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Career at Bank of England

Work with us

There’s much to gain from working for the Bank of England – from being involved in career-defining projects at the heart of the UK economy – to receiving a rewarding pay and benefits package.

Programmes

We offer a rewarding start to your career, whether you’re a school leaver, student or graduate. Our Future Talent programmes are designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to build a fulfilling career in the heart of the UK financial system.

Each of our programmes are designed for students who are at different stages in their studies. Please don’t apply for more than one programme as we’ll only consider your first application.

Our full list of programmes is listed below.

Our mission is to promote the good of the people of the UK by maintaining monetary and financial stability

We know our work matters to people up and down the UK. From setting the ‘Bank Rate’ – which aims to keep price rises (inflation) at the Government’s target, all the way through to monitoring the financial system, reducing risks, and keeping people’s money safe.

We also work behind the scenes to make sure payments happen every single second of every day. From the 4.6 billion-plus banknotes we’ve issued that are currently in circulation, to the £775 billion of payments we settled every working day in 2022/23.

You’d be joining fantastic teams driven by curiosity and the desire to do important, challenging work

We are proud to recruit talented people from a huge range of different skill sets, including:

administration

communications
economics
facilities management

finance
human resources (HR)
information technology (IT)

law
physical and cyber security
research and data

risk
supervision

…and many others.

People who are naturally curious can thrive at the Bank of England. There is always something going on – from exploring the possibilities of a digital pound to responding to the financial risks of climate change. We are also committed to reducing our own environmental impact, and have set a net zero target for our physical operations by 2040.

There are opportunities across our organisation to learn and progress. You can build a career and experiences to be proud of – all whilst growing and developing as an individual.

We are committed to creating a place where colleagues can be themselves and speak openly and honestly about their views

Considering different perspectives helps us to make the best decisions for the public. We want to be a place where everyone feels they belong, and has equal access to opportunities.

We’re developing an inclusive workplace culture and building a diverse workforce, which reflects the society we serve.

We believe that our voice is made stronger by learning about what each of us has to say – regardless of role and experience. A valuable part of this means working closely with our colleague-led networks. These important relationships influence and impact our internal decisions involving policy and culture change.

We have a strong ethos around how we operate as individuals as well as an organisation. This ethos – our ‘bank behaviours’ – is at the heart of all we do. It is a framework for a culture which enables our people to thrive, invest in personal career development and work together on our mission.

Career Returner Programme 2025

About the programme

We understand that talented people take time out of their careers for a variety of reasons, and we recognise that those looking to return to work have a wealth of skills and experiences to draw upon from their earlier careers and time away from the workplace.

Our Career Returner Programme is here to support those who are ready to return to work after an extended break. We know from experience that returning to work can feel daunting, so we have partnered with Career Returners since 2018 to offer a 12-month returner programme to ease the transition. The programme consists of a series of professional coaching sessions, a mentor programme and a ready-made community of former and current career returners to support with navigating the path ahead.

In 2023 we were shortlisted at the Women In Banking & Finance Awards (WIBF) for the Most Successful Returner Strategy.

Is this route for you?

Candidates with a minimum of a two-year career break are eligible to apply for a role on our Career Returner Programme. You may have taken time out for childcare or eldercare, for relocation, or for other reasons. You may have been working on a small-scale basis to fit around your other commitments or have not done any paid work for a number of years.

Professional work experience is necessary as you will be operating and influencing at a senior level. The right skills are more important than the right background. Financial experience is not essential for all roles, though would be beneficial. Our teams include people from a range of backgrounds such as finance, science, government, civil service and the military.

Through our Ways of Working Norms and flexible working policies we welcome applications from people who want to work in a balanced way around their other commitments. There are different flexible working options available depending on the role and the area of the Bank.

Fact box

Length of contract: The programme is 12 months in duration and is offered on a fixed term contract basis.
The 2025 Programme application window has now closed.

Location: Location varies depending on the year and business needs but could be Leeds, London or both (hybrid working).
Salary: The salary varies depending on the hiring area. This will be clearly advertised in each job advert when applications are open.

Please email CareerReturnersRecruitment@bankofengland.co.uk for any questions that are not answered here.

We’re committed to nurturing a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds to apply and we’re proud to be a member of the Disability Confident SchemeOpens in a new window. If you wish to apply under this scheme, you should check the box in the ‘Candidate Personal Information’ under the ‘Disability Confident Scheme’ section of the application.

How can you develop?

This programme is a tailored development programme run in partnership with Career ReturnersOpens in a new window. This will include a bespoke induction, dedicated coaching sessions, a career returner mentor and ongoing support from the programme lead.

In previous years we have recruited into the following areas:

Monetary Analysis
Financial Stability Strategy and Risk
Financial Market Infrastructure

Prudential Regulation Authority
Legal
Resolution

What we offer you

For information on our reward package see the What we offer you page.

As an employee on our Career Returner Programme, you will also receive:

Five group coaching sessions from a ‘Career Returners’ qualified coach

A buddy from your immediate business area
A mentor (Bank colleague from a different area of the Bank – possibly a previous returner)
Dedicated support from the Programme Lead throughout your programme

Participation in and support from our Career Returner community (you will join as part of a cohort of up to 20 Returners)

How to apply

Applications for our 2025 Programme are now closed.

Application process

The application process for this programme is as follows:

Online application: this collects personal information, education & work history and
some screening questions. Applications will be sifted in line with the minimum criteria and, if successful, you will be invited to the next stage.
First stage interview: This will be with the hiring areas and consist of motivation, behaviours and skills & experience-based questions. It is likely this will be virtual.
Additional interview/assessments: If successful, you may be invited to an additional interview/assessment dependent on the role.

If you get through to interview stage, we will also provide some support resources to help you to prepare for the interview and showcase your skills and attributes.

Apply Now

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