Defence Commercial Apprenticeship Programme

The Defence Commercial Apprenticeship Programme is a structured development programme lasting up to 2.5 years, and aims to develop apprentices into professional commercial officers with the capability to manage the MOD's innovative and demanding commercial business activities.

Apprenticeship

You will be enrolled on the Level 4 Procurement and Supply Chain Practitioner apprenticeship, aligned to the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) which is the recognised professional standard in procurement and supply, and is equivalent to a first year of an undergraduate degree. Further information on the apprenticeship standard can be found here: Procurement and supply chain practitioner / Skills England

The apprenticeship is delivered through a combination of on-the-job training, eLearning, mentor support, and self-study, to provide apprentices with the technical knowledge, skills and behaviours required of a commercial professional working in government.

You will receive:

• Protected time for off‑the‑job learning during work hours
• Study leave to prepare for exams
• On‑the‑job coaching and mentoring from experienced commercial professionals
• Exposure to procurement, contract management, and supplier engagement
• Support to prepare for your End Point Assessment
• MOD-specific learning and development.

On successful completion of the apprenticeship and your End Point Assessment, you will be expected to have developed the capability required to operate at Executive Officer (Band D) standard and you will be offered a permanent contract of employment if positions are available.

Responsibilities

With support and supervision from experienced commercial professionals, you will:

• Support and contribute to procurement and contract management activity across the commercial lifecycle, including pre sourcing, sourcing, contract award and contract management stages
• Assist with compliant procurement activity, including the use of frameworks and e sourcing systems, preparation of documentation, evaluations and supplier communications
• Support the development and maintenance of sourcing and commercial strategies for lower value, lower risk requirements, in line with MOD policy and guidance
• Apply MOD commercial policy, procedures and governance requirements to routine commercial activity, with support from senior colleagues
• Assist with contract management activities, including performance monitoring, governance, change control and accurate record keeping
• Collect, collate and analyse commercial, spend and supplier data to support informed decision making and assurance activity
• Contribute to the identification and management of commercial and contractual risks and issues, escalating complex or high risk matters appropriately
• Use commercial systems and tools accurately to maintain records and support audit and assurance requirements
• Work with a range of internal stakeholders and suppliers, building effective working relationships and supporting effective delivery
• Contribute to continuous improvement and learning activity within the team, applying learning from the apprenticeship in the workplace

Decision making authority will increase as capability develops; however, accountability for final commercial decisions will remain with supervising officers throughout the apprenticeship.

Essential Criteria

Applicants must be willing to undertake the Level 4 Procurement and Supply Apprenticeship and must:

• Have the right to work in England and spend a minimum of 50% of your working hours in England.
• Not be in full-time education or another apprenticeship program once the apprenticeship starts. 
• Not hold a qualification in Procurement and Supply at a higher level than Level 4
• Be self-motivated, committed to learning, and eager to build a long-term Civil Service career
• Demonstrate the ability to interpret and apply guidance accurately in practical scenarios.
• Be highly organised, able to prioritise tasks and manage your time effectively
• Have clear written and verbal communication skills
• Be proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook) and comfortable with emerging technologies.
• Be proactive and solutions-focused, with strong teamwork and collaboration skills

Please be aware that you are required to hold the qualifications stated as required and that unless otherwise stated in the advert a higher-level qualification cannot be accepted in lieu of the lower (E.G. and English Language A Level cannot replace the GCSE if the GCSE is not at the required grade).

Please see the guide for acceptable equivalents What qualification levels mean: England, Wales and Northern Ireland - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-level) and (https://scqf.org.uk/media/e5pjypw4/qccb-web-oct-2019.pdf) for Scotland.

Evidence of the above qualifications will be required as part of your pre-employment checks before a formal offer can be made.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. There may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all DCS candidates that meet the minimum criteria for the job. For example, in certain recruitment situations such as a high volume of applications, seasonal demand, or peak periods, the employer may wish to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both DCS and non-DCS applicants.