Warehouse Apprentice - Bristol

DHL Group; West of England; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Generous holiday entitlement

Employee Incentive Bonus Scheme

Pension with life assurance

Wellbeing programme

Discounts on retail and entertainment

Job summary

DHL Global Forwarding UK is seeking a proactive warehouse operative to support daily operations, health and safety, and cargo handling within our busy site. You will learn warehouse management systems, assist with export preparation across transport modes, and contribute to continuous improvement while upholding the DHL Code of Conduct.

This full‑time role offers 37.5 hours per week, a competitive benefits package, training and development, and clear opportunities for internal promotion.

Qualifications

• Clear and concise communication in written and spoken form.
• Ability to follow processes.
• Desire to participate in a culture of continuous improvement.
• Inter‑personal skills to work across teams.
• Knowledge of Freight Forwarding industry desirable.
• Experience of HMRC procedures essential.
• 5 GCSEs including Maths and English at Grade C or above (or equivalent) - desirable.

Responsibilities

• Support warehouse team leaders in daily operations.
• Learn health & safety policies, procedures, and risk assessments, and assist Health & Safety representatives.
• Gain experience across multiple internal and external systems.
• Understand aviation cargo security requirements.
• Carry out cargo screening activities.
• Learn correct load securing techniques.
• Use warehouse management systems.
• Complete general housekeeping duties within the warehouse.
• Use scanners and stock control equipment.
• Pack and prepare goods for dispatch.
• Support warehouse improvement projects.
• Identify cargo and correctly prepare it for export via different transport modes.
• Use mechanical equipment.
• Carry out equipment checks and defect reporting procedures.
• Identify and resolve operational issues.
• Ensure interactions are compliant with DPDHL Code of Conduct and other compliance requirements.
• Contribute to the First Choice continuous improvement program

Skills

Clear communication

Process adherence

Continuous improvement

Interpersonal skills

Freight forwarding knowledge

HMRC procedures

Education

GCSEs incl. Maths & English

Job description

Who is DHL Global Forwarding?

DHL Global Forwarding (DGF) is part of the DHL Group. While the DHL Group employs more than 580,000 people globally, DGF has around 31,000 freight forwarding experts in more than 190 countries around the world, with around 1,000 of us based in the UK across 15 Sites. As the experts in Freight Forwarding since 1815, we are the global specialists in Air, Ocean and Rail Freight.

You name it, we’ve shipped it - from brown bears to aircraft engines, to lifesaving medicines and luxury cars! We are also proud to partner with some of the well‑known global sporting series, movie franchises and music tours.

Our people are at the heart of what we do, and we’re committed to helping our Forwarders to realise their full potential, supported by our own development journey - Certified International Forwarder (CIF).

Our Values

Every day we are guided by our values: Passion, Entrepreneurship, Excellence and Teamwork.

We are extremely passionate about our people and what we do, which is why DHL Global Forwarding is recognised as a Top Employer and a Great Place to Work, because we are specialists in providing Excellence, Simply Delivered.

In addition to our values, we promote an open and honest feedback culture based on Respect & Results, whereby our employees embrace diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, while ensuring that we never compromise our integrity and compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Supporting warehouse team leaders in daily operations
• Learning health & safety policies, procedures, and risk assessments, and assisting Health & Safety representatives
• Gaining experience across multiple internal and external systems
• Understanding aviation cargo security requirements
• Carrying out cargo screening activities
• Learning correct load securing techniques
• Using warehouse management systems
• Completing general housekeeping duties within the warehouse
• Using scanners and stock control equipment
• Packing and preparing goods for dispatch
• Supporting warehouse improvement projects
• Identifying cargo and correctly preparing it for export via different transport modes
• Using mechanical equipment
• Carrying out equipment checks and defect reporting procedures
• Identifying and resolving operational issues
• Ensures that all interactions are compliant with DPDHL Code of Conduct and other compliance requirements e.g. anti‑corruption
• Contribute to the First Choice continuous improvement program

Skills and Experience

• Clear and concise communication skills (written and spoken)
• Ability to follow processes
• Ability to support a culture of continuous improvement
• Inter‑personal skills - Influencing, communication, relationship management, cultural awareness and ability to work across teams
• Knowledge of Freight Forwarding industry: imports, exports and related processes is desirable
• Experience of HMRC procedures essential.
• 5 GCSEs including Maths and English at Grade C or above (or equivalent) - desirable

Benefits

• A competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Eligibility to participate in the Employee Incentive Bonus Scheme
• Pension scheme which includes life assurance
• Access to professional employee assistance and wellbeing programme
• A competitive package of voluntary benefits including retail, entertainment, gym membership, cycle to work scheme, contribution to eye care costs, and many more discounts
• Training and Development opportunities with a strong focus on internal promotion

HOURS/SHIFT PATTERN: 37.5 hours per week

Please note: Due to the nature of our business we are regulated by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), therefore it is compulsory for all applicants once offered employment to provide a full 5 year employment history. Additional to this we are required to carry out a Criminal Record Check.

DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e‑commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows.

Our culture is focused on personal commitment – to our customers, to each other, to our communities and to the environment. We reward excellent work and we nurture the talents of our employees. This enables you as an employee to develop your expertise and your career in different areas or divisions – and even in other countries.

We are committed to creating a workplace that ensures mutual respect and is focused on results. We hire talented people from all backgrounds – irrespective of gender, disability, nationality, ethnicity, social background, religion and beliefs, age or sexual orientation and identity. Diversity enriches our workplace, drives our success, and helps us deliver excellence.

By submitting your application, you agree that DGF UK will process your personal data for the purpose of recruitment and selection. We handle all data in accordance with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. To understand what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights, please read our full Privacy Policy.