Policy Advisor (Executive Officer)

Posting date:	11 February 2026
Salary:	£32,137 per year
Additional salary information:	Salary in Department for Education may differ.
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	23 February 2026
Location:	LS2 7UA
Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Job type:	Contract
Job reference:	444857/1

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.

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.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.