact of our work across our sites. Bradford District Museums and Galleries are at a pivotal moment. As one of the key organisations identified as developing the legacy of Bradford 2025, we are continuing to deliver our programme of impactful community-led, place-based work across the District. With the release of the 2025-2030 Council Plan, we have a renewed focus on making this important work as closely linked to Council priorities as possible, with cross-department working and tackling key areas (including Pride in Place, improving mental health of children and young people, and tackling inequality) a focus of our strategic direction. In order to achieve excellence in this, we have identified that evaluation of our work is vital to measure the impact we are having on visitors, volunteers, participants in our programming, and the wider Bradford community.This role is an opportunity to make a real difference in our vibrant and diverse city. With appropriate supervision and mentoring, you will:Gather data aligned with BDMG’s Strategic Plan and Evaluation Framework, that demonstrates impact on participants and visitors in areas of the Service’s work including (but not limited to) creative health work, accessibility and inclusion, skills training and employability, social connection and community cohesion – in alignment with CBMDC’s 2025-2030 Council Plan.Undertake strategic and impact-based analysis and evaluation using data gathered under BDMG’s Evaluation Framework. This should be undertaken through recognised techniques to outline challenges, opportunities, good practices, and solutions within clearly defined boundaries.Conduct SROI (Social Return on Investment) evaluation of BDMG programming to establish key areas of the Service’s benefits to communities in Bradford, and where development is needed. Prepare clear written reports on progress and analysis carried out.Define, scope, and manage smaller evaluation projects or workstreams as defined by the Lead Officer.Work with and co-ordinate the work of individuals, within the bounds of BDMG’s Evaluation Framework, relating to the projects assigned to.Work with staff/stakeholders from across different services to support the efficient and effective delivery of project objectives and benefits including resource, benefits, quality, and risk management.To demonstrate Bradford Councils expected behaviours: Positive, Engaging, Responsible, Flexible.To investigate, share and transfer best practice to improve capacity within the Department and ensure all possible lessons learned and knowledge transfer opportunities are exploited.Effectively manage own time to ensure delivery and coordination of the service.To ensure that all activities comply with Council policies, values, and vision.To work flexibly with colleagues across the Council and partners in achieving the Councils’ priorities. Undertake any other duties as required by the line manager in relation to this post.  Progression through the role will be supported through structured performance reviews, coaching and professional training through recognised bodies such as the Museums Association.  We are looking for someone with degree level experience of evaluating the impacts of heritage or cultural programming:A recognised undergraduate qualification in Cultural Heritage Studies, Heritage Management, Museum Studies, Applied Social Sciences, Social Policy, Human Geography, or closely related coursesSome relevant experience in the evaluation or data analysis of social value and impact of culture, heritage or related fieldsA good understanding of nationally recognised evaluation tools such as WEMWBS, UCL Museums Wellbeing Toolkit, WELLBY measures. A good understanding of the operation of museums and galleriesA good understanding of the principles of social and public value, health and wellbeing work in the culture sector, and impact-driven evaluation methodologiesStrong communication, organisation and teamwork skillsA commitment to professional development Qualifications required:Recognised undergraduate degree or Apprenticeship in Cultural Heritage Studies, Heritage Management, Museum Studies, Applied Social Sciences, Social Policy, Human Geography, or closely related courses.

Posted 18 days ago

Trainee Corporate Fraud Investigator role involving investigating fraud, supporting public sector clients, and completing a 2-year training programme with a professional qualificationAbout VeritauVeritau provides assurance services to local authorities, schools and other public sector clients. We make sure that organisations are operating effectively, mitigating risks and complying with laws and regulations.Our main services include internal audit, counter fraud, information governance and risk management. We’re owned by our member councils, meaning our work sits at the heart of the public sector. Our main offices are in York, Northallerton and Leicester, but we provide services across the country.LocationFlexible – you can work from any of our offices or adopt a hybrid working approach. You may be required to attend our offices for meetings and training events, visit client offices or other premises, and undertake other client related activities. During the induction period, we will expect employees to work in one of our main offices for a number of days. This is to support training and learning, and to provide you with the opportunity to meet other team members.£27,274 - £29,542 (plus 3% performance related pay)We're looking for a Trainee Corporate Fraud Investigator to join our successful Counter Fraud team. This role represents an excellent opportunity to train for a professional career in the public sector. Reporting to Senior Corporate Fraud staff, you will carry out Fraud investigation work for our client organisations. You will complete a Counter Fraud Investigator level 4 apprenticeship training course (ST0747). Veritau’s graduate trainee programme typically lasts two years and includes completing a professional qualification in the relevant field. Trainees are supported throughout the programme, with paid study leave and experienced colleagues who act as mentors.The package includes membership of a generous pension scheme and 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising to 30 days after five years of service.We also offer flexible working arrangements which allow you to work at home and at times to suit you as far as possible.

Posted 27 days ago