Engineers

Job summary

Please note this role requires you to pass Security Check clearance. For further information, please see 'Selection process details'.

Are you on target to graduate with a first-class or upper second-class degree in an IT, technology-related, or STEM subject? Do you have a passion for technology, software development, systems engineering, AI, digital workplace, digital security?

If so, DWP Digital offers an exciting opportunity to build on the knowledge and skills gained from your degree and become part of our next generation of digital leaders. At DWP, you'll have a meaningful impact, supporting services that assist some of the most vulnerable people in society.

DWP Digital is the digital division of the Department for Work and Pensions, and we are driving an ambitious transformation programme. We are looking for talented and enthusiastic graduates eager to grow and learn with us.

Successful candidates will join our experienced Engineering teams, contributing to important projects and services that will enhance your technical skills. You'll benefit from dedicated leadership training and the opportunity to earn a Master’s qualification.

We seek well-rounded, ambitious individuals ready to thrive within the UK's largest government department and actively participate in one of the world's most significant digital transformation initiatives. Join us, and become one of our future thinkers, leaders, and innovators.

Please note: We will cover all travel expenses related to training.

Job description

You will join DWP Digital as an Engineer, immediately collaborating with fellow engineers and data professionals within autonomous, multi-skilled teams. From the outset, you'll participate in our comprehensive two-year University Leavers Engineering Programme, specifically designed to smoothly integrate you into our organisation and deepen your understanding of our operations.

You’ll start as an engineer, gaining a broad, hands-on experience with the core technologies, standards, best practices, and frameworks within those roles. From there you will specialise further into a specific area like front-end or back-end development, network or platform engineering aligned to our needs and your aptitude and interest.

Our programme will support your continuous improvement, encourage knowledge-sharing, and facilitate networking within your cohort, as well as the wider engineering community, while also developing new capabilities essential for your career growth.

Balancing technical proficiency and academic learning, the programme will cultivate essential non-technical skills such as leadership, line management, effective collaboration, project management, and delivery methodologies. These skills will equip you with the tools needed to advance and excel in your career.

Person specification

See selection process for further details.

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact Richard.hanley@dwp.gov.uk.

Qualifications

Must have or are about to graduate with a 1st or an upper 2nd class degree in an IT, technology-related, or STEM subject.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,772, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £11,232 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We also have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

Hybrid Working

This role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work.

If a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for the role and for you, you will normally be required to spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted working hours from your DWP office.

If you have a disability, caring responsibilities, or other circumstances that may affect your ability to meet the minimum office attendance requirement, please discuss this with us using the contact details in this advert.

Salary Information

New entrants to the Civil Service will join on band minimum.

Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer will maintain their current substantive salary.

Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion will move to the bottom of the grade pay scale or receive a 10% increase applied to their current substantive salary, whichever is greater.

Any temporary allowances that you are currently in receipt of will not form part of the calculation to determine your pay. Any allowances that are in payment will cease when you move into your new role.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Stage 1: Application

Your application will consist of six parts:

1. A Personal Details application form.

2. Civil Service Judgement Test.

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete the Civil Service Judgement Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stages of the application.

Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended). The closing date for a fully completed application is 26/02/26 at 23:55hrs. Please allow sufficient time to complete the online test and your full written application before the deadline. If you fail to complete the online test and full written application before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The test is administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

Following successful completion of the test, you will then be asked to complete:

3. Employment history - this should contain your work experience and any skills and accomplishments relevant to the jobs you have completed.

4. Qualification details - this section should include all qualifications relevant to the role, along with your 1st or an upper 2nd class degree in an IT, technology-related, or STEM subject, as well as any predicted grades you are expected to achieve.

5. Personal statement - up to 750 words. This statement should be used to provide examples of how you meet the essential criteria below:

• Excellent problem solving and reasoning skills.
• Flexibility and teamwork skills to support the successful delivery of services.
• Proven capability to make fair and effective decisions, clearly and concisely explaining your reasoning, both verbally and in writing.
• A proactive attitude towards learning, personal growth, and professional development through structured and self-directed learning opportunities.
• Analysis and analytical skills and the ability to understand and use technology to solve complex problems.

6. Behavioural statement (up to 250 words). The following statement is aligned to the required behaviour of Communicating and Influencing.

• Strong leadership potential, excellent communication skills, and the ability to effectively collaborate with both technical and non-technical colleagues.

Ensure that all examples provided in your statements are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. If you choose to use gen-AI to support your statements, you must follow the guidelines outlined in the Artificial intelligence and recruitment guide.

The sift panel will use the information in your employment history, personal statement, and behavioural statement to assess your experience, skills and knowledge.

An initial sift will be conducted using the behavioural statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift.

If you do progress to a full sift, you will be provided with one combined overall assessment score for both your employment history and Personal Statement.

Important Information

• You will be asked to complete your employment history. Any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form.
• Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered.
• If your employment history, personal statement or behavioural statement contain any personal details your application will be withdrawn.

Stage 2: Group discussion

Group discussion event will take place in our Manchester Hub​. You will be asked to deliver a short presentation on a specific topic. Further details will be provided to candidates who are successful at stage 1.

Stage 3: Interview

If you’re successful at stage 2: group discussion, you’ll be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. During the interview, you’ll be assessed against the experience criteria listed under both the essential and behavioural statement.

Interviews will take place from May 2026. Interview dates to be confirmed.

Other information:

If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.

All successful candidates and those placed on reserve will be posted in merit list order by location.

For these vacancies, we strongly recommend that applicants consult with an immigration specialist or qualified advisor to assess their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship before deciding to apply. Please note that while we consider sponsorship requests in accordance with current DWP guidance and Home Office policy, sponsorship cannot be guaranteed.

Security Clearance Requirement

You must meet the security requirements before you can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

You must have resided continuously in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years, 2 of which must have been the immediately preceding years from the point of applying for this job.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Further information

Find out more about Working for DWP

For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via DigitalRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

For further information on reasonable adjustments, terms and conditions and how we recruit visit the How We Recruit, page

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Richard Hanley
• Email : Richard.hanley@dwp.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : digitalrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles. If you wish to make a complaint, please find further details here: https://careers.dwp.gov.uk/how-we-recruit/.

Attachments

DWP Terms and Conditions January 2024 Opens in new window (docx, 17kB)Success-Profiles-Candidate-Overview-Accessible-Version Opens in new window (docx, 220kB)