Job Introduction
Job Title: Finance Graduate
Starting Salary: £34,434 with the opportunity to progress to £38,220 across the duration of the programme
Hours: 37 per week
Location: Stevenage, with hybrid working opportunities
Contract Type: Fixed Term for 3.5 years
Directorate: Resources
About the team
Hertfordshire’s Finance Graduate Programme will challenge, stretch and inspire you. You’ll get involved, and have a say, in everything we do – the services we deliver and how we deliver them, the challenges we face, and our strategies for the coming years. You will be part of a finance team which sits within the Resources Department and provides support to the whole organisation through the delivery of vital corporate services. Finance enables departments to manage and deliver a range of services to staff and the citizens of Hertfordshire. Your voice will be heard, and your opinions valued. We are looking for leaders for the future. The more you experience on the programme, the better equipped you’ll be to build a lasting career with us. We have many examples already of key leaders who joined us as graduates, with our graduate schemes as their springboard.
About the role
We are looking for talented, innovative and ambitious graduates to join our Finance Management Graduate Scheme for a September 2026 start.
The successful candidates will need to be able to hit the ground running and quickly develop strong working relationships within Finance and with the services that they support. They will be studying for their professional accountancy qualification alongside their day-to-day work, and will experience placements in at least 3 teams, including one in a Finance Business Partner Team and one in Corporate Finance.
We are offering:
- A 3-and-a-half-year graduate training programme
- Sponsorship to complete the CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy) professional accountancy qualification
- Full financial sponsorship, a ‘buddy’ in your first year, and a structured development programme.
- Excellent career prospects with opportunity to progress into senior management roles
- Access to Local Government Pension Scheme
- A starting salary of £34,434, with pay progression based on performance at work and progression through CIPFA qualification with quarterly reviews.
About you
Essential Criteria
- 2.1 degree or equivalent
- Demonstrable ambition to make a career in public sector finance
- Proof of right to work in the UK for the duration of the programme. We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role
Desirable
- Experience working in the Public Sector
- Please can you state as part of your qualifications, your A-level or equivalent subjects taken, including grades
We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.
Please be advised that we reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive an exceptionally high level of applications.
This job role is within the Corporate Services, level 9 job profile. Please locate this via:
Job profiles - Corporate services
To hear more about this opportunity please contact Kirstie.Parnell@hertfordshire.gov.uk or Jessica.White@hertfordshire.gov.uk for an informal discussion about the role.
Interview Date: 6th May 2026
How to apply
As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. Please also complete the covering paragraph detailing why you are passionate about applying for the Finance Graduate Programme.
Secondment
This position is open to secondments. If you work for HCC or any other Local Authority and would like to be considered as a Secondment contract, please ensure you complete the Secondment Form as part of your application. If you do not, your application will be considered as a Fixed Term Contract only.
Additional information
Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.
English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.