Graduate Development Programme

Overview

Our two-year programme is your opportunity, as a recent graduate (or Master's graduate), to help shape the future of science-related research, education and arts, while gaining specialist experience in funding and policy, finance and investing, or engagement and communications.

In our world, graduates like you use their knowledge and enthusiasm to drive the projects that will make a difference to human health. From fundamental studies of the genes that make influenza become life-threatening to practically focused investigations of how to get the right medicines to those who need them in Africa and Asia - you can help to write our extraordinary stories.

What you'll do

Your two-year programme consists of four six-month rotations. While you'll focus on the various teams that make up your department, you'll be able to branch out and experience other areas too. By experiencing more of our world, you'll become a more rounded professional, ready for an extraordinary career.

Funding and Policy

In this programme you'll learn how we choose the best people to fund, how we support them through their grants and how we assess the results. And you'll have the opportunity to work in our Policy team, which seeks to influence legislative developments affecting the work of the researchers we fund. We also offer a business rotation in HR, Finance, Facilities or IT, so that you can develop additional business skills.

As a large proportion of the work we fund is scientific, you'll need to have studied a science subject to at least A-level standard.

Rotations available:

• Science Funding
• Grants Management
• Strategic Planning and Policy Unit
• Medical Humanities and Engagement Grants
• Technology Transfer
• HR, Finance, Facilities or IT

Finance and Investments

In our world, graduates like you use their knowledge and enthusiasm to come up with ideas and answer questions that make a difference. Is Facebook worth $100 billion? Can you turn algae into jet fuel? Will Indian consumers buy more chocolate? These are some of the things that we consider as we manage our $24bn investment portfolio.

We fund our charitable grants and other activities from profits made from this portfolio - we do not receive any donations. In this programme, you'll learn how to invest to support our charitable spending over the long term.

The members of our Investment team speak over a dozen languages between them. They come from a broad range of disciplines spanning finance and economics, history and politics, and even medical microbiology. We believe that having a wide range of views and opinions at the table makes for better decision making.

Our Finance team works with both the investment and charitable giving sides of the Trust, supporting the delivery of over $1 billion of grants a year throughout the UK and abroad. It also ensures that our stakeholders are well informed about our activities.

Rotations available:

• Investments
• Finance
• Technology Transfer
• Strategic Planning and Policy Unit
• Science Funding
• HR, Finance, Facilities or IT

Engagement and Communications

We want people to consider, question and debate the key issues in science and society. This programme will expose you to the many different projects we support, which include film making, theatre, multimedia, exhibitions, education, discussion and policy-influencing events, and to our public-facing venues - Wellcome Collection and the Wellcome Library.

Rotations available:

• Wellcome Collection (Public Programmes/Business and Operations)
• Medical Humanities and Engagement - Education/Special Projects
• Wellcome Library
• Communications
• Medical Humanities and Engagement Directorate
• HR, Finance, Facilities or IT

What you'll get

In addition to a salary of £25 000, you'll receive a generous benefits package covering everything from medical insurance to membership of our on-site gym.

Our building itself offers great facilities. You'll enjoy a subsidised on-site restaurant and café, a staff gym and fitness classes, and staff discounts in the Wellcome Collection café and bookshop. Not to mention the opportunity to join our active sports and social clubs - and membership of an online discount site and a health and wellbeing support service.

Rewards

• Private medical insurance
• Permanent health insurance
• Employee assistance plan
• Final salary pension scheme
• Generous annual leave provision, including flexi-leave scheme
• Interest-free season ticket loan
• Childcare vouchers
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Final salary pension scheme
• Life assurance (four times basic salary)

How to apply

You'll need to have recently gained, or be expected to gain, a 2:1 degree or above. We would also consider applications from students completing a Master's degree.

We're equally interested in your experience outside of the academic environment. We want to see how you have developed the personal attributes we look for in all aspects of your life - whether that's sports, work, charity or the arts. Here's what we look for and why.

Building relationships and leadership
Your rotations will place you in several departments, each working with others across the organisation. This will require you to build relationships at all levels and demonstrate strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Curiosity and critical thinking
We are looking for graduates who are keen to get to grips with a range of different challenges, find out about the specifics of each team's work and bring a fresh perspective to everything.

Initiative and drive
Our vision, of extraordinary improvements in health, is very ambitious; we expect you to take the same attitude to your own development, setting yourself high standards and always striving to excel.

Flexibility and adaptability
During your time on the programme, you will occupy a number of different roles. So you'll need to be adaptable - for instance, having good attention to detail but also the ability to see the bigger picture.

Focus on delivering results
Whether working on a purely internal or a public-facing project, you should be able to make decisions, solve problems and see a job through to completion.

The recruitment process

Full details of the application process will be provided here in September 2013.

Previous graduate experiences

Hear from some of our recent graduates about their experiences of the Graduate Development Programme.

Running time: 5 mins 58 s