Procurement Officer (Apprenticeship)

Procurement Officer (Apprenticeship)

locations

Wallingford

time type

Full time

posted on

Posted Today

time left to apply

End Date: July 13, 2026 (18 days left to apply)

job requisition id

JR1569

Hybrid working (50/50)

Apprenticeship - Fixed-Term 2 Years

Closing date for applications: 12 July 2026. We reserve the right to close this advert early if we find the right candidate, so we encourage you to apply early. Please note that an assessment centre is expected in weeks commencing 20 and 27 July 2026.

About UKCEH 

UKCEH is a leading independent research institute with over 600 scientists studying how the natural world works. We take a connected approach across land, water and air to understand environmental systems and build resilience for people and the planet.

About This Role 

Are you looking to build a long‑term career in procurement, or perhaps you’re exploring your career options and drawn to working for an environmental-oriented organisation like ours?

We’re excited to offer a Procurement Officer apprenticeship - a great opportunity for you to build or develop your career while contributing to our mission to deliver world-leading environmental science. Within this role, you’ll gain valuable, hands-on experience in procurement within a nationally recognised research organisation, playing a part in work that has real environmental impact. Alongside your role, you’ll also work towards a Level 3 or 4 qualification with the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) - giving you a way to earn, learn, and build a meaningful career with purpose.

You’ll join a friendly and highly experienced Procurement team, bringing together a diverse breadth of knowledge and expertise. This creates an excellent environment for you to learn, grow and build your career. You’ll gain valuable experience and exposure across the full procurement cycle - from working with colleagues to understand their needs, to researching suppliers, comparing options, and supporting purchasing decisions. You’ll also begin to build commercial awareness, learn how contracts and negotiations work, and use real data to track spend and performance. Along the way, you’ll see how procurement plays a vital role in delivering value, managing risk, and supporting sustainability.

As an apprentice, you’ll receive hands-on support and mentoring from experienced colleagues, including senior leaders and a specialist contractor, giving you exposure to a wide range of skills, perspectives and real-world procurement challenges. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn directly from knowledgeable professionals who are genuinely passionate about sharing their expertise and supporting your development every step of the way.

You’ll gain valuable insight into how organisations purchase goods and services responsibly and sustainably, while contributing from day one - helping ensure our scientists have everything they need to tackle some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. You’ll also have the chance to get involved in wider organisational initiatives, such as staff network groups and discussion panels, giving you the opportunity to share your ideas and help shape our future.

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Act as a point of contact for colleagues, offering clear and practical procurement guidance

• Work closely with teams across the organisation and external partners, building strong, professional relationships

• Play a key role in keeping procurement running smoothly by supporting the creation and review of purchase orders

• Build your knowledge of supplier management, from due diligence checks to maintaining accurate records

• Help manage contracts and renewal timelines, ensuring services continue without disruption

• Develop commercial awareness by researching suppliers and benchmarking pricing

• Gain hands‑on experience of the full Procure‑to‑Pay (P2P) process using systems and data

• Contributing to spend analysis, reporting and KPIs, helping identify trends, improve compliance and highlight opportunities for efficiency

• Supporting projects and improvement initiatives alongside senior colleagues

• Contributing ideas to improve and evolve procurement processes and ways of working

• Taking ownership of your work while ensuring compliance with UKCEH policies

• Contributing ideas and continuously developing your skills and knowledge throughout your apprenticeship

We’re looking for someone who’s excited to learn, grow, and build a career in procurement. You don’t need to know everything yet - we’ll teach you the technical side. What matters most is your attitude, people skills, and willingness to get stuck in.

With mentoring from experienced professionals and exposure to real projects, you’ll develop practical skills, confidence, and a strong professional network. You’ll be supported every step of the way in a close‑knit team that’s invested in your growth.

What we’re looking for: 

• A genuine commitment to completing the apprenticeship programme and developing your skills and a willingness to study towards, and complete, a Level 3 or 4 CIPS qualification

• Experience in a busy, customer-focused environment (this could be retail, hospitality, or an office setting) where you’ve learned how to communicate and stay organised

• A minimum Level 3 qualification (such as A Levels, a diploma, or equivalent)

• Study apprenticeship, gaining a recognised professional qualification while you work

What will help you stand out: 

• Strong communication skills and confidence speaking with others – you’re happy to pick up the phone and build relationships across the organisation

• A people-first mindset - you enjoy connecting with others, supporting colleagues, and working through challenges together

• The confidence to ask questions, learn quickly, and take initiative, rather than just following instructions

• The ability to handle different situations, including having difficult conversations and managing expectations professionally

• Great listening skills, with the ability to understand information and turn it into practical action

• A flexible, proactive approach - you’re comfortable adapting, solving problems, and thinking on your feet

• An interest in developing skills like negotiation, influencing, and relationship building

How to apply and what happens next 

If you’re interested in this role, we’d love to hear from you. You’ll be directed to our Workday portal where you’ll create an account and upload your CV and your responses to the questions below (approx. 8 mins). Your responses are an important part of our assessment process, so please take the time to complete them thoughtfully:

• A separate cover letter is not required

• Use clear, concise examples that demonstrate your personal contribution, relevant skills, qualifications (if applicable) and impact

• Limit your responses to a maximum of 150 words per question

• Once submitted, our panel will review your application, and please be assured that we are committed to providing an outcome for all applicants, regardless of the result.

​

Q1. Describe a time when you had to explain something clearly to someone who didn’t understand a process or was new to it. How did you approach the conversation, and what did you do to reach a positive outcome?

Q2. Describe a time where you worked to complete a task or project to a set deadline, what skills or techniques did you use and what did you learn from the experience?

Q3. Give an example of when you had to learn something new quickly (such as a system, subject, or way of working). How did you approach it, and how did you make sure you applied what you learned effectively?

Q4 . This role involves supporting how we purchase goods and services responsibly. Can you share an example of when you compared options (e.g. products, suppliers, or services) before making a decision? What factors did you consider, and how did you decide?

Working at UKCEH is genuinely rewarding 

You’ll be joining a leading independent, not-for-profit research institute, where your work will have real impact. Our science helps people and the environment to prosper and informs decisions that benefit society as a whole. We’re proud to be custodians of over 60 years of environmental data, and just as proud of the people behind it. You’ll be supported to develop your career, grow your skills and thrive in a collaborative, purpose-driven environment.

What we offer 

At UKCEH, we recognise your dedication and provide a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you both at work and at home. When you join us, you’ll benefit from:

• Generous annual leave - 27 days (rising to 29 days after 5 years) +3 for Christmas closure

• 10% employer pension contribution

• Financial protection through life assurance and income protection

• Enhanced family-friendly policies

• Flexible and hybrid working options (depending on your role)

• Lifestyle perks including dental, gym, retail and cycling discounts

• A commitment to wellbeing, supported by a range of internal initiatives

• Employee Assistance Programme and health benefits, including 24/7 support with remote GP access, mental health, physiotherapy and lifestyle services

• Peer recognition and rewards that celebrate your contribution

• Salary sacrifice agreement benefits including Electric & Plug-in Hybrid vehicle and Cycle2Work schemes

• Interest-free annual travel season ticket loans

  (terms apply)

Our Commitment to inclusion 

At UKCEH, we believe everyone should feel welcome and able to be themselves at work. We warmly encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and identities. As a Disability Confident employer, we’re happy to support you with any adjustments you may need throughout the recruitment process.

A note on sponsorship 

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role and this does not qualify for endorsement to support a Global Talent Visa application. If you are considering pursuing self-sponsorship, please indicate this in your application so we can take it into account during the recruitment process.

About Us

Here you can explore the kind of roles we recruit for, search our latest vacancies, learn more about what it's like to work at UKCEH, and find out about the many benefits of joining our team.

Every one of our 600+ staff and 50+ postgraduate students plays a vital role in delivering our ambition to understand the environment and the human impact on it, so that together people and nature can prosper.

How we work is just as important as what we achieve. We want UKCEH to be a welcoming, inclusive, engaging and collaborative place to work. We embed our values - excellence, integrity and teamwork - into everything we do.

For further information, please visit the UKCEH Website.