Apprentice Business Management Officer

Suffolk County Council; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A public service organization in Ipswich is seeking an Apprentice Business Management Officer to assist with various business management functions. This role offers hands-on training, flexibility, and the chance to develop essential skills while working towards a Level 3 Business Administrator qualification. The position is hybrid, balancing on-site responsibilities with flexible working options.

Benefits

29 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Local Government Pension Scheme membership

travel and lifestyle benefits

performance-related pay progression

Qualifications

• Ability to work with a wide range of people including contractors and colleagues.
• Demonstrate exceptional customer service in all dealings.
• Initiative to support colleagues and manage tasks proactively.

Responsibilities

• Provide business management functions and juggle priorities.
• Manage the fleet of vehicles and ensure efficient operation of services.
• Handle financial administration and support contract management.

Skills

excellent verbal and written communication skills

exceptional customer service values

initiative and proactive support

Education

No prior education required

Job description

• Suffolk County Council - Phoenix House, Ipswich, IP1 5NP - Hybrid
• £24,404 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• 37 hours per week- Flexible working options available
• Fixed term or Secondment for 21 months (Apprenticeship)

Reimagine the possibilities.

When you join Suffolk Highways in the Contract and Performance Team as an Apprentice Business Management Officer, we'll support your development from the start. We'll help you to play to your strengths, diversify your skills and build an influential and impactful career. With a variety of career paths and learning opportunities to explore, if you're motivated and passionate there's no limit to how far your ambition could take you.

Are you ready to grow with us and shape the future of Suffolk Highways?

Your role and responsibilities

You will provide a wide range of business management functions with no day being the same as you juggle priorities.

The key areas that you will support will be:

• keeping our fleet of over 60 vehicles on the road to allow our inspectors and engineers to carry out their duties
• managing the use of the electric vehicle charging points in our depots
• reviewing procedures to ensure that contract documentation and business processes are efficiently and effectively managed and implemented
• financial administration to support all our activities
• arranging and supporting contract meetings
• managing our team mailbox, ensuring emails are dealt with by the right person.

Your apprenticeship

• Apprenticeship course - Level 3 Business Administrator
• Length of apprenticeship - 18 months

We welcome apprenticeship applications from all ages and backgrounds. There's no upper age limit - it's never too late to start developing new skills. We want to provide opportunities for anyone interested in launching or advancing their career.

The apprenticeship you're applying for must build on your qualifications. If you have experience in this field, the apprenticeship you're applying for must be at a higher level.

Read the Job and Person Profile (docx) and the Apprenticeship Recruitment Brochure (pagetiger.com) . They hold a range of information. During the apprenticeship, you'll be working towards the role described in those materials. You will have the opportunity to receive hands-on training and pursue certification. Completing your apprenticeship does not guarantee a full-time position. However, we are dedicated to helping you find a job. You will have priority access when you apply for vacancies. This applies during the final 3 months of your contract.

You will need

• excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to work with a wide range of people including contractors, colleagues within the highways service
• to be able to demonstrate and deliver exceptional customer service values and behaviours in dealing with customers and stakeholders
• to use your initiative and be proactive in providing support to colleagues
• to become the go to person in the team for advice and support.

Most importantly, be a can do or I will find the answer to that person when you are unsure of a solution.

The team

Suffolk Highways is a collaboration between Suffolk County Council and private sector service provider(s) to meet the primary objective of maintaining roads and delivering new highway infrastructure in Suffolk.

Personnel from all organisations work as part of an alliance that aspires to be as effective, efficient, respected as possible and at the forefront of highway maintenance and improvement service delivery.

The Contract Management and Performance Team is a team of 15, responsible for the management of the four main contracts for Highway services, Street Lighting, ITS and Gull Wing Bridge, and others, which support the smooth operation of the highway network.

Underpinning this contract and performance management are our specialisms in depot and office management, data management, ICT system management, financial and commercial management, business management and fleet management.

You will have the opportunity to work across all these specialisms, developing your knowledge and skills to realise your career aspirations.

The team are committed to supporting your development.

Empowering Everyone

We're big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We're always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report (suffolk.gov.uk) .

For more information

Please contact Sally Dickerson (she/her), for a casual conversation. You can reach her by calling 01473 264269or emailing [e-mail]

If you want to apply for a secondment, read the secondment policy first. Make sure you get permission from your current manager before submitting your application.

How to apply

Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (docx) .

Step 2 - Click Apply Now' to start your online application.

Step 3 - Upload asupporting statementanswering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template .

Question 1 - Tell us what skills you have learned whilst at school/college, volunteering and/or working that you think will be useful to you in this role and why?

Question 2 - Tell us about something you are proud of and why?

Question 3 - Tell us about a time you've been really determined to do something, what did you do? What happened as a result?

Question 4 - Why are you interested in working for our organisation?

Question 5 - What are you hoping to gain from this apprenticeship?

Question 6 - Using our WeAspire values (see bottom of Job and Person Profile); tell us about a time or situation when you have demonstrated one of these values?

Step 4 - Upload a CV (without name and personal details).

Please note: Without a supporting statement and CV, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to the application process before the next selection stage, please contact our Recruitment Team by emailing [e-mail] or calling 03456 014412.If you are invited to the next stage of selection, you will have another opportunity to request adjustments for the next stages of the process.

Closing date: 11.30pm, 14 August 2025.

Interview date: 2 and 3 September 2025.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We're driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you'll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk) .