Location: London
Salary: £33,673 minimum, with some councils offering higher rates and London weighting
Programme: Finance
Build a career in finance while making a difference to the communities you serve.
The Finance Pathway of Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme is a four-year graduate scheme designed to develop the next generation of public finance professionals and leaders.
Working within London and surrounding areas, you'll gain hands-on experience across a range of finance functions while contributing to services that make a real difference to people's lives. From supporting major regeneration projects and housing initiatives to helping councils respond to financial and environmental challenges, you'll be involved in work with genuine social impact from day one.
Through a structured programme of rotations, you'll develop experience in areas such as:
- financial planning and budget management
- treasury and investment management
- pensions and payroll services
- internal audit and risk
- financial systems and transformation
- accounting and financial reporting.
These rotations will give you a broad understanding of local government finance, practical experience across different functions and the opportunity to discover where your strengths and interests lie.
Professional qualification
Alongside this practical work, you will undertake the fully funded CIPFA Level 7 Professional Accountancy Qualification (PAQ), the leading professional qualification for public finance specialists.
CIPFA-qualified accountants are highly valued across local government and the wider public sector. Throughout the programme, you'll receive dedicated study support and professional development opportunities, building the technical, commercial and leadership skills needed for a successful long-term career in finance.
By the end of the programme, you'll be well positioned to progress into qualified finance roles and future leadership opportunities across the public sector.
What you’ll gain
Your council placement and CIPFA qualification are only part of the experience. As an Impact graduate, you'll also be part of a wider programme and peer community across local government.
You'll have opportunities to connect with graduates in other councils, share learning, build relationships with experienced professionals and broaden your understanding of how local government works beyond your own placement.
You'll also join a growing Finance community. Across the first three cohorts, over 100 graduates have joined authorities in London and surrounding areas, giving you a ready-made network of peers building careers in public finance.
About You
We are committed to building a diverse cohort that reflects our communities. Graduates from all backgrounds, universities and degree disciplines are welcome.
Whether you've studied Finance, History, Engineering, Politics, Psychology or any other subject, we're looking for graduates who are curious, motivated and passionate about making a difference.
You don't need previous finance experience. What matters most is your willingness to learn, your commitment to public service and your desire to develop into a future finance professional. You'll be supported to build the knowledge and confidence you need as you progress through the programme.
The Requirements
The Finance Pathway welcomes graduates from all backgrounds and areas of study. Our requirements are:
- A minimum 2:2 undergraduate degree, achieved or expected by August 2027.
- GCSE Maths and English at Grade 4 or above, or equivalent qualifications.
- The right to work in the UK for the duration of the four-year programme. Unfortunately, we cannot sponsor visas.
For more information on eligibility and right-to-work requirements, please visit our website.
Successful applicants will need to demonstrate their understanding of the skills and behaviours we are looking for through our multi-stage application process.
Please read before applying
As part of the application process, you must complete a Situational Judgement Test (SJT) and a Numerical Reasoning Test (NRT), which are the only assessments you will need to complete at this stage.
The Situational Judgement Test presents you with 24 realistic scenarios that someone might experience in a workplace environment, along with multiple ways of responding.
The Numerical Reasoning Test assesses your ability to work with numbers and interpret numerical data. It consists of 18 questions aimed at testing your numerical skills.
The SJT and the NRT will appear after you have completed your application questions. You will need to complete both before you can submit your application. We would encourage you to complete both in one sitting.
Instructions for the tests
You will be taken to the assessment page after answering your application questions.
The SJT is untimed, but we anticipate that it will take you around an hour on average to complete. We suggest you complete the test in one sitting, when you have at least 1-2 hours to spare, to avoid putting yourself under unnecessary pressure. If you want to take a break during the assessment, you will be able to do so after answering a question and before proceeding to the next question. You can log back in at any time to complete the entire SJT by the application deadline.
You will need to read each scenario, then provide an effectiveness rating for each of the provided response options. There are detailed instructions within the form.
The NRT is timed and you will have 25 minutes to answer 18 questions. For the NRT, you will be presented with multiple-choice questions and must select one correct answer from the options provided.
Successful candidates at the initial stage will be invited to complete a video interview.
Candidates successful at the video interview will then proceed to a virtual assessment centre.
Candidates successful at the assessment centre will be invited to interview with a participating council.
If you have any questions or require support completing your application including reasonable adjustments, please contact us at [email protected] before starting your application or assessment.
For further information, please visit the Impact: Finance website.
If we receive an exceptionally high number of applications, we may close early, we would advise you apply early to avoid disappointment.
Closing date: 12.00 midday, Tuesday 5 January 2027
