Student and Graduate Opportunities Graduate Placement

This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location with the opportunity to work remotely available in line with our Adaptive Working Framework. We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better. The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes. Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

We are right at the heart of the issues and challenges that matter - to our city, our region, to business, industry and our communities and society in general. Investing in our future, partnering with sector‑leading businesses to drive innovation and create a collaborative environment where research has real impact and graduate talent can flourish.

Our Business Engagement and Employability Team focuses on how the University interacts with industry in three key areas:

• Support for our students and graduates to develop and successfully reach their aspirations.
• Linking business to academics and research students to assist with research, knowledge exchange and consultancy.
• The provision of skills that are relevant to industry, whether through courses, apprenticeships, CPD or further training.

About the Careers and Employment Service: The Careers and Employment Service supports University of Derby students with reaching their career ambitions. We are dedicated to helping students gain the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to achieve a positive Graduate Outcome through in‑curriculum delivery, tailored appointments, digital resources, on‑campus events and industry connections. We are available to all students from the first day of their university journey, up to three years post‑graduation.

As an Applied University, real‑world learning is embedded across all programmes. The Careers and Employment Service encourages and supports students to secure further industry experience from internships and placements to boost their employability and career prospects. We provide guidance to academics on impactful employability activity and curriculum delivery. The Team works closely with the wider Business Engagement and Employability Team to create valuable student development and recruitment opportunities with a diverse range of local, national, and global industry partners.

This graduate placement opportunity offers a valuable introduction to the world of student employability, careers support, and graduate engagement. Working as part of the Student and Graduate Opportunities team, you will support a range of initiatives designed to help students and recent graduates successfully transition into employment, further study, and other professional opportunities.

The role provides hands‑on experience in administration, stakeholder engagement, event coordination, communications, and data management, while working closely with colleagues across the University and external employer partners. You will contribute to building and maintaining relationships with employers and organisations, support communication and recruitment systems such as the Derby Talent Team Inbox and CareerHub, and assist in the planning and delivery of employability activities and careers events.

You will help collect and manage feedback and information from students, graduates, and employers, ensuring records are accurate, confidential, and up to date. The role also involves collaborating with academic colleges, professional services, and the Students’ Union on projects that enhance graduate outcomes and widen access to opportunities.

In addition, you will support the development of employability resources and promotional content, help raise awareness of employment and career opportunities through approved communication channels, and contribute to engagement projects across the wider team. This is an excellent opportunity for an organised, proactive individual who is keen to develop professional skills, gain experience working with a variety of stakeholders, and make a positive impact on the student and graduate experience.

Anticipated interview date: Friday 4th September 2026.

We are looking for a recent University of Derby graduate (graduated summer 2025 or 2026) who is enthusiastic, proactive, and keen to develop their professional skills within a student and graduate employability environment. The ideal candidate will bring experience from customer service or customer‑facing roles, demonstrating a commitment to providing a positive and professional experience for a range of stakeholders.

You will have developed transferable skills through your studies, part‑time employment, volunteering, extracurricular activities, or project work, and be confident managing tasks and responsibilities both independently and as part of a team. Strong interpersonal and communication skills are essential, as the role involves building effective relationships with students, graduates, employers, and colleagues across the University.

We are seeking someone who can use their initiative, adapt to changing priorities, and approach challenges with a positive and solutions‑focused mindset. This opportunity is ideal for a recent graduate looking to apply their experience in a professional setting while gaining valuable exposure to graduate engagement, employability initiatives, stakeholder liaison, and project support.

The role will support the Student and Graduate Opportunities Manager and wider team by assisting with:

• Supporting relationships with employers and external organisations, helping to coordinate communication, handling the Derby Talent Team Inbox and CareerHub approvals alongside the Graduate Transitions Officer and assisting with the organisation of employability activities.
• Collecting and recording information, including feedback from students, graduates, and employers, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality.
• Working with staff across colleges, services, and the Students’ Union to support collaborative projects and ensure graduates have access to a range of opportunities.
• Assisting with the creation of employability resources, such as digital content, information guides, and promotional materials.
• Helping to organise and deliver careers events, including preparing materials, coordinating logistics, and supporting employer participation.
• Promoting employment opportunities to students and recent graduates through approved communication channels.
• Supporting engagement projects, contributing to work streams, and assisting colleagues involved in engagement activities.

The post holder will also be expected to:

• Support recruitment and outreach activities such as open days.
• Contribute positively to the team’s performance culture.
• Follow University Health and Safety requirements.
• Carry out any other duties appropriate to a placement‑level role that support the student experience.

Experience:

• Experience in customer services and/or customer facing role.
• Experience of working on tasks or projects as part of studies, part time work, volunteering, or extracurricular activities.
• Experience of meeting deadlines.
• Experience of using initiative in academic or work setting.

Skills, knowledge and abilities:

• Interest in careers, employability, or supporting others.
• Good organisational skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and confidence communicating with a range of people.
• Attention to detail and a methodical approach.
• Ability to assist with presentations or events.
• Basic understanding of digital communication tools and social media.
• Willingness to learn problem solving skills.
• Good written and verbal communication.
• Ability to work flexibly and adapt to changing tasks.
• Willingness to support research, evaluation, or impact activities where appropriate.

Business requirements:

• Willingness and flexibility to travel and work between University sites, when required, in a cost effective and timely manner.
• Willingness to provide support at University events from time to time e.g., Graduation, Clearing and Open Days, (some of these events occur outside of normal working hours, such as evenings and weekends).

Experience:

• Interest in or experience of working within Higher Education.
• Experience supporting events or promotional activities.

Skills, knowledge and abilities:

• An understanding of data protection issues.
• An understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion issues.
• An understanding of the graduate labour market.

Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata). Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family‑friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme. Access to a variety of staff discounts at high‑street retailers. Discounted onsite gym. Cycle to Work scheme. A flexible working environment. A commitment to personal and professional development.

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Jacqui Measures, Student and Graduate Opportunities Manager via j.measures@derby.ac.uk or Oliver Wiles, Graduate Transitions Officer via o.wiles@derby.ac.uk. For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers under the Skilled Worker route for this role; however, applications are welcome from candidates who are able to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, regardless of age, disability, trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex and sexual orientation. We are Disability Confident Employers, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.

Further, we are committed to ensuring an environment which is trans and non‑binary‑inclusive for all our staff, students, partners, and visitors, and continuously review our policies, guidance and training. When applying to join the University, you can choose your preferred title, including the gender‑neutral title ‘Mx’. We also ask our candidates if they would like to share their preferred pronouns. This is voluntary but demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity for trans and non‑binary candidates. Once employed, you can add pronouns and preferred names onto our system.

The University of Derby undertakes anonymised shortlisting during the staff recruitment process. This means that, when shortlisting, panel members will not be able to see an applicant’s name and will see an applicant number instead. This demonstrates the practical steps we are taking to remove barriers to recruitment by minimising the possible impact of our unconscious bias. However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.

At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University’s strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University’s objective to reach net zero carbon by 2050.

The University of Derby is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our staff, students and children. At the University of Derby, safeguarding is everybody's concern.