Department for Work and Pensions

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Leeds, Quarry House, LS2 7UA; Sheffield, King’s Court, S3 7UF; Sheffield, 2 St Pauls Place, S1 2JF. No other locations will be considered. For all locations, travel to other sites may be required.

About the job

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 2025-26.

• 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 Year Policy Placement is a great way to prepare for a career in public policy and will last for 12 months from 8th September 2025. 
• There are numerous opportunities available through this scheme and 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 with DWP offering £30,975 and DfE offering £29,180 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 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. 
• Shadowing civil servants to understand different roles. 

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. 
• Access to our Policy Group learning offer 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 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 2025-26.

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 £29,180, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £8,453 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

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 : Interns Recruitment Team
• 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.