2026 Human Resources Graduate, People

About us

National Grid is at the heart of the UK energy network keeping people connected and society moving. We develop, own and maintain the physical infrastructure, such as pylons and cables needed to move the electricity generated from windfarms and power sources around the country. Every time a phone is plugged in, or a switch is turned on, we've played a part, connecting you to the electricity you need - and we're leading the transformation towards a greener future, dreaming bigger to bring a more affordable energy future to everyone.

But it's our people that provide our true superpower. They drive and sustain our growth, their unique differences only making us stronger. But it's no small feat and we need the best to join us in our mission. So, join us and power the future of energy. 

About The Role

Our People function offers a unique opportunity to kickstart your career in an organisation that is at the heart of Net Zero and is committed to delivering a clean, fair and affordable energy future. To deliver these net zero ambitions we need to ensure we have the right number of people, in the right place, at the right time with the right skills and behavior to be able to deliver on our commitments to our customers. Our business is fast changing, we have some big work to deliver, so our people function's goal is to get our workforce ready to deliver the energy transition.

Across your three placements you'll delve into the various areas of our people function, and through your natural passions, and our business needs, we'll work hard to nurture you into your strengths to superpower your career in Human Resources.

• Rotate through generalist and specialist areas such as recruitment, reward, HR partnering, performance and talent development, employee relations, colleague communications & engagement, DEI, and HR Operations, Technology & Transformation, offering a balanced and extensive learning experience. 
• Serve as a reliable partner, providing HR advice to colleagues and fostering a supportive work environment. 
• Support the business in developing a truly inclusive workforce that reflect the communicates we serve and operate in.
• Collaborate with stakeholders at various levels and in different functions, as well as with external partners, to support and contribute to people-focused projects and leadership development within National Grid. 
• Access a global network of contacts and engage in group activities, broadening your industry knowledge and professional connections. 

This immersive experience aims to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of our people function, equipping you with the necessary skills and experiences to progress your career within the human resources field, and play an integral role in shaping the future of energy at National Grid.

Our Graduate Programme

As you'll be joining our 18-month graduate programme, you'll have a tailored development pathway to support you as you develop a wide range of leadership, business, and technical skills. You'll attend in-person and virtual development sessions throughout your programme to equip you with the essential skills required, as you begin your career at National Grid. We're committed to the personal development of our colleagues so as well as the support from your line manager as you navigate your new role, you'll also have access to 121 coaching and a mentor, from a previous cohort to help you transition from campus to corporate life.

All graduates complete the core development programme to develop key skills such as how to make an impact, giving feedback and presentation skills.  Aligned to this role is our Commercial pathway, where you’ll further develop commerciality skills and gain important insight of engineering and electricity to increase your understanding of our business and industry. Dependent upon your role you may complete a formal qualification such as (Chartered Institute of Professional Development) CIPD.

We believe in the importance of getting as much on-the-job experience as possible and to do this, you will complete three 6-month placements, across the UK, designed to deepen your understanding of your speciality but to also broaden your knowledge of our business. At the end of your 18-month programme you’ll return to your initial placement area to kickstart your superpowered career.

What you'll need to apply

You'll need to achieve, or be working towards, a minimum 2:2 in a Busienss or Human Resources degree related discpline degree. It doesn’t matter when you graduated or if you are currently working towards your qualification. We just need you to be eager to apply your knowledge in a real-world setting.

You’ll need flexibility to travel within role and throughout your rotations as required.

Location

This role is based in Warwick offering flexible hybrid working, where possible.

What You'll Get In Return

We are proud to offer a graduate starting salary of £36,640
 

Not only will you receive a tailored development programme to progress a superpowered career at National Grid, we also offer some great rewards and benefits too: 

• £2,000 bonus, once joined and started on programme
• 26 days holiday
• £2,400 payment on successful completion of the programme
• Up to £200 per month accommodation allowance as you move around the business, and additional annual leave for when you move between placements plus assistance with moving personal belongings
• Other benefits include pension and share-option schemes, Flexible Benefits, close mentorship and regular feedback & volunteering opportunities. 

More Information

You can only apply for one graduate opportunity during this recruitment cycle. We kindly ask that you review all our graduate opportunities and apply for the one that aligns closest with your aspirations and interests.

We recruit on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close our vacancies once we have enough applications/based on volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as early as possible to ensure you obtain the place you want in the application process. 

Assessment centres will be held between November - April 2026

National Grid's Graduate & Student opportunities in the UK are open to all applicants who meet the eligibility criteria including an existing and valid right to work in the UK. As part of the application process this will need to be evidenced and verified before you can start the programme.

Please note that in most cases, National Grid is unable to offer sponsorship for employment under the UK points-based immigration system. As such, applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship now or in the future under the UK points-based immigration system. However, in exceptional circumstances where there is a clear and demonstrable need for specialist skills that cannot be sourced from the local labour market, National Grid may consider offering sponsorship. All applications are welcome from candidates who meet these requirements, regardless of race, nationality, or ethnic origin.

Please be aware that it’s your responsibility to explore avenues of working in the UK, as we're not able to provide advice on this. For information about visas please visit https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas