Business (Work Package Manager) Apprentice

Thales Group; Cheadle; Hybrid; GBP 20,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technological solutions provider in the UK seeks candidates for a Level 4 Project Manager Associate Apprenticeship. This 2-year programme focuses on project planning, scheduling, and cost controls, with virtual workshops and 1-2-1 coaching. Successful candidates will roll into Thales UK as a Work Package Manager, gaining essential project management skills.

Benefits

201 hours annual leave (plus company day and bank holidays)

Company Pension

Health Care

Life Insurance

Discount Portal

80 Hours Volunteering (first two years)

Responsibilities

• Assist with the creation and maintenance of integrated project schedules.
• Contribute to project reports and attend associated reviews.
• Assist in reporting of risk & opportunity management.
• Help to ensure correct and effective project governance.

Skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Organisation skills

Administrative skills

Team working

Education

GCSE: 5 GCSEs including English and Maths (grade 9–4 (A–C))

A Level: Suitable Level 3 qualification (grade C or above)

Job description

Responsibilities

• Assist with the creation and maintenance of the integrated schedules for multiple projects.
• Contribute to project reports and attend associated reviews.
• Assist in the reporting of risk & opportunity management.
• Help the team to ensure correct and effective project governance.
• Contribute to Work Package activities and ensure that milestones are achieved on schedule and within budget.
• Operate Thales UK tools to ensure effective management of the project schedule, budgets, risks and opportunities.
• Commit 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.
• Use project monitoring and reporting techniques to track, interpret and report on performance.
• Manage and engage with stakeholders.
• Influence and negotiate with others to create a positive outcome for the project.
• Resolve conflict as and when required with stakeholders within limits of responsibility.
• Adapt communications to different stakeholders.
• Communicate and support the project vision, to ensure buy‑in to the project objectives.
• Collate and analyse information and provide input to support negotiations relating to project objectives.
• Monitor and analyse project budgets.
• Review and provide feedback on a project business case to ensure the project remains valid.
• Apply change‑control processes to support the management of project scope.
• Evaluate an integrated project management plan to provide recommendations on areas for improvement.
• Prepare, monitor and schedule activities that contribute to the delivery of the overall project schedule and objectives.
• Evaluate and make recommendations on the risk‑management plan to mitigate threats to delivery and recommend solutions.
• Identify and monitor project risks and issues; and plan and implement responses to them.
• Deliver a Quality Management Plan that contributes to quality control processes.
• Use an organisation's continual improvement process including lessons learned to improve performance.
• Support the preparation or maintenance of a resource‑management plan for project activities.
• Work with stakeholders to deliver the project.
• Use digital tools and software to meet project objectives, e.g., research, collaboration, presentations and problem resolution.
• Provide underpinning data to support the written submission through the governance process.
• Work within the approved project budget.
• Ensure integrated schedules support critical‑path analysis, interface management, resource forecasting and risk management.
• Apply relevant legislation, regulations, codes of practice and ethical guidance where appropriate to your work.
• Use data to inform decisions on actions to mitigate risks on the project.
• Use configuration management and change‑control to schedule and maintain projects.
• Manage resources through the project lifecycle.

Program Details

This is a 2‑year programme, working towards the Level 4 Project Manager Associate Apprenticeship standard, with our training provider, The Apprentice Academy. The programme will be delivered via a virtual delivery model, with live virtual workshops and 1‑2‑1 coaching calls. Upon successful completion of your End Point Assessment, you will roll off into the Thales UK business as a Work Package Manager.

This will provide you with a strong understanding and skills in project planning, scheduling, monitoring, and cost controls, enabling you to deliver world‑leading solutions to our global customer base. You will utilise cross‑functional project management skills that are used across Thales.

Qualifications

• GCSE: 5 GCSEs including English and Maths (grade 9–4 (A–C)).
• A Level: Suitable Level 3 qualification (grade C or above) – share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience.
• Communication skills.
• Attention to detail.
• Organisation skills.
• Administrative skills.
• Team working.

Company Overview

Together, we create ingenious technological systems and innovations that impact and improve people’s lives every single day. Even if you haven’t heard the name Thales before, you’ve definitely benefited from our inventiveness. We reinvest 20 % of our sales in Research & Development in the UK. We support businesses, organisations and governments in addressing tomorrow’s major challenges by developing advanced Defence, Security, Cybersecurity, Digital Identity and Aerospace solutions, in the most sustainable, responsible and ethical manner.

Benefits

201 hours annual leave (plus a company day and bank holidays), Company Pension, Health Care, Cash Plan, Life Insurance, Discount Portal.

80 Hours Volunteering (first two years).