Impact Graduate Trainee


Company:	London Borough of Brent Council
Salary:	£36,153, increasing to £36,693 p.a. in year two
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Wembley Park, , HA9 0FJ
Working pattern:	Hybrid - 2 days remote
Job type:	Contract
Posting date:	19 Oct 2026
Closing date:	18 Nov 2026

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Summary

Graduate Management Trainee – Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme

Starting salary: £36,153, increasing to £36,693 p.a. in year two

Contract: Fixed-term, two years

Hours: 36 hours per week

Location: Brent Civic Centre and other locations as required

Start date: Autumn 2027

Closing date: 12 noon, Wednesday 6 January 2027

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Make an impact in Brent

Start your career in local government with Brent Council through Impact, the Local Government Association’s (LGA) two-year national management trainee programme. Our local recruitment campaign for Cohort 29 is open to graduates who live in Brent or have a qualifying local connection.

Brent is one of the country’s most diverse boroughs. Join a council focused on fairness, open to new thinking and committed to improving life for local people.

Our values guide our work: we collaborate proactively, lead inclusively, embrace change, are bold and curious, and celebrate and share our success.

What we offer

You will complete at least three placements, contributing to projects that address local challenges while developing your leadership and management skills. You will also receive a fully funded learning programme leading to a Chartered Management Institute qualification.

You will benefit from:

• Opportunities for local applicants to receive application support from existing Brent graduates.

• A senior mentor who is a Director from our Senior Management Team.

• An existing graduate as a buddy, regular feedback and one-to-one meetings with the scheme’s placement coordinator.

• A strong peer support network throughout the programme and beyond.

• The opportunity to make a positive impact in a borough you know.

• Potential eligibility for a further one-year fixed-term contract after successful completion, subject to organisational needs.

Brent Civic Centre is less than a 10-minute walk from Wembley Park station and around 20 minutes from Wembley Central station, with good public transport connections.

Brent has a positive approach to flexible working.

Essential requirements

You must:

• Have obtained a minimum 2:2 undergraduate degree in any subject by August 2027.

• Have the right to work in the UK for the full two-year programme. We cannot sponsor visas.

You can apply regardless of when you graduated.

You must also meet at least one of Brent’s local eligibility criteria:

• Currently live in Brent and have lived in the borough for at least two years.

• Have studied at a secondary school or further education setting in Brent, including a school, college or Pupil Referral Unit.

• Be a Brent care leaver.

• Currently work for Brent Council and have done so for more than one year.

You may be asked to provide evidence of eligibility. Shortlisted candidates will be told what evidence is required and when to submit it.

We welcome graduates from different backgrounds, universities and degree disciplines, reflecting the community we serve. We are looking for the right values and attitudes, motivation for a public sector career and an interest in Brent.

The application process

Recruitment is competitive and involves several stages assessing Impact’s key skills and behaviours. Local applicants follow the same process and timetable as national candidates. Impact’s support team will invite successful candidates to each stage.

If you reach the final interview stage, you will be guaranteed an interview with Brent Council, expected around April 2027.

At the initial application stage, the only assessment required is a Situational Judgment Test (SJT). This appears after the application questions and must be completed before you submit your application.

The SJT includes 24 realistic workplace scenarios. You will rate the effectiveness of each response option, following the instructions in the application form.

The test is untimed and is expected to take around an hour. Allow one to two hours to complete it without unnecessary pressure. You can take a break between questions and log back in to finish before the application deadline.

For questions or support with your application or SJT, contact impact.support@local.gov.uk before starting your application or test.

How to apply

If you meet the local eligibility criteria and want to work specifically for Brent Council, apply through the LGA’s Cohort 29 local recruitment application portal:

https://lga.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-1/brand-4/spa-1/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/3/opp/1488-Graduate-Management-Trainee-on-Impact-The-Local-Government-Graduate-Programme-Cohort-29-Local-Recruitment-for-Brent-London-Borough-Council/en-GB

Applications will only be accepted through this portal, as the LGA manages recruitment on our behalf.

Closing date: 12 noon, Wednesday 6 January 2027.

You can only apply for one Impact programme per year.

Equality and accessibility

As a Disability Confident employer, Brent welcomes applications from people with all disabilities, including hidden disabilities and mental health conditions. We will interview any disabled applicant who meets the essential criteria.

For reasonable adjustments to any part of the recruitment process, contact impact.support@local.gov.uk. Information you provide will be treated fairly and confidentially.

Data transparency

Before applying, you will be directed to the LGA’s privacy statement. By applying to this local campaign, you accept that Brent Council will have access to your application to assess it against the local criteria.

The LGA uses anonymised recruitment, so the council cannot see your personal details during shortlisting. After shortlisting, the council can view your name and contact you at each stage unless you withdraw.

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About Disability Confident

Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.