Economics and Policy Graduate Program 2026 (Feb 2026)

• Industry recognised program for emerging Economists and Financial Policy Analysts
• Explore your curiosity and apply your skills at Australia's central bank
• Two-year rotational program with meaningful work from day one

About the role

The 2026 Graduate Development Program in Economics and Policy at the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is a structured two-year rotational program that provides comprehensive training and development designed to progress your career.

Our program is widely recognised as an outstanding professional opportunity for Economists and Financial Analysts offering:

• Meaningful policy work that makes a difference in the lives of all Australians
• A supportive and inclusive culture
• Extensive training and coaching
• Challenging and diverse work experiences allowing you to build your capabilities
• Development of technical and core skills

Our Graduates are active participants in the RBA’s policy work and make significant contributions to the RBA’s understanding of important issues affecting Australia. For instance, our Graduates may find themselves contributing to our quarterly economic forecasts for the domestic economy, analysing conditions in global financial markets, monitoring the domestic banking sector, or even thinking about bank note demand.

We are seeking graduates who are dynamic and adaptable, strive for success, are strong communicators and collaborators, and driven to achieve good public policy outcomes for Australia.
 

Requirements

• Applicants for these roles must hold or be completing a degree in Economics, Econometrics, Legal, Actuarial or similar. Demonstrating strong academic achievement and significant studies in Economics.
• Completion of honours or another significant research program will be viewed favourably
• Australian permanent residency or citizenship, or New Zealand citizenship, is essential.
• When applying for the Economics and Policy Graduate Program, a cover letter with your application is highly desirable and recommended.

Be More

Working for an organisation that truly makes a difference to the people of Australia, we can offer development and career opportunities in a collaborative environment that supports your growth, wellbeing and promotes flexibility. Your individual growth and success drives the RBA forward as an organisation. Be more means you can do more, for yourself and for Australia.

Why RBA?

The RBA makes an important contribution to the Australian economy through the pursuit of national economic policy objectives and associated activities in financial markets and banking. We also issue Australia's banknotes and operate infrastructure critical to the payments system, all of which contribute to the welfare of the Australian people. Made up of specialists across a wide range of fields, our people, values, and culture play a critical role in achieving our objectives. Striving to be Open & Dynamic, we consider and incorporate different perspectives, work across teams and are transparent with each other, whilst delivering quality together effectively and focusing on outcomes by prioritising, testing, learning, and refining as we go. Our people conduct themselves with a high degree of integrity, while striving for excellence in the work they perform and the outcomes they achieve. We encourage intelligent inquiry and we treat one another with respect while promoting the public interest through our efforts. We know it is the growth and success of our people that drives the RBA forward. Come and make a bigger contribution while you build and develop your own skills too, because being more means you can do more, for yourself and for Australia.

The Reserve Bank of Australia is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion through key initiatives. We welcome and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse background, those living with a disability and from the LGBTQ+ community. We are committed to making the recruitment process fair and equitable for all our candidates.