Governance and Procurement Apprentice

Suffolk County Council; Bury St Edmunds; Remote; GBP 12,000 - 18,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday entitlement 25 days to 29 days

Generous pension scheme

Flexible working options

Cycle to Work

Health and wellbeing initiatives

Job summary

West Suffolk Council is offering an exciting Governance and Procurement Apprentice role, working 37 hours per week on an apprenticeship contract for 24 months. The position starts at £10.85 per hour and will increase to the national minimum wage in year two, depending on age, with an emphasis on learning and development.

You will gain a Level 3 qualification in Business Administration while supporting democratic services, procurement and elections teams.

Qualifications

• No prior work experience required.
• Willing to learn and have good attention to detail.
• GCSE Maths and English at grade 9-4 or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Support the administration of the democratic services, procurement and elections teams.
• Assist with governance and procurement tasks; adapt to a fast-paced environment.

Skills

Attention to detail

IT skills

Willingness to learn

Education

GCSE Maths & English

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

• West Suffolk Council
• Address:Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 3YU
• Salary:£10.85 per hour, increasing to the national minimum wage in year two (age dependent)
• Hours:37 hours per week
• Contract:Apprenticeship, Temporary contract for 24 months
• Reference:0001

West Suffolk Council are offering an exciting opportunity where you “earn and learn” as a Governance and Procurement Apprentice.

This apprenticeship will give you a wide-ranging experience of our Governance and Procurement Service whilst building your knowledge and helping to lead you into a career in local government.

West Suffolk Council is a fast paced and proactive organisation, and the Governance and Procurement Apprentice will support the administration of the democratic services, procurement and elections teams. The role offers huge variety so no two days will be the same.

Whilst working, you will complete a Level 3 qualification in Business Administration, for which you will be entitled to paid study time to complete; this is linked to the national apprenticeship scheme. You will have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience, learning and develop new skills whilst building your confidence along the way.

What you will need:

You do not need any work experience, but you will need to be willing to learn, demonstrate good attention to detail, have good IT skills; and have GCSE’s 9 to 4 (formerly A*-C) in Maths and English or equivalent.

You must also meet the requirements to be eligible for an apprenticeship.

To find out more about being an apprentice at West Suffolk Council, visit our Apprenticeship page to meet our current apprentices.

Why work for us?

Our benefits include:

• Holiday entitlement of 25 days, increasing to 29 days after 5 years (pro rata if part time) plus bank holidays (with an option to buy up to 10 extra days each year subject to approval)
• Generous pension scheme - contribute between 5.5% and 6.8% (depending on your salary) and the council will contribute 16.4%
• Life assurance – a payment of three times your annual salary
• flexible working options to enable work/life balance
• agile working - ability to work in the office and from home
• access to a unique employee benefits package which includes discounts and cashback on supermarkets, high street shops, holidays, mobile phones, electrical goods, savings and loan schemes and many other products and services
• Salary sacrifice benefits including Cycle to Work scheme, Tusker Leased Car Scheme and SmartTech (buy the latest tech products interest free and repay through your monthly salary)
• Rail and bus staff discounts
• A range of Health and Wellbeing initiatives including an employee assistance programme
• Discounted membership at Abbeycroft Leisure centres
• A culture of learning inspiring staff to focus on continuous learning
• Modern office accommodation

For more information

For an informal discussion and further information please contact Martin Golledge, Elections Business Partner by calling 01284 757105 or by emailing [e-mail]

Closing date: 1.00 pm, 5 November 2026.

Interview date: 12 November 2026.

West Suffolk Council has been rated in the top 10 district councils for climate action (Climate Scorecards 2023) and as a member of UK100 has demonstrated its commitment to a rapid transition to Net Zero with Clean Air in our communities. The council has declared a climate and biodiversity emergency and is committed to working towards net zero emissions by 2039.