Procurement Apprentice Level 4
THE PERCY HEDLEY FOUNDATION
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE (NE12 8YY)
Closes in 20 days (Monday 5 January 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 15 December 2025
Contents
Summary
The Procurement Administration (Level 4) Apprenticeship offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience and formal training in procurement within a dynamic and purpose-driven organisation by undertaking duties covering the entire procurement cycle.
- Wage
-
£23,500 a year
- Training course
- Procurement and supply chain practitioner (level 4)
- Hours
-
Working from 8.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Thursday and 8.30am to 4.00pm Friday, with day release to Darlington College.
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 16 March 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
Procurement Cycle Management:
- Assisting with the Sourcing Process: Support the identification and evaluation of potential external suppliers using market research, ensuring alignment with the organisation's ethical and sustainable sourcing policies
- Supporting Tendering Activities: Facilitate wide range of procurement processes, including administrating tendering processes and managing supplier correspondence
- Contributing to Contract Management: Support the contract award process, monitor contract performance against key performance indicators (KPIs), and maintain all contract documentation including change control and version control
- Planning and Forecasting: Assist in planning and forecasting future demand for goods and services, ensuring the supply matches organisational needs
Data Analysis and Decision Making:
- Conducting Financial Analysis: Interpret, analyse, and evaluate procurement information such as historical spend and usage data to drive actionable intelligence and identify cost-saving opportunities
- Developing Business Cases and Specifications: Contribute to the development of business cases for new requirements and the creation of detailed specifications and KPIs for contractual arrangements
- Market Analysis and Benchmarking: Use market intelligence and benchmarking to evaluate costs, assess market factors, and compare potential suppliers effectively
Stakeholder and Supplier Relationship Management:
- Communicating with Stakeholders: Maintain positive, professional, and trusting working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, responding promptly to queries
- Managing Supplier Performance: Liaise and negotiate with suppliers to ensure the timely delivery of goods and services, taking appropriate actions to address any shortfalls or performance issues
- Supporting Commercial Negotiations: Assist in preparing for and participating in commercial negotiations with external organisations, applying negotiation techniques to secure value for money
Compliance and Risk:
- Ensuring Ethical Sourcing: Adhere to corporate social responsibility, ethical, and sustainable considerations in all procurement activities, role modelling ethical behaviour and practices
- Maintaining Compliance: Ensure all procurement documentation and records are maintained in line with internal policies, procedures, and relevant regulations (e.g., Public Contracts Regulations if in the public sector) to meet audit requirements
- Risk Management: Identify, raise, and facilitate discussions with stakeholders to resolve any potential issues or risks within the supply chain
Where you'll work
PERCY HEDLEY SCHOOL
FOREST HALL
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
NE12 8YY
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
DARLINGTON COLLEGE
Training course
Procurement and supply chain practitioner (level 4)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Manage relationships with stakeholders.
- Interpret business requirements by assessing the demand for the product or service.
- Undertake market analysis to establish potential routes to market.
- Conduct benchmarking to evaluate costs against industry standards.
- Prepare or contribute to the drafting of a sourcing plan which meets business needs, including corporate social responsibility factors.
- Use the organisation's documentation designed for commercial procurement processes for the supply of goods and services.
- Notify potential suppliers of proposal requirements.
- Use selection and award criteria to source requirements from external suppliers evidencing how supplier bids are evaluated against them.
- Analyse the financial implications of decisions and identify cost-saving opportunities.
- Liaise and negotiate with suppliers and stakeholders to ensure the timely delivery of purchased goods and services.
- Support contract award and briefing of suppliers in line with the organisations processes and governance.
- Monitor and manage contract performance to meet time, costs, service, and quality objectives.
- Manage contract performance and advise suppliers on any areas for improvement.
- Maintain contract documentation such as change control, version control.
- Use IT and software to produce spreadsheets and presentation packages to communicate information.
- Identify, raise, and facilitate discussions with stakeholders to resolve any issues or risks.
- Analyses sustainability challenges and risks at each stage of the product or contract life cycle.
- Manage information in accordance with policy and processes.
- Continuously review work processes to identify and eliminate inefficiencies and simplify workflow.
- Use available systems and tools to identify relevant data.
- Interpret, analyse, and evaluate data through questioning to drive actionable intelligence and support decision making.
- Use horizon scanning to identify future changes in procurement and contracting.
- Manage relationships with stakeholders.
- Interpret business requirements by assessing the demand for the product or service.
- Undertake market analysis to establish potential routes to market.
- Conduct benchmarking to evaluate costs against industry standards.
- Prepare or contribute to the drafting of a sourcing plan which meets business needs, including corporate social responsibility factors.
- Use the organisation's documentation designed for commercial procurement processes for the supply of goods and services.
- Notify potential suppliers of proposal requirements.
- Use selection and award criteria to source requirements from external suppliers evidencing how supplier bids are evaluated against them.
- Analyse the financial implications of decisions and identify cost-saving opportunities.
- Liaise and negotiate with suppliers and stakeholders to ensure the timely delivery of purchased goods and services.
- Support contract award and briefing of suppliers in line with the organisations processes and governance.
- Monitor and manage contract performance to meet time, costs, service, and quality objectives.
- Manage contract performance and advise suppliers on any areas for improvement.
- Maintain contract documentation such as change control, version control.
- Use IT and software to produce spreadsheets and presentation packages to communicate information.
- Identify, raise, and facilitate discussions with stakeholders to resolve any issues or risks.
- Analyses sustainability challenges and risks at each stage of the product or contract life cycle.
- Manage information in accordance with policy and processes.
- Continuously review work processes to identify and eliminate inefficiencies and simplify workflow.
- Use available systems and tools to identify relevant data.
- Interpret, analyse, and evaluate data through questioning to drive actionable intelligence and support decision making.
- Use horizon scanning to identify future changes in procurement and contracting.
Training schedule
- Level 3 Procurement and Supply Assistant Apprentice
- Location: Central Services, Station Road, Forest Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 8YY
- Working 5 days per week, inclusive of 1 day release for study at Darlington College
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Customer care skills
- Initiative
- Data entry
- Accuracy
- Prioritise workload
- Customer service skills
- Adaptable
- Proactive
- Creative and resourceful
Other requirements
- This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and, therefore, applicants should be aware that the post will only be offered to successful candidates subject to an Enhanced DBS and barring checks as well as other employment clearances such as referencing and online checks, in line with our regulator’s legislation requirements. Please note it is an offence to apply for this role if the applicant is barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children and the Percy Hedley Foundation has the right to respond appropriately. This role is classed as a regulated activity as it involves working directly with children and/or vulnerable adults. All shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a criminal records self-declaration form prior to interview
- Please note that in line with UK apprenticeship regulations, you must have a valid and eligible residency status and the right to work in England. This should cover the entire expected term of learning and residency should be held for a minimum of 3 years, exceptions may apply please see Apprenticeship funding rules for full guidance
About this employer
The Percy Hedley Foundation is one of the largest regional charities supporting people with a range of learning and physical needs. We take a person centred, flexible approach to the care and support we provide. The Percy Hedley Foundation has three main sites providing specialist education, adult day services and residential care to our service users. Our sites are based in Forest Hall, Killingworth, and Jesmond. We work towards excellence every day and our team members are committed to delivering the very best outcomes for the people we support. Our dynamic and flexible service is tailored to the specific needs of the individual, making it easier to live, learn and be part of a world adapting to change
After this apprenticeship
- There may be an opportunity to secure a long-term position after successful completion of the apprenticeship
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
DARLINGTON COLLEGE
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000005031.
Apply now
Closes in 20 days (Monday 5 January 2026 at 11:59pm)
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