Project Manager Apprentice

SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY LIMITED

London (SE1 9LQ)

Closes in 29 days (Friday 31 October 2025)

Posted on 29 September 2025

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Summary

The Projects and Change Apprentice will develop their skills in project and change management, and continuous improvement facilitation, with exposure to all aspects of programme delivery touching every part of our business and delivering benefits for our customers, colleagues and industry partners.

• Wage:

  Competitive

  Competitive wage offered

  Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  Salary increase on completion of first year.

• Training course: Associate project manager (level 4)
• Hours: Monday to Friday. Shifts TBC.

  37 hours a week

• Start date:

  Monday 14 September 2026

• Duration:

  2 years

• Positions available:

  1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

• Providing a Centre of Excellence for all change initiatives
  Acting as the central hub that governs all project activity
• Overseeing the planning and implementation of all aspects relating to Projects
• Supporting our senior leadership team to effectively deliver programmes of work that involve elements of significant change
• Overseeing the planning, execution and completion of specific organisational initiatives
• Ensuring projects meet set goals, timelines and budgets
• Coordinating resources, managing risks and ensuring alignment with wider business strategy
• Driving all business areas to identify and implement improvement opportunities

Where you'll work

30 Stamford Street
London
SE1 9LQ

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

BABINGTON BUSINESS COLLEGE LIMITED

Training course

Associate project manager (level 4)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• 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 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 which 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 for example research, collaboration, presentations, and resolution of problems.
• Provide underpinning data to support the written submission through the governance process.
• Work within the approved project budget.
• Ensure that 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 their work.
• Use data to inform decisions on actions to take to mitigate risks on project.
• Use configuration management and change control to schedule and maintain projects.
• Manages resources through the project lifecycle.
• 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 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 which 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 for example research, collaboration, presentations, and resolution of problems.
• Provide underpinning data to support the written submission through the governance process.
• Work within the approved project budget.
• Ensure that 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 their work.
• Use data to inform decisions on actions to take to mitigate risks on project.
• Use configuration management and change control to schedule and maintain projects.
• Manages resources through the project lifecycle.

Training schedule

• Based in our Project Management Office (PMO) you will shadow existing project specialists, to learn all aspects of project management, leadership, oversight and governance in our business.
• This will include an opportunity to lead smaller project activity and / or play a key supporting role in a larger programme of work, dealing with issues that may require swift problem solving or re-occurring challenges that require greater analysis.
• You will have the opportunity for training, leading to an introductory project management qualification.
• You will be given the opportunity to work with all the specialist teams within the Projects and Change directorate, learning about, and becoming equipped to implement, a range of effective project and change management approaches and tools.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 4)
• Maths (grade 4)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Problem solving skills
• Team working
• Flexibility

About this employer

South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.

https://careers.southwesternrailway.com/jobs/search (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent) 75% discount on many other train operating companies Excellent pension scheme

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

Multiple options for career progression on completion of this apprenticeship.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

BABINGTON BUSINESS COLLEGE LIMITED

swrapprenticeships@swrailway.com

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000344189.

Apply now

Closes in 29 days (Friday 31 October 2025)

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