Student Placements
Government Digital Services -
Job description
Do you have a curious mind and enjoy solving problems?
Are you passionate about the public sector and keen to make a positive impact on society?
Are you looking for the right year-long placement to get some work experience during your degree?
If you answered ‘yes’ to the above questions, then our placement scheme at the Government Digital Service (GDS) may be for you!
Working at GDS, you will be part of a friendly and supportive team who are working hard to simplify and widen access to all digital government services.
During your industrial placement, you will be expected to attend either the Manchester or Bristol hub three times per week. Location will be role-dependent.
As a placement student, you will become embedded in one of the teams listed below. Please click on the links to understand more about the roles on offer and course requirements.
During your placement, you will:
- Receive mentoring and pastoral support from your line manager
- Work in a fast-paced, vibrant environment
- Enhance your digital skills and experience
- Enjoy flexibility within the role to align work to your interests
- Earn a salary of £24,750
Person specification
We are looking for someone who is:
- Studying for a degree in subjects relating to technology, engineering, business, data or similar. You should be on track to achieve a 2:2 or higher in this degree
- Located in Manchester or Bristol or within a commutable distance. You will be expected to be in the office three days a week. Please note this may be subject to change per Civil Service guidelines
Click the links above to view the person specification for each role.
Benefits
The benefits of working at GDS
There are many benefits of working at GDS, including:
- flexible hybrid working with flexi-time
- a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
- 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
- an extra day off for The King’s birthday
- an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
- career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
- paid volunteering leave
- a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
- job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
- advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
- death in service benefits
- cycle to work scheme and facilities
- access to an employee discounts scheme
- 10 learning days per year
- volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
- access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning
GDS offers hybrid working for all employees. This means that everyone does some working from home and also spends some time in their local office. You’ll agree to your hybrid working arrangement with your line manager in line with your preferences and business needs.
Any move to Government Digital Service 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 http://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Things you need to know
Selection process details
The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:
You will be asked to submit a CV and a Personal Statement:
- The CV should show your skills, knowledge and experience with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide any employment history that relates to the essential criteria. The CV should not exceed 2 x A4 pages.
- The Personal Statement should explain why you are excited about working at GDS and why you think you would be a good fit for the role. The Personal Statement should not exceed 300 words.
- You can find the essential criteria in the ‘Who You Are’ section in the role description.
If you are successful in the first stage, you will be invited to a telephone interview.
If you pass the telephone interview, you will be invited to a final interview which will be held remotely.
If at any stage of the application process you would like help or assistance please contact the recruitment team gds-recruitment@digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk and we will do all we can to support you.
In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate your skills and ability. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, increases performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. We’ll be assessing your problem solving skills and passion about the public sector.
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
