Policy Advisor (Executive Officer)

Job summary

Candidates must be a current University of Leeds, University of Sheffield or Sheffield Hallam University student in your second (or penultimate) year looking to undertake this role as part of a Year in Industry in academic year 2026-27.

• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Education (DfE) are large government departments that are offering rewarding policy careers at their Northern hub locations. DWP is based in both Sheffield and Leeds, and DfE is based solely in Sheffield. There is more detailed information on the roles of each of the different government departments in the attached candidate pack and links further down the job advert.
• A 12-month Policy Placement is a great way to prepare for a career in public policy and will last for 12 months from 7th September 2026. You will be allocated a directorate within either DWP or DfE to work in.
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion matters to us. We are keen to hear from candidates from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.
• Please note that there are differences in salary across departments, with DWP offering £32,137 and DfE offering £xx pro-rata.

Job description

Your placement will involve you working on real-life policymaking. You could be:

• Leading on policy in your area, including assisting with the creation of policy documents.
• Evaluating research findings and influencing decision making.
• Working collaboratively across DWP with senior stakeholders and other government departments on major policy issues and presenting at governance boards.
• Supporting across your wider team with ad hoc projects and corporate work.
• Some occasional travel to other locations may be involved including overnight stays - this will be covered by each Department's expenses policy.

You will receive the following induction and ongoing training:

• A placement manager to support and guide you.
• Support and mentoring from colleagues in your department.
• Involvement in a range of activities and visits.
• Opportunities to shadow civil servants to understand different roles
• Access to departmental learning offers and other learning and development opportunities.

Person specification

We’re looking for enthusiastic people who are considering a career in public policy. Successful candidates will need to demonstrate the following Experience Key Criteria at sift stage:

1. (Lead criteria)Show commitment to developing skills, knowledge and experience of public policy making.
2. Produce high quality written work which is accurate and concise.
3. Demonstrate inclusive and collaborative ways of working, working effectively as part of a team.
4. Use inter-personal skills to develop professional relationships.

Qualifications

Candidates must be a current University of Leeds, University of Sheffield or Sheffield Hallam University student in your second (or penultimate) year looking to undertake this role as part of a Year in Industry in academic year 2026-27.
Please note that should you be invited to interview, you will need to provide student ID and a named University contact at the start of the interview.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,137, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £9,310 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Please note, the figures above will differ slightly in Department for Education and will be based on the actual salary offered.

DWP 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.

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, Strengths and Experience.

1. Application & Sift

For the first stage of the application process, you will be asked to complete a 750-word Personal Statement which will be sifted and scored. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Your personal statement needs to set out evidence of how your experience meets all the Experience Key Criteriaset out above and not the published behaviours listed in this advert. Your statement must not exceed 750 words, and you are advised to take advantage of the full word count.

We are not looking at how much time you have spent in a job, but rather how you have performed. Remember that your examples do not have to be work-focused. You may wish to draw from your experiences at university or from personal experience.

Your Personal Statement must show demonstrable evidence of what you did, how you did it, and what outcome was achieved. This should include the impact of your approach and evidence of your ability to take forward different approaches in different circumstances.

The standards detailed in the key criteria set out above. They are the minimum expectations for the role and only candidates with the strongest evidence will be invited to interview.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead criteria:

• Show commitment to developing skills, knowledge and experience of public policy making,

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

2. Interview Stage

Your interview will be conducted by video via MS Teams.

If you are successful, you will be invited to a behaviours and strengths-based interview commencing mid-April 2026. The guidance on Success Profiles explains these selection tools. The Behaviours being assessed are detailed in the job advert.

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Note that the Behaviours will be assessed at interview stage only and the questions will be shared with invited candidates in advance.

The strengths to be assessed will not be shared ahead of the interview.

Sifting will begin after the advert closes, with outcomes issued to candidates by mid/late March. Successful candidates will be invited to interview in late March/early April.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

When applying for these roles, you will be required to state in preference order which of the two locations you can work from, Sheffield, and Leeds. Please be aware these roles can only be carried out in the UK, not overseas, and your office base must be one of the two locations listed. Appointments may be made to candidates in merit order based on location preferences and geographical requirements.

By indicating your preferred location(s) in your application you are stating that you are willing to accept a post in any of your chosen location(s).

• Quarry House, Leeds, LS2 7UA (DWP and DHSC)
• King’s Court, Hanover Way, Sheffield, S3 7UF (DWP)
• St Pauls Place, Norfolk St, Sheffield, S1 2JF (DfE)

The Department is committed to promoting flexible ways of working whilst enabling the business to operate at maximum efficiency and will expect colleagues to work from a blend of locations, including some time working at home, as required. 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.

Candidates successful at interview will also be asked for a preference on working in DWP or DfE. We will do our best to appropriately match candidates based on location and department preference, though this cannot be guaranteed.

Sifting will begin after the advert closes, with outcomes issued to candidates by mid/late March. Successful candidates will be invited to interview in late March/early April.

Further Information

At the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

Find out more about working for DWP on the DWP Careers Hub.

Find out more about us - Department for Education - GOV.UK

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 3 months from which further appointments can be made.

If you are placed on a reserve list but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note:

• If you are later offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances (e.g. a contractual Part Time Working Pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health).

• If the Department makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.

Disability Confident Scheme

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.

Reasonable Adjustments

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 the Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.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.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Integrity, plagiarism and Civil Service Principles

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.

Examples of plagiarism can include:

• Presenting the work, ideas and experience of others as your own
• Copying content or answers from an online or published source that is not your own

Disclosure and Barring Service and Internal Fraud Database Checks

To process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check will be carried out.

Important

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. If you are a current employee and are successful you must be able to be released from your current post within four weeks.

Those on protected TUPE/ COSoP terms and conditions applying on promotion or voluntary permanent level move will adopt DWP’s Terms and Conditions and this may have a different impact on pay and allowances. Please review this prior to acceptance of a role.

Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing. Accepting a post will be taken to mean acceptance of revised terms & conditions.

Civil Servants applying on promotion will usually be appointed to the salary minimum or within 10% of existing salary.

Any move to DWP from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may, however, be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at the Childcare Choices Website.

Please note that these vacancies are not currently eligible for new applications for Visa Sponsorship on the Skilled Worker route, for any candidates who do not currently have permission to be in the UK as a Skilled Worker where they were sponsored before 4 April 2024, even if relying on tradeable points (including the new entrant tradeable points option) as they are not included in the published Immigration Salary List. This information is offered as guidance only, and we recommend that applicants seek specialist advice on their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship (if applicable) when considering whether to apply for any role.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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 : Policy Group University Interns
• Email : policy.universityinterns@DWP.GOV.UK

Recruitment team

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

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DWP by email: HR.BUSINESSASSURANCE@DWP.GOV.UK.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

DWP Terms and Conditions January 2024 Opens in new window (docx, 17kB)Success-Profiles-Candidate-Overview Opens in new window (pdf, 635kB)