Procurement Apprentice
The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Cambridge
Cambridge (CB2 1TN)
Closes in 23 days (Wednesday 10 December 2025)
Posted on 13 November 2025
Contents
Summary
The University of Cambridge is consistently ranked one of the best universities in the world, achieving academic excellence through its Faculties, Departments and other Institutions, together with the 31 Colleges. It is also one of the greatest institutions, with a regional, national and global reach, attracting the very best and brightest minds.
- Wage
-
£20,058 a year
- Training course
- Procurement and supply assistant (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday-Friday (Your times of work will be notified to you by your institution).
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 2 February 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 6 months
- 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
A condition of appointment is the completion of the Level 3 Procurement Apprenticeship qualification using the skills and knowledge built whilst undertaking various projects and assignments. The majority of the apprenticeship will be spent in the workplace and you will learn on the job by getting hands-on experience. The apprenticeship also includes time away from the workplace for specialist training. You will study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Key Responsibilities:
- Support a wide range of purchasing activities such as reviewing and approving purchase requisitions with “low value/risk contracts”, purchase order amendments and cancellations.
- Onboard new suppliers on behalf of the wider team.
- Email management within the team by creating and managing folders by supplier, topic, colour code for priority or follow-up, archiving old emails, using templates or standard responses for related questions.
- Order expediting by tracking deliveries, responding to internal queries about order status and resolving any delays or changes in order status.
- Understanding of the University Financial regulations with reference to purchasing, internal policies and procedures, to educate the wider team and adopt commercial best practice.
- Collate relevant information and accurate statistical data as required for reporting.
- Provide first line response to purchasing-related queries and support contract and supplier management activity across a range of commercial areas.
- Build excellent working relationships with peers, colleagues and suppliers.
- Assist with the annual stock take process within the Stores.
Where you'll work
University Of Cambridge, The Old Schools, Trinity Lane
Cambridge
CB2 1TN
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
WEST SUFFOLK COLLEGE
Training course
Procurement and supply assistant (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Monitor and order products, stock, equipment and services at appropriate times using the appropriate procurement method.
- Communicate to procurement's internal stakeholders, suppliers and other stakeholders in order to develop effective relationships and networks
- Create, maintain and amend purchase order and contract records.
- Interpret, evaluate and compare procurement information such as historical spend and usage using databases and spreadsheets.
- Present findings and data in all formats e.g. mathematically, written and oral.
- Determine value for money (VFM) and added value through the use of Total Cost of Ownership during the evaluation process, and apply the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT) criteria to the evaluation of quotes and tenders to support the recommendation at award. This may include the inclusion of green, low carbon, sustainability, and ethical criteria.
- Utilise relevant Procurement computer systems or internal databases.
- Select the supplier of the most appropriate products and services for purchases within their remit and place purchase order.
- Undertake appraisal of adhoc and low spend suppliers including setting them up on the purchasing system.
- Effectively research and analyse demand, spend, trends, potential suppliers and industries utilising qualitative and quantitative methods.
- Develop specifications of requirements and requests for quotes/tenders in line with organisational requirements.
- Apply considerations of responsible procurement in evaluating potential suppliers, quotes and tenders.
- Investigate and resolve purchase order, delivery and invoice queries.
- Own low risk value projects such as supply contracts for stationery, personal protective equipment (PPE) or other consumables, and contribute to higher risk activities such as contracts for building services or machinery, and track, log, expedite and review outstanding orders and stock availability where applicable.
- Maintain knowledge on all open orders and their status' and provide assistance to all purchasing staff e.g. expediting and feeding information back to the relevant stakeholders.
- Able to consider the impact of the decision making process when interacting with the supply chain.
- Able to support the contract negotiations and mini competitions with suppliers.
- Monitor and order products, stock, equipment and services at appropriate times using the appropriate procurement method.
- Communicate to procurement's internal stakeholders, suppliers and other stakeholders in order to develop effective relationships and networks
- Create, maintain and amend purchase order and contract records.
- Interpret, evaluate and compare procurement information such as historical spend and usage using databases and spreadsheets.
- Present findings and data in all formats e.g. mathematically, written and oral.
- Determine value for money (VFM) and added value through the use of Total Cost of Ownership during the evaluation process, and apply the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT) criteria to the evaluation of quotes and tenders to support the recommendation at award. This may include the inclusion of green, low carbon, sustainability, and ethical criteria.
- Utilise relevant Procurement computer systems or internal databases.
- Select the supplier of the most appropriate products and services for purchases within their remit and place purchase order.
- Undertake appraisal of adhoc and low spend suppliers including setting them up on the purchasing system.
- Effectively research and analyse demand, spend, trends, potential suppliers and industries utilising qualitative and quantitative methods.
- Develop specifications of requirements and requests for quotes/tenders in line with organisational requirements.
- Apply considerations of responsible procurement in evaluating potential suppliers, quotes and tenders.
- Investigate and resolve purchase order, delivery and invoice queries.
- Own low risk value projects such as supply contracts for stationery, personal protective equipment (PPE) or other consumables, and contribute to higher risk activities such as contracts for building services or machinery, and track, log, expedite and review outstanding orders and stock availability where applicable.
- Maintain knowledge on all open orders and their status' and provide assistance to all purchasing staff e.g. expediting and feeding information back to the relevant stakeholders.
- Able to consider the impact of the decision making process when interacting with the supply chain.
- Able to support the contract negotiations and mini competitions with suppliers.
Training schedule
- The learner will be studying the Procurement and Supply Assistant Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard qualification.
- Day Release to West Suffolk College.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE or equivalent in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- IT skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Team working
- Logical
- Customer care skills
Other requirements
The role will be based on site for the majority of the time initially, but some working from home time can be built in eventually depending on progress.
About this employer
The University of Cambridge is one of the world’s oldest and most successful universities. They are a renowned centre for research, education, and scholarship that makes a significant contribution to society. The University is consistently ranked amongst the top universities in the world. Their affiliates have won more Nobel Prizes than any other University.
After this apprenticeship
After this apprenticeship you would be well placed to apply for entry level Procurement posts, particularly within the University and other academic/ research environments. There is no guarantee of a position at the end of the apprenticeship as it would depend on vacancies/ business need.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
WEST SUFFOLK COLLEGE
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000000532.
Apply now
Closes in 23 days (Wednesday 10 December 2025)
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