Quality & Planning Graduate in Cardiff

Salary: HG 12 - £30,933

Job Type: Fixed term, 18-month graduate programme

Location: Cardiff

Hybrid working: 1-2 times a week on site

About the IB

The International Baccalaureate provides world-class educational services to over 6,000 schools across 160 countries. A career with the IB is not just a job; it’s an opportunity to work with an innovative world leader in education services where we empower our employees to thrive and make a difference.

About the job

The Assessment & Operations Graduate Programme is designed to provide broad exposure to the operational functions that support the delivery of high-quality assessment services across the organisation. Over an 18-month period, you will complete three six-month rotations, providing experience in understanding performance, planning future delivery and driving continuous improvement. Throughout the programme, you will contribute to meaningful projects, collaborate with colleagues across the organisation, and develop a strong understanding of how operational excellence, quality assurance and effective planning support exceptional services to our stakeholders. Graduates are expected to demonstrate curiosity, adaptability and a commitment to continuous learning while making a positive contribution to each placement area.

As part of the graduate programme, you must be available to attend our office in The Hague for the week of 11 January 2027 and again for the week of 11 October 2027 for onboarding and a second week of training and collaboration. All associated travel and accommodation costs will be covered by the IB.

Responsibilities

• Support departmental objectives through operational, analytical, administrative and project-related activities.
• Gather, analyse and interpret information to support decision-making and business improvement initiatives.
• Build effective working relationships with colleagues, customers and other stakeholders, contributing to cross-functional projects.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and support the implementation and evaluation of agreed solutions.
• Prepare reports, presentations, documentation and other outputs appropriate to departmental requirements.
• Support quality assurance, evaluation, audits and reviews to evidence operational effectiveness and strengthen consistency and stakeholder experience.
• Support the development and maintenance of operational plans, schedules and resource forecasts.
• Participate in AI-enabled innovation and continuous improvement initiatives, helping teams embed new ways of working and measure impact.
• Complete agreed objectives and deliverables associated with each departmental rotation, applying learning across placements.

Qualifications

• Recent graduate or equivalent level qualification in a relevant discipline, such as Business, Operations Management or Data Analytics.
• Demonstrated commitment to learning and professional development, with curiosity and an eagerness to learn.
• Competence in Microsoft Office applications and other standard business systems.
• Ability to gather, analyse and present information clearly and accurately, with strong analytical and problem-solving capability.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and adapt to changing environments.
• Ability to learn new systems, processes and technologies quickly.
• Initiative, resilience and accountability, with a proactive and solution-focused approach.
• Commitment to inclusion, collaboration, continuous improvement and organisational success.

Your application journey

Applications close on 23^rd October 2026. If shortlisted, you’ll be invited to a first stage panel interview w/c 16th November, followed by a final interview w/c 23rd November.

Successful candidates will start the programme on 11th January 2027, kicking off with a week in the IB’s office in The Hague.

Benefits

• Flexible benefits allowance equivalent to 1.5% of Annual Salary to spend on benefits or as addition to salary
• 10% employer pension contribution with a 3% employee contribution
• Enhanced family friendly benefits
• 25 Days Annual Leave plus public holidays. The opportunity to purchase up to 5 days of leave each year.
• Life assurance 4x annual salary
• Flexible working hours (core hours are 10am-12pm and 2pm-3pm), 37.5 hours per week
• Paid volunteering leave
• Excellent continuous professional development

Opportunity & Belonging

We are committed to building a working environment that values respect, diversity, and compassion. The International Baccalaureate is proud to be an equal opportunities employer, and we welcome applications from all qualified applicants. As a global employer, we adhere to all relevant employment legislation in the countries in which we operate, and we’re happy to provide any reasonable support or adjustments as needed to ensure applicants can fully participate in our recruitment process.