Discover yourself in Lewisham where what you do makes a difference to our vibrant and culturally diverse communities!

We have a rich history of welcoming people from all over the world and are proud to be recognised as the UK’s first Borough of Sanctuary, for our work in championing the rights of refugees and migrants.

Introduction

8-week paid summer internship – build real-world experience and help improve outcomes for Lewisham residents.

Are you a 2nd year undergraduate student who lives or studies in Lewisham and is looking to build real-world experience and make a difference for local communities?

What’s the role?

Lewisham Council is offering an 8-week paid summer internship supporting teams across the Council to deliver short-term projects that improve outcomes for residents. You’ll work to clear objectives and timescales, producing practical outputs that help services run well and serve well.

Support delivery of short-term projects to clear objectives, timescales and quality standards.
Gather, organise and summarise information (documents, data, resident feedback and stakeholder input) to support analysis and recommendations.
Help map processes and identify practical improvements to services and the resident experience.
Produce clear written outputs such as briefings, slides, FAQs, newsletters or web-ready copy, and support meetings/workshops (planning, notes and action tracking).
Work collaboratively across teams, using Microsoft 365 to organise tasks, while following confidentiality and information governance requirements.

What’s in it for you?

In return, we’ll offer excellent development opportunities, hybrid working and the opportunity to make a real difference to our local community.

What we’re looking for?

Eligibility – you must be a 2nd year undergraduate student who lives or studies in Lewisham
Holistic & system thinking – able to analyse issues, make sense of complexity and consider wider impacts.
Relationship building & inclusion – works well with people from different backgrounds; listens, shows empathy and respect.
Flexible & cross-functional – comfortable switching between tasks; willing to learn new skills and adapt.
Effective communication – can communicate clearly in writing and verbally, tailoring messages to different audiences.
Innovative & resourceful – uses initiative to solve problems and suggest improvements.
Digitally savvy & data-curious – confident with everyday tools (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and interested in how data/technology can improve services.
Resilient & adaptable – stays organised and constructive when priorities change; manages workload and meets deadlines.

Location

Although the internship is primarily based in Laurence House, Catford, London,SE6 4RU, we operate a hybrid approach so you may be required to work both in the office and from home as determined by service requirements.

Special conditions

This opportunity is open to candidates who live or study in Lewisham. To check if your home of place of study postcode falls within Lewisham Council boundary, you should use the official UK Government local council finder. You will be asked to provide evidence as part of the recruitment process.

The recruitment process is anonymous and we don’t accept CV’s.

Applicant handbook - please read the guidance in this handbook when applying. It is essential that you complete the application fully and that your supporting statement covers how you meet each of the person specification criteria listed.

For an informal discussion about this job, please contact Talent.management@lewisham.gov.uk

Please click here to view the Job Profile

Salary

£27,010 per annum, pro rata (London Living Wage)

Diversity

Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply

The Council has a dedicated employment support service, Lewisham Works, which offers Lewisham residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you want to join Lewisham Works, please email LewishamWorks@lewisham.gov.uk and an advisor will be in touch with you.

The Council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.

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