BBC Software Engineering Graduate Scheme

JOB DETAILS

JOB TITLE:  THE BBC 2026 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING GRADUATE SCHEME
JOB REFERENCE: 33950
JOB BAND: C
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full Time, Hybrid
DEPARTMENT: Various
LOCATION: can be based in London, Newcastle, Salford or Glasgow hubs
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: fixed starting salary of £35,205 (outside of London) or £40,464 (London) per annum
CLOSING DATE: 23:59 hrs on Sunday the 14th December 2025
PLANNED ASSESSMENT PROCESS:  Virtual assessment days will run mid to end of February 2026*. If selected, you’ll be contacted in January 2026* and asked to complete a brief technical test at home ahead of your assessment day.*This may be subject to change

If you require any reasonable adjustments at any time, please let us know by contacting us on Reasonable.adjustments@bbc.co.uk with the job reference in the subject.

We’re happy to discuss flexible working. If you’d like to, please indicate your preference in the application – though there’s no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be
part of the discussion at offer stage.

ABOUT THE SCHEME

Our two-year Software Engineering Graduate Scheme offers four six-month rotations across different teams and technologies.

Roles can be based in our London, Salford, Newcastle or Glasgow tech hubs, giving you the chance to gain hands-on experience with products such as BBC iPlayer, BBC News,
BBC Sounds, BBC Sport and BBC Bitesize.

You’ll work with technologies including JavaScript, Python, Scala, AWS, Java, Kotlin and Swift, while learning from industry experts and accessing world-class training through
the BBC Academy.

This scheme is designed for individuals with some software development experience and provides an in-depth opportunity to contribute to a range of BBC digital products
while developing your skills across multiple teams and disciplines.

PROGRAMME PATHWAY

Your first rotation will be assigned based on your existing experience, giving you a strong foundation from day one. You’ll then choose your next three rotations, allowing you to
tailor the scheme to your interests and career goals.

Across your placements, you’ll gain hands-on experience in a range of areas, including cloud computing, machine learning, front-end and back-end development, security,
and API development.

Throughout the scheme, you’ll receive continuous training and support through the BBC Academy and other learning platforms, helping you build both your technical and
professional skills.

HEAR FROM OUR CURRENT TRAINEES

“I’m so glad I applied to this scheme! I never thought I’d be successful but I was and I’m absolutely loving it. Everything is so well organised, there’s loads of support and I’m genuinely having the best time.” – Hollie (1st Year Trainee)

“My experience so far has been outstanding, I get to work among some amazing engineers on great products, spanning an endless suite of technologies and product domains. This kind of spread of work is so rare to find, and getting the chance to learn and explore them all is a golden opportunity. My team have been so helpful, with everything from architecture understanding to language ‘gotchas!’, there are no silly questions. Everyone is friendly, and the BBC fosters a great engineering culture where growth and learning are heavily prioritized – something you can’t find easily.” – Paul (1st Year Trainee)

YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS & ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

•  Software Quality & Craftsmanship: apply strong engineering principles to
  write clean, modern, and maintainable code that contributes to high-quality,
  reliable products.
•  Collaborative Development: work closely with others through practices such
  as pair programming and code reviews, thriving in a supportive and highly
  collaborative engineering culture.
•  Problem-Solving & Delivery: tackle technical challenges with a logical,
  solution-focused mindset, creating efficient and scalable outcomes that
  improve user experience.
•  Clear Communication: share ideas, ask questions, and communicate
  progress effectively to ensure smooth teamwork across multidisciplinary
  groups.
•  Continuous Learning: stay proactive in developing your skills, adopting new
  tools, techniques, and methodologies to continuously enhance the quality
  of the codebase and engineering practice.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• You must be 18 years of age or older by 14th September 2026.
• You must have the legal right to work in the UK for the duration of the
  programme.
• If you hold a visa, please supply the relevant visa details as part of your
  application process.
• You must be able to start the programme in September 2026.
• Please indicate your preferred location in your application. Roles are based
  in London, Glasgow, Salford or Newcastle, on a hybrid working arrangement.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• Motivation: You can clearly articulate why you want to join the BBC Software
  Engineering Graduate Scheme and what you hope to contribute and learn.
• Technical Experience: You bring practical coding experience—whether self-
  taught, gained through a Computer Science degree or equivalent qualification, or
  developed via a coding bootcamp.
• Collaboration: You have experience working effectively as part of a team and
  enjoy contributing to shared goals in a supportive environment.
• Quality Mindset: You demonstrate an ability to write clean, maintainable code
  and show an understanding of good software quality practices.

We encourage all applicants to ensure their responses are authentic and reflective of their own experiences, skills and motivations.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Contracts of Employment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.