Graduate Trainees x5 Ref: 25-25

Would you like a job where what you do:

• Makes a tangible difference to local communities, businesses, and residents.
• Provides you with the knowledge and experience to develop your future career in local government.

Are you passionate about improving local communities, businesses, and the lives of residents? Do you want to work on projects that are responsible for delivering tangible changes in Breckland? Are you interested in starting a career in local government?

We are seeking multiple Graduates to join our team at Breckland, with each specialising in a certain service area within the Council, whilst gaining an understanding of how a district council, such as Breckland, operates.

The graduate roles we are looking to fill are:

1 x Corporate Policy Graduate (2-year contract, Grade 9 starting salary £25,539p.a.).
You will:

• Work as part of a small team, the Corporate Strategy Unit (CSU), supporting leadership and managers across the Council to develop policy and strategy activity.
• Use your analytical and research skills to produce bespoke briefings and research projects.
• Work closely with different teams from across the Council, providing you with the knowledge and insight of how local government operates.
• Help to develop ideas and innovations that positively challenge the way Breckland Council approaches service delivery

Corporate Policy Graduate Job Description (PDF, 200 KB)(opens new window)

1 x Environmental Health & Licensing Graduate (2-year contract, Grade 9 starting salary £25,539p.a.)
You will:

• Be involved in carrying out food hygiene inspections
• Respond to service requests and notifications, including infectious disease control. Assist officers dealing with accident investigations.
• Deal with a variety of licences and regulatory enforcement functions.
• Have the opportunity to work towards achieving the Higher Certificate in Food which qualifies them to carry out a range of food inspections or to become a Regulatory Compliance Officer

The work carried out within the team is varied and crucial to maintaining public protection.

Environmental Health & Licensing Graduate Job Description (PDF, 245 KB)(opens new window)

1 x Housing Solutions Graduate (2-year contract, Grade 9 starting salary £25,539p.a.)
You will:

• Work as part of a team that provides advice and assistance to people facing homelessness.
• Gain experience in the provision of temporary accommodation.
• Work alongside the rough sleeper support and resettlement team.
• Undergo training in housing legislation and apply this to investigate homelessness application.
• Be supported to study for a relevant housing qualification.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working with people and finding solutions to problems.

Housing Solutions Graduate Trainee (PDF, 171 KB)(opens new window)

2 x Private Sector Housing Graduates (2-year contract, Grade 9 starting salary £25,539p.a.)
You will:

• Give advice, information and support to private tenants about the safety and legal compliance of their home. Where there are issues which need to be resolved you will support tenants and communicate with landlords to reach a resolution.
• Develop and provide training, information, advice and workshops to landlords, letting agents, tenants and vulnerable groups.
• Assist the Officers in the team as they undertake enforcement duties including inspection of homes and the drafting and service of legal notices.
• Carry out inspections to collect evidence of suspected offences.  Collect lawfully admissible evidence, including taking statements from witnesses. Prepare evidence for Property Tribunals and Courts.
• Be supported to complete a qualification such as the Level 4 Diploma in Housing Interventions or a Level 4 Diploma in Regulatory Compliance. Once these qualifications have been obtained we will support you to carry out your professional qualifications in order to register with the CIEH as a Registered Housing Health Practitioner.

 Graduate Private Sector Housing Officer job Description (PDF, 135 KB)(opens new window)

For all roles:

Hours: Full time, 37 hours per week
Place of Work: Office base Dereham (with remote-enabled working arrangements and some travel within the district)

About you:

You are highly self-motivated, you push yourself to achieve what you want out of life and are always looking for ways to grow and develop, whatever you are doing. You constantly look for better ways of doing things, for how things can be improved - approaching things in original and ingenious ways and striving to come up with new and different methods and applications.

You are looking to start a career working in the public sector and for an opportunity to gain experience of working on a number of different projects. You will be naturally inquisitive and will be comfortable bringing forward new ideas and initiatives.

There are five Core Behaviours (listed below) which set out the important shared attitudes, values, and behaviours that everyone is expected to demonstrate to our colleagues, partners, and communities:

• Collaborative: I recognise the skills, talent and experience of others and reach out to them for their contribution and input
• Ambitious: I am a proud ambassador for the Council, taking pride and responsibility for the work we do and encouraging others to do the same
• Results Driven: I am flexible ensuring I provide the best possible service, wherever and whenever is best for the customer
• Empowering: I embrace new technology and look for new ways for our services to become digital not forgetting to be accessible for all
• Supportive: I care for my colleagues, taking an interest in them, showing support for their personal identities and what's important to them

OK, I'm interested... But is it really the job for me?

As one of our Graduate Trainees, you will:

• Specialise within a certain sector of local government, whether that be Environmental Health, Housing or Corporate Policy, whilst also gaining understanding and experience of how the whole of Breckland Council operates.
• Work on and support a variety of different projects that support the Council's key objectives.
• Support the identification and development of new ideas and initiatives, thinking innovatively and offering your own suggestions.

Read on to find out more about working here and how to apply...

Closing date - 9am, Thursday 10 July 2025

What's it like to work for us?

We are passionate about our people and pride ourselves on being a great place to work, we genuinely care and know that a happy workforce is a productive and motivated one! If you're still not sure, here are some stats from our 2024 staff survey to convince you..

• 94% said they feel trusted and empowered
• 90% of staff recommend Breckland as a great place to work
• 89% said they have had opportunities to learn and grow in the last 12 months
• 94% think Breckland provide positive action on health and wellbeing
• 91% said they felt supported by their manager

If you STILL need convincing, here's what some of our staff say...

• "Breckland is a fantastic employer, lots of opportunities and support"
• "Having only just started, it is a great place to work, everyone says hello, is smiley and chatty. I like the groups that are on, like carers shed and neurodiversity"
• "We are encouraged to take regular breaks and there are mental health first aiders and a wide range of good promotional aspects of healthy living and wellbeing."
• "In times of need the council offers excellent support."
• "BDC really does seem to care about the wellbeing and happiness of their staff."

At Breckland Council we have embraced the Government's agenda to modernise local government. Our approach is to lead change rather than follow it, and to add the best value we can to our communities. We achieve this by developing our employees to their full potential, providing them with the relevant knowledge, equipment, and authority to carry out their duties.

We are a dynamic and innovative organisation that is always testing and learning as we seek to continually improve. We have never stood still in response to the emergence of new opportunities, changing customer demands, and ongoing funding challenges. We have exciting plans for how to deliver the best possible services to our residents and businesses.

Breckland as a district is a special place nestled in the heart of rural Norfolk, spanning over 500 square miles of beautiful countryside and forest, with five Market Towns and over 140,000 residents. We care, we listen, and we support people and businesses within our district. We have big ideas and we are innovative in our approach, coming up with ways to meet the needs of the local communities that we serve. Through our actions, we want to make things better.

But we know that we can't do it alone. We are a collaborative organisation and we work together with others to make a greater impact. We are also an organisation where our employees can grow and develop and are empowered to achieve and succeed. We are proud of our area, and by driving investment and enabling opportunities, we can maximise its full potential. We want to inspire aspiration to live, work, visit, or do business here: we want our district to be one of choice.

We will support and enable growth and change in our thriving, welcoming places where people and businesses choose to be, knowing their ambitions can be not just fulfilled but exceeded. By listening to people, by understanding what they need and by working together, we can shape what we have to offer. By doing so, we can benefit those who are already here and those who choose to come to live, work, visit, or do business.

We offer excellent conditions of service, including:

• A local government pension scheme (14 per cent employer contribution).
• Attractive holiday package (25 days increasing after three years' continuous Local Authority service by one day per year up to the maximum of 28 days, plus bank holidays)
• Free car parking.
• Remote-enabled working arrangements.
• A newly refurbished office. See what it is like working here by watching this short film: 
  

Our commitment to talent development, on the job learning and upskilling, training and professional memberships, will keep your knowledge and skills up to date.

Please see the Job Description and Person Specification for more information about each of the roles, and for the personal qualities needed.

Please be aware that applicants who do not submit a supporting statement showing how they meet the person specification are less likely to be considered for interview.

• For information on the Corporate Policy Graduate role please contact Jack Fulham (Senior Economic Development Officer) on jack.fulham@breckland.gov.uk
• For information on the Environmental Health Graduate roles please contact Craig Fowler (Environmental Health & Licensing Manager) craig.fowler@breckland.gov.uk
• For information on the Housing Solutions Graduate roles please contact Gill Duffy (Housing Manager) gill.duffy@breckland.gov.uk
• For information on the Private Sector Housing Graduate roles please contact Ellen Spencer (Private Sector Housing Team Manager) ellen.spencer@breckland.gov.uk

Please indicate on your application which role/s you are interested in:

• 25-25 A: Corporate Policy
• 25-25 B: Environmental Health
• 25-25 C: Housing Solutions
• 25-25 D: Private Sector Housing

APPLY ONLINE

Closing date - 9am, Thursday 10 July 2025

Please be aware that if you are selected for this role there will be a requirement to undertake a DBS check as part of pre-employment checks.

Equal Opportunities

We are committed to being an Equal Opportunities employer, recognising the benefits of sustaining a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community we serve. We welcome applications from anyone who feels they meet the requirements of our vacancies. These are listed as essential requirements on the person specification.