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Working at the School

Everyone at the Blavatnik School of Government shares a passion for the School’s mission to inspire and support better public policy and government around the world.  We teach current and future public leaders from across the globe, develop evidence-based research addressing real-world policy challenges, and create communities that enable policy leaders to learn from each other. 

Find out more about our brilliant students and see the positive impact that they are making in communities and societies across the globe.

We attract, recruit, and develop outstanding colleagues who are committed to the School’s vision and who will contribute to and help facilitate our goal of a world better led, better served and better governed.

If you share our commitment for better government, are confident that you have the necessary experience and skills to work with us and are looking for the chance to work in our world-leading institution then we would love to hear from you.

Vacancies

Browse our current academic and professional vacancies at the School below:

Academic and research vacancies

Research Project Officer

The Research Project Officer will be a key member of the School’s research support team and will – initially at least – primarily work on the ‘Climate Impacts on Early Child Development’ (ECD) project led by Principal Investigator (PI) Professor Alan Stein. 

Closing date: 

Professional vacancies

Programme Administrator (Admissions) – Executive Programmes (maternity cover)

Executive Programmes is a rapidly growing area within the School, which is further expanding over the next few years. We are seeking to appoint a talented Programme Administrator (Admissions) to support the School’s executive programmes and our admissions activities as a one-year maternity cover.

Closing date: 
Mission

Our mission is to inspire and support better government and public policy around the world.  Our vision is of a world better led, a world better served and a world better governed. We are a global school committed to improving the quality of government and public policymaking worldwide, through three routes: 

  • Teaching current and future leaders 
  • Research with impact 
  • Engagement with governments and practitioners 
Culture and values

At the Blavatnik School, we think of diversity as spanning multiple dimensions of individual experience that shape our ideas, ways of thinking and being including, but not limited to, race, gender, age, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation and differential abilities.  We regard such diversity as core to our institutional identity and values.

To ensure we remain accountable to these values, we have established the School’s Equality & Diversity Working Group.  Meeting at least once a term, this group is responsible for ongoing critical reflection on how well the School’s structures, processes and norms of engagement ensure that the principles of Athena SWAN and the Race Equality Charter are embedded throughout the culture of the School.

Jackie Liu

The Blavatnik School of Government has a special place in my heart, as I earned my own Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree here in 2017.  It is indeed a privilege for me to be back to the School, with the opportunity of leveraging my two decades of experiences in public sector management, to help administer and develop our successful degree programmes.

I am feeling a strong sense of pride and satisfaction to serve the School and its aspiring students, in my capacity as a former student, an alumnus, and now a member of the professional services team.

The faculty and all staff members here are just terrific – in any sense, particularly our unwavering commitment to nurturing future leaders in politics, policymaking, and public administration.  Come join this happy team!

Jackie Liu, Head of Degree Programmes
Portrait of Brooke Martin-Garbutt

The Blavatnik is a dynamic and vibrant place to work. No two days look the same and there is always something new and exciting going on. Our people are what makes the School unique – and such a wonderful community to be a part of. We have a diverse community of professionals, researchers and academic faculty – all ably led by Ngaire and Kathy, our Dean and COO. We are also fortunate to have a bright and modern building on Walton Street where everyone works.

Brooke Martin-Garbutt, Head of HR
Portrait of Sharnic Djaker

I joined the school about a year ago and was immediately struck by the collaborative, welcoming, and intellectually stimulating atmosphere. The school thrives with an active and growing research community, all united by a common goal to make significant, life-changing impacts through our projects, programs, and students. 

As a member of one of the research programs, I have the privilege of benefiting from the expertise of colleagues from various disciplines, each contributing their unique perspectives to our collective efforts. We maintain a clear focus on fostering a culture of innovation that is both exciting and profoundly rewarding. I invite all who are passionate about making a meaningful difference to join us in this inspiring and dynamic environment.

Sharnic Djaker, PostDoc Research Fellow (WWHGE)
Jade Wong

This is a cliché, but the best thing about working at the school is the people. The school has a magical ability to attract intelligent, kind, and mission-oriented people from across the globe. Just by being at the school, you will develop a deeper appreciation for different cultures, personal biographies, and even research topics and approaches! 

On a more personal note, I have received so much support from my academic mentor, many colleagues who are now my friends, and the administrative teams working tirelessly in the background. The BSG really is a wonderful place to work, and I am so thankful that I’m part of it! 

Jade Wong, Former PostDoc Research Fellow in Public Policy
Portrait of Anne Wynne

Being on the front desk means I see and speak to everyone. Our students, colleagues and visitors will pass by reception and there is so much opportunity to get to know the fantastic and diverse people in our department. What I particularly love about my role is getting to know people from all over the world and engage with a variety of personalities, at the same time doing my best to try to learn and remember names! We work in an inspiring and stimulating environment for sure but it’s the friendliness of my colleagues and the students that makes the Blavatnik School such a special place to work.

Anne Wynne, FOH Supervisor
Portrait of Josh Franks

Thanks to the design of my apprenticeship over the last 5 months I have been made to feel like a welcomed and appreciated member of the teams immediately.

I have loved being able to learn and develop key skills with the apprenticeship and have been given time whenever needed to concentrate on my learning and qualification. Liaising with all different members of staff has made me feel a real sense of community within the School and that everybody is working as a team towards common goals.

Josh Franks, Apprentice Business Administrator
Benefits
  • 38 days’ holiday per year (including public holidays) – pro-rata if you are part-time. Increasing after five years.  
  • a generous salary-related pension scheme based on employee and employer contributions. 
  • Flexible working patterns with hybrid working available to employees 
  • Wellbeing benefits including the Employee Assistance Helpline (EAP), which provides confidential information and counselling services 24 hours a day. 
  • Assistance with travel costs, the University offers a variety of schemes to help finance your travel to work. 
  • Regular staff social activities including quiz nights and yoga classes, annual staff winter and summer parties and a family inclusive Halloween event. 
  • Access to University events and talks 
  • Learning and Development opportunities Including courses, workshops and mentoring programmes 
  • Family Friendly policies including Maternity, Paternity and Adoption leave, extensive University wide  Childcare services
  • See the the full list of University-wide staff benefits

Athena Swan logo

Recruitment process
  • Applications for all vacancies at Blavatnik School of Government are made via the University jobs page. For all applications, candidates are required to supply a full CV and a supporting statement which addresses the selection criteria for the role. Full instructions on how to apply are included in the job advert.
  • Applications are then reviewed by the hiring panel. At this stage the panel will either select a longlist of candidates to complete a longlisting exercise or select a shortlist of candidates to move straight through to interview stage (with potential to complete a pre-interview exercise).
  • A member of the recruitment team will contact you to confirm whether your application has been longlisted/shortlisted. *Please note that we are unable to provide feedback for unsuccessful applications at this stage.
  • If your application is longlisted: you will be required to complete a timed longlisting exercise to demonstrate the skills required for the role. Successful candidates will then be moved through to the shortlisting stage.  
  • If your application is shortlisted: you will be invited for an interview (we aim to give a minimum of 5-day's notice for interviews wherever possible).
  • Interviews are competency-based Q&A, related to the role responsibilities and selection criteria outlined in the fuller job description, and usually take place with a panel of three interviewers.
  • If successful, you will be contacted by a member of the team to discuss the role and go through further details.

FAQs

  • What will the recruitment process involve?

    Please read our recruitment process outlined above.

  • Can I apply for more than one position? 

    As long as you meet the required selection criteria of the role (as stated in the advert), you can apply for more than one vacancy.

  • Do you have onsite visitor parking?

    The only onsite parking available at the Blavatnik School is for disabled badge holders. The School is located close to Oxford city centre and a 10-minute walk from Oxford rail station. Alternatively, there are a number of efficient Park and Ride sites at strategic points around the city. 

  • What are the academic posts available at Oxford? 

    Further information about the types of academic posts at Oxford is available on the main University of Oxford website. 

Privacy

The University of Oxford takes seriously its responsibilities under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and associated data protection legislation. Please refer to the University of Oxford job applicant privacy notice for details of our approach to processing your data.