Start your career where your mahi matters…

The Policy Group is a dynamic community of problem solvers who thrive on embracing differences, influencing initiatives and providing quality advice across a range of social issues.

Our 2027 Policy Graduate Programme provides you with the foundations for success, and the opportunity to fast-track to a Policy Analyst role advising the Government of the day.

The MSD Policy Graduate Programme provides a 12-month pathway into social policy in New Zealand. Over the course of our programme, you will have rotations across two of our five policy teams:

Welfare System and Income Support
Regional, Social and Inquiries
International, Disability, and Generational
Housing, Employment, and Labour Market
Child Wellbeing & Poverty Reduction Group

If you are thinking about working for government, the MSD Policy Group is a great place to be…

Working in policy offers you endless opportunities to learn and continue developing personal and professional skills. With responsibilities ranging from developing legislation to analysing data and providing advice to Ministers, each day in policy provides an opportunity to expand your skillset.

Within our mahi, we are also continually thinking about how we can deliver better for Māori and how best to support the Crown in its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Real impact: Your insights shape policy and services that supports thousands of people across Aotearoa
Ongoing support: Receive training, mentoring, and development throughout the programme
Career growth: Many of our graduates step into Analyst roles after their programme
Inclusive culture: At MSD you will find a diverse, values-led policy group that honours Te Ao Māori and celebrates the diversity of our kaimahi

You can find out more about the MSD Policy Graduate Programme and the experiences of previous graduates here.

About you

We are looking for graduates who are critical thinkers, problem solvers, and willing to learn. Don't be concerned about your GPA or type of degree, as long as you have graduated within the last 3 years (regardless of your age). We are more interested in people who are collaborative, responsible, curious, enthusiastic and share our values.

Applications

We want to understand why you are interested in the role, and our organisation. As part of your application, you will need to provide the following:

CV
Cover letter
Answers to written assessment questions
Official or unofficial academic transcript

Further application guidance will be provided within the job advert once applications open.

What to expect

We will email you to let you know we have received your application. If you are successful in progressing through the application process, you can expect the following stages:

A one-way online interview
An assessment day in Wellington

Applications open on 2 June 2026, and you can find the full details of the application process, including the job description and eligibility criteria here.

For any questions, drop us an email at Policy_Graduates@msd.govt.nz

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