Executive support apprentice

UKRI External Affairs and Communications Directorate Salary: £19,514 per annum (rising annually throughout the apprenticeship) Contract Type: Fixed-Term, 24 months Hours: Full-time, 37 hours Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 1FL Closing Date: 23:55 on Sunday, 12th July 2026 Interview Date: Tuesday 28th July 2026 Start Date: September 2026 Before applying to this position, please ensure you have read the job description in full, including information on eligibility requirements and the selection process. Are you highly organised, enjoy working with others, and have an interest in how senior leaders and teams operate? Join UKRI as an Executive Support Apprentice and develop key skills in administration, communication, and coordination within a central directorate. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is offering an opportunity to join the External Affairs and Communications Private Office as an Executive Support Apprentice. This is a key role within a small, friendly, and high performing team at the heart of the directorate, providing direct support to senior leaders and contributing to the smooth running of the office while supporting the delivery of effective communications across UKRI. The apprenticeship offers a structured opportunity for someone organised and curious to develop strong professional skills in administration, communication, and coordination, with full support provided throughout to build experience, confidence, and an understanding of how a major public organisation operates. About The Department UK Research and Innovation is the largest public sector funder of research and innovation with an annual budget of over £8bn and includes 7 research councils. Click here to find out more about UKRI. We invest taxpayer's money into groundbreaking research and innovation to improve the lives and livelihoods of people everywhere. To learn more about how we do this, you can take a look at our 'How we improve lives and livelihoods' page via: https://www.ukri.org/news-and-events/lives-and-livelihoods/ The UKRI External Affairs and Communications Team is responsible for press office and social media, internal comms, creative content, international communications across UKRI. Our mission is to ensure UKRI communicates in a clear, engaging, and proactive way, connecting people to discoveries that matter to them. Show how UKRI invests public money wisely into research and innovation to improve lives, support livelihoods, and drive economic growth. About an Apprenticeship at UKRI With training and support from experts in their fields, you'll relish the opportunity to develop your knowledge, skills and behaviours whilst making a real difference in your role.You will be able to develop both professionally and as a critical member of the team in an environment you won't find anywhere else. We will support you every step of the way, helping you make the most of your opportunities and to achieve the goals you already have - and those you have yet to discover! About the Role As a Private Office Administration Apprentice, you will: Support Deputy Directors of Communication by helping to manage their diaries and scheduling meetings, visits, and events. Work with Private Secretaries to help prepare senior leaders for their commitments and understand how to prioritise effectively. Arrange domestic and international travel, working with internal and external partners to identify the most efficient options. Help maintain the team's SharePoint site, ensuring documents, processes, and resources are well organised and easy to find. Assist with risk management, corporate compliance, and directorate wide activities as needed. Contribute to planning and delivery of team events, including directorate Away Days. Support colleagues across the Private Office to ensure the team operates smoothly, professionally, and collaboratively. You'll gain hands on experience in prioritisation, communication, professional judgement, and coordination, all essential skills for progressing within the Private Office. What You Will Learn The apprenticeship is delivered in partnership with New College Swindon over 18-21 months. The first 15-18 months form the 'practical period', combining on- and off-the-job training with New College Swindon and UKRI to develop and apply the required Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours of the Level 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeship. This includes attendance at a blend of in-person and virtual facilitated workshops throughout the practical period. In the final 3 months of the apprenticeship, learners will undertake and lead a work-based improvement project, deliver a presentation on the project, complete a Knowledge Test, and take part in a professional discussion underpinned by a work-based portfolio as part of the End Point Assessment. What We Are Looking For To apply for this apprenticeship, you will need to demonstrate within your CV that you meet the following criteria. Evidence may be used from current or prior paid employment, voluntary roles or educational experiences. Where indicated, this detail will be assessed at shortlisting (S), interview (I) or both (S&I). Essential: Minimum of two GCSE passes at Grade C/4 or above in Maths and English (or equivalent qualifications) (S) Good written and verbal communication skills, demonstrated through your application and interview (S&I) Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks and manage changing demands (S&I) Ability to work proactively as part of a team, using initiative to solve problems and contribute to shared goals (S&I) IT skills, including familiarity with Microsoft Office applications such as Outlook, Word and Teams (S) A demonstrable interest in the work of UKRI and the role of communications within the organisation (S&I) Apprenticeship Core Eligibility Requirements To be eligible to be considered for the apprenticeship programme you must: Have evidence of 2 GCSE including Maths and English GCSE at grade 4/C or above (or equivalent i.e. Level 2 Functional Skills). Have lived in the UK and/or EU for 3 consecutive years prior to the apprentice start date. Please check your eligibility here Confirm that this apprenticeship offers substantive new skills and knowledge and that you have not already achieved an equivalent or higher-level qualification in a similar or related subject. As part of our shortlisting process, we may be required to determine your eligibility to undertake the programme based on the information provided within your application. By applying for this apprenticeship, you are giving permission for your details to be shared with the relevant training provider. 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 Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if a sufficient number of applications have been received. We will be in touch after the closing date, however, please reach out on apprenticerecruitment@ukri.org if you have any questions. Benefits We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. Committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning! A list of benefits below: An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme. 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent). Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities. Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice. Flexible working options. Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance! For further information on our benefits please visit: Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Selection Process As part of the application process, a CV and cover letter are required . The CV should include GCSE results, details of any other relevant qualifications and information on skills, experience or achievements relevant to the role. If qualifications were obtained outside the UK, please attach a UK ENIC certificate of comparability to demonstrate the UK equivalent level. In your cover letter (no more than one side of A4), please include: Your interest in UKRI: Explain your motivation for working at UKRI and what attracts you to this role. An example of your communication skills: Describe a real situation where you communicated with a specific audience (for example, classmates, colleagues, a community group, or a social media audience). Include what you were trying to achieve, what actions were taken, and the outcome. Why you are a strong candidate: Outline what makes you a competitive applicant for the Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship, including how you meet the criteria in the advert. This may include relevant experience such as part-time work, school projects, volunteering, or extracurricular activities. We encourage applicants to be clear and specific about their motivations, and how their interests align with the work of the External Affairs and Communications Directorate. Interview Applications will be reviewed against the essential criteria. Applicants who are successfully shortlisted will be invited to interview. The interview will be held on site at our Swindon office. Outcome Following the interview stage, the panel will assess all candidates and determine the outcome. The successful candidate will receive a verbal offer in the first instance, followed by a formal offer letter. All applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application and any interviews as soon as practicable. Feedback will be provided to candidates who attend an interview or assessment. Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact apprenticerecruitment@ukri.org UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer. UKRI - UK Research and Innovation UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation. More information can be found at www.ukri.org . Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI . How we support EDI in the workforce At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit 'How we support EDI in the workforce'. Disability Confident Employer As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation. How to apply Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the 'experience' section of the application. UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion - a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us. Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be rejected and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. As part of the pre-employment checks there is a requirement to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Screening. BPSS is a pre-condition of employment and failure to achieve it may mean that the employment offer is rescinded. UKRI reserves the right to run, or re-run, security clearance as required during the course of employment.