About the FDA  

For over a century the FDA has been a strong, pragmatic trade union representing public sector leaders and professionals working in the civil service and parliaments across the UK. The FDA is not party-political and seeks to improve members’ working lives and the public services they deliver through negotiating and campaigning. FDA members come from a variety of different professions including policy advisors in Whitehall, prosecutors, economists, diplomats, lawyers and tax professionals. The FDA has membership within over 250 civil and public service employers across the UK.

The FDA is the fastest growing trade union in the UK. We are an exciting and vibrant union with many different opportunities to improve the working lives of FDA members. Recently, the FDA has been involved with defending civil servants against attacks on their impartiality; leading the campaign for a new system to be in place for dealing with Ministerial misconduct against civil servants and making the case for fair pay for civil servants.

We believe that public services – and those who work in them – matter. We stand up for our members and strive to improve their working lives, and seek to help them make the most of their careers. 

Further information on our work and current activities can be found on the FDA website at www.fda.org.uk; on our Twitter feed @FDA_Union or on the General Secretary, Dave Penman’s Twitter feed @FDAGenSec.

About you 

This internship would suit a student or recent graduate with an interest in developing a career either within the trade union movement, or more broadly in advocacy, campaigns, government relations, research or communications. No prior experience is needed, but an interest in current affairs, , politics or trade unions is particularly welcome. You may be studying a related field (although this is not a requirement) or just be interested in gaining work experience in the sector, either way we would love to hear from you.

The internship 

This is a full-time six-week internship, starting on the 12th June 2023. While occasional travel to our office in London Bridge will be necessary, this role offers flexibility, and the successful applicant will have the opportunity to work independently from home – as such we welcome applicants from across the UK. Any associated travel costs would be covered and we are very open to discussing and accommodating individual circumstances where possible. 

Renumeration for the six-week period will be based on an annual salary of £27,355.  

You will work closely with one of our National Officers who will manage and mentor you throughout your internship and work closely with one of our Communications Officers. You will also work closely with other union staff and the leadership team. 

The project 

You will be working on a project about pay levels across the civil service informing our pay campaign ‘A New Deal for the Civil Service’. This will involve conducting research and writing a report to be published by the union with a supporting event. The FDA has just announced that we will be launching a ballot for industrial action across civil service employers, your internship will take place at the same time as we are undertaking the ballot and industrial action giving you valuable insight and experience into the world of trade unions. 

We’ll also provide opportunities for you to meet with other stakeholders in both the civil service and union world to get a good understanding of how a busy, proactive union operates and how government and the civil service operates.   

To apply 

The deadline for applications is Friday 19th May at 12noon. 

The date for interviews is Wednesday 31st May.