GES Sandwich JD - FCDO 2027

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) 

Grade: AO 

Salary: £30,600 plus £5,000 London Location Allowance 

Number of placements: 6 

Location: East Kilbride and London

JOB DESCRIPTION: 

Placement Economists 

FCDO is the lead government department for international policy, with teams covering a very wide range of geographic and thematics portfolios. We host a number of GES placement students across a variety of directorates, with students being an integral element of the analytical capabilities in each part of the organisation.  

As a placement student in FCDO, you will work on either a specific geographic region or a theme (e.g. economic development, trade, sanctions). You will work alongside other FCDO economists to inform and shape policy thinking through producing impactful and time-relevant economic analysis, thus having direct impact on live – and often high profile – policy discussions.  

The precise nature of the work will vary by role, but may include a range, or all of, the following: 

In-depth analytical pieces 

Shorter, more time-critical analytical updates 

Leading on regular dashboards or other analytical products, many of which have wide-ranging senior readership 

Presenting your work to colleagues from a range of backgrounds 

Briefing senior officials and/or Ministers 

Working closely with colleagues in our overseas network 

You will also have opportunities to get involved with other aspects of FCDO work – e.g. crisis response – and, depending on the role, there may be opportunities to travel. 

Placement student roles in FCDO provide an ideal opportunity to apply your economics knowledge to real-world international policy issues, working with experienced analysts from across FCDO and beyond. The roles will give you the opportunity to develop technical skills, including coding, as well as experience in other analytical platforms such as Excel and Power BI, and a wide range of broader skills that will put you in good stead for future careers in the civil service or beyond. You will also be part of FCDO’s large (350+) economics community, with opportunities to learn from economist colleagues beyond your immediate work area, as well as having access to the FCDO’s extensive learning and development offer, on both technical and non-technical topics, allowing you to tailor your L&D to your needs and interests.  

Eligibility Requirements: 

 Essential 

The candidate must currently be undertaking a UK-based economics-related undergraduate course.  

Study must include some international economics or related modules by the end of the second year. 

Candidates must be a UK national (dual nationals of the UK and another country are eligible) and been resident in the UK for at least three of the last five years (required for security clearance). 

Desirable 

An interest in international economics and international policy.  

Proficiency in the core Microsoft Office package (Word, Excel PowerPoint). An interest in building proficiency in R, Power BI and other similar analytical/coding platforms would be particularly beneficial for some roles. Generous training offers are available to refresh and enhance these skills, where necessary.