Description Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Salary: £19,514 per annum (rising annually throughout the apprenticeship) Contract Type: Fixed-Term, 24 months Hours: Full-time, 37 hours Location: Hartree Centre, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Keckwick, Warrington, WA4 4AD Closing Date: Sunday, 2nd February 2026 Interview Date: Feb 2026 / Mar 2026 Start Date: September 2026 Are you an organised, enthusiastic individual looking to build a great foundation in business administration? Do you want to gain real-world experience supporting world-leading science and technology projects? Join the Hartree Centre, part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and take your first step towards an exciting and rewarding career. As an apprentice, you’ll combine formal training with hands-on experience, developing the technical and professional skills that will set you up for success in any career path. About an Apprenticeship at STFC We’re looking for enthusiastic and motivated individuals ready to develop their skills through formal training and hands-on experience. As an apprentice, you’ll gain real-world experience, build technical and professional skills, and contribute to cutting-edge research and innovation in a dynamic, supportive environment. You’ll be fully supported throughout the programme with regular check-ins from a dedicated Apprenticeship Coordinator, structured training, practical experience, and mentorship from industry professionals. Plus, you’ll have access to workshops, a peer network, and career development support, helping you feel confident and prepared for new challenges. Why join the Hartree Business Support team at the STFC? At the Hartree Centre, we use supercomputing, data science and AI to tackle real-world problems. As a Business Administration Apprentice, you’ll join a small, friendly, and experienced Hartree Business Support team that keeps the Hartree Centre running efficiently. You’ll gain valuable insight into how large-scale research organisations operate — from managing meetings and events to supporting recruitment, travel, and project coordination. You’ll also have the opportunity to shadow other departments within the Professional Services team ie; Project Management, Impact & Communications, Training, Business & Stakeholder Engagement to enhance your understanding of how everyone’s role compliments the smooth running of the Hartree Centre. Link to Hartree Centre intro video: Welcome to the Hartree Centre Link to Hartree Centre’s LinkedIn page: STFC Hartree Centre | LinkedIn Qualifications Gained Level 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeship Business administrator What You’ll Learn Effective business administration and organisational techniques Professional communication and teamwork Using business software and digital tools confidently (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) Problem-solving, time management, and prioritisation skills Understanding organisational policies and compliance requirements Event and meeting coordination Insight into how science and technology organisations operate Training Provider Warrington and Vale Royal College: Business Apprenticeship | Warrington & Vale Royal College Delivery - Instructor-led virtual learning, online self-study and 10 days of in-person training in the college What You’ll Be Doing – Day-to-day responsibilities Provide day-to-day administrative support across the Hartree Centre, including procurement, travel bookings, diary management, and meeting coordination. Deliver secretariat services for internal meetings, including minute-taking and action tracking using Microsoft Word, Teams, and SharePoint. Maintain internal records such as staff databases and organisational charts. Support recruitment processes — track applicants, coordinate interviews, and help onboard new team members. Organise internal and external company visits and events. Attend & support external events. Prepare professional documentation such as emails, letters, reports, and presentations. Meet and greet a wide range of staff and external visitors, ensuring a professional and friendly welcome. Arrange national and international travel for staff. Entry Requirements The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I). We are looking for the following: GCSEs in Maths and English (Grade 4/C or above) (S) An awareness of basic health and safety (I) Enthusiastic and motivated to learn, both in the workplace and through formal training (I) Confident using a computer, especially tools like Word, Excel, and Outlook (S&I) Strong written and verbal communication skills (S&I) Good at keeping things on track and getting tasks done on time (S&I) Attention to detail and a proactive approach (S&I) A team player who’s also confident working independently (S&I) Willing to travel occasionally for training or work purposes (S&I) A genuine interest in science, technology, or engineering and the work of STFC (S&I) Important Information To complete the apprenticeship, you will need to evidence passes at 9-4 or AC in GCSE (or equivalent) Maths and English. For those sitting their GSCEs in Summer 2026, we would need evidence of your predicted grades. When applying for an apprenticeship, there is a set residency eligibility criteria that must be met by the applicant. To check your eligibility please click here. The training provider will also ask you to complete an initial assessment during the application process. If you already have a qualification in this subject area or similar please include, as an attachment, your transcript outlining the grade/s achieved and modules covered. By applying for this apprenticeship, you are giving permission for your details to be shared with the relevant training provider. We will be in touch after the closing date, however, please reach out on apprenticerecruitment@ukri.org if you have any questions. Please note that we hold the right to close this vacancy early if a sufficient number of applications have been received. Employee Benefits Your salary will increase annually as you progress through your apprenticeship, in line with policy. 30 days holiday (in addition to 10.5 bank holidays and privilege days). Flexible working hours. An excellent defined average salary pension scheme. Easily accessible public transport links/ free parking. Excellent learning and development opportunities. Cycle to work scheme. For a list of our full benefits, please visit here. As this job does not fulfil the UK Government minimum criterion for obtaining sponsored migrant worker status we will be unable to apply for sponsorship for anyone not eligible to work in the UK. At interview, all shortlisted candidates are required to bring with them identification documents and original documents that prove they hold or can obtain the right to work in the UK. You can check your eligibility here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y How to apply Part of our application process involves submitting your CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter should address your suitability for the opportunity based how you meet each essential criteria stated in this advert. Please note that we hold the right to close this vacancy early if a sufficient number of applications have been received. We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers and business support team explore the unknown across every field you could think of. And they turn what they find into work that changes the world around us. What could you achieve with the world-leading facilities and experts of one of Europe's largest research organisations by your side? Join us and discover what's possible!