2027 Project Planning & Controls Apprentice

thales; Crawley; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Thales in Crawley is offering a 2‑year Level 4 Project Manager Associate Apprenticeship. Start date 6 September 2027.

The role blends academic study with hands‑on experience in the Bid & Project Management function, building foundations in planning, scheduling, governance and controls. You will earn £24,000 per year, gain job‑specific training, and have the opportunity to secure a permanent role from day one of the apprenticeship.

Responsibilities

• Assist in creating and maintaining integrated master project schedules.
• Contribute to project reports and attend reviews.
• Assist in deploying and reporting risk and opportunity management.
• Help ensure correct governance is applied across projects.
• Use Thales UK tools to manage schedules, budgets, risks and opportunities.
• Attend all apprenticeship elements, including virtual training, coaching, exams, and mandatory training.

Job description

Location: Crawley, United Kingdom

Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. With over 7,500 people in the UK, operating across defence, space, aerospace, and digital security, we help build a future we can all trust. Thales supports the security and stability of our nation by providing extraordinary technology to our customers, as well as delivering social value to the UK with our products and services.

2027 Project Planning & Controls Apprentice - Level 4 Project Management Associate Apprenticeship

Start Date: Monday 6 September 2027

Salary: £24,000 per annum

Employee Type: Permanent

Location: Crawley

Working Schedule: 37 hours per week (8 hours Monday - Thursday, 5 hours on a Friday)

Transform your curiosity into a rewarding career. If you're passionate about projects and eager to learn, this apprenticeship is perfect for you. Combining academic study with hands‑on, practical experience, it offers a fantastic opportunity to grow and thrive within a global, innovative & industry leading organisation. We'd love to hear from you!

Benefits of the programme:

• Earn a salary while studying for your apprenticeship
• Gain hands‑on experience within the Bid & Project Management environment
• Receive job‑specific training and development
• Achieve a recognised qualification
• Secure a permanent role from the start of your apprenticeship
• Have your tuition fees fully paid

About the Role:

This exciting Project Planning & Controls Apprenticeship will give you the skills and knowledge to be an effective team member within the Bid and Project Management Function at Thales. The apprentice programme will provide you with a strong understanding and working knowledge of planning, scheduling, monitoring and controls, building the foundations for future roles supporting or managing projects that deliver world leading solutions to our global customer base. The Bid and Project Management functions' key responsibilities are to support the project team deliver the mission and ensure strong governance over bids and projects and oversee the implementation of consistent and assured processes.

Your responsibilities may include:

• Assisting with the creation and maintenance of the integrated master schedules for assigned projects
• Contributing to project reports and attend associated reviews
• Assisting in the deployment & reporting of risk & opportunity management
• Helping the project team ensure correct and effective project governance is applied
• Operating Thales UK tools to ensure effective management of the project schedule, budgets, risks and opportunities
• Committing to attend all elements of the apprenticeship including attendance on virtual training modules, 1-2-1 coaching calls, assignments, exams and mandatory Thales UK training activities to lay the foundations for your contribution to future growth of the business

What You Will Learn:

Throughout your apprenticeship, you will develop knowledge and skills in:

• Project Planning and Scheduling
  Develop knowledge of how project schedules are created, maintained and monitored, including understanding activities, milestones, dependencies, and schedule performance.
• Project Reporting and Performance Analysis
  Build skills in gathering, analysing and presenting project information, contributing to regular project reports and supporting reviews.
• Risk and Opportunity Management
  Develop an understanding of how project risks and opportunities are identified, assessed, recorded, monitored and reported, including mitigation and opportunity actions.
• Cost and Budget Management
  Build knowledge of project budgets and cost control, including monitoring actual and forecast expenditure and understanding how cost performance interacts with schedule and overall project performance.
• Project Governance and Controls
  Develop an understanding of project governance processes and the importance of following agreed procedures, controls and reporting cycles to support effective project delivery and decision‑making.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Relationship Building
  Develop confidence in engaging with a range of project stakeholders, building effective working relationships, understanding different stakeholder requirements and obtaining the information needed to support effective project controls.

Apprenticeship Programme:

Through the apprenticeship you'll be making the most of your talents, getting to understand the role of Project Planner and Project Controller from the ground up; and doing so with the help of one of the biggest and best names in the industry.

Throughout your apprenticeship, you'll receive on‑job training tailored to work alongside your studies, giving you the hands‑on experience needed to develop practical skills and knowledge.

This is a 2-year programme, working towards the Level 4 Project Manager Associate Apprenticeship standard, with our t