Project Manager Apprentice

INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES(THE)

Brighton (BN1 9RE)

Closes in 16 days (Sunday 5 April 2026)

Posted on 19 March 2026

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Summary

This role supports our mission to deliver high‑quality project management, research administration, and financial coordination across the organisation. You will work alongside experienced project management professionals.

• Wage:

  £24,479 a year

  Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

• Training course: Associate project manager (level 4)
• Hours: Hours are flexible, starting between 8.30am - 10am for 7 hours with an hour lunch break. The role is hybrid, working in the office for a minimum of 3 days.

  35 hours a week

• Start date:

  Monday 4 May 2026

• Duration:

  1 year 6 months

• Positions available:

  2

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

• Supporting colleagues to deliver project management activities across the institute’s project portfolio.
• Assisting daily PMU operations, including maintaining online filing systems, diaries, mailing lists, and contact databases.
• Participation in PMU meetings and providing team administration support, such as arranging meetings, taking minutes, managing schedules, and helping organise retreats and workshops.
• Supporting the Project Assistant with the PMU helpdesk function and routine administrative tasks.
• Preparing documents in line with house style guidelines, collating information, and supporting proposal development.
• Making travel arrangements, visa arrangements, managing hotel bookings, and handling logistics for events and meetings.
• Processing invoices, expense claims, and supporting financial administration.
• Responding to general enquiries, assisting visitors, and liaising with internal and external contacts.
• Updating intranet and internet content and supporting information distribution across digital platforms.

Where you'll work

Institute of Development Studies
Library Road
Brighton
BN1 9RE

Training

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

Training provider

QA 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

The Project Manager programme integrates live and online workshops with self-paced learning, employing a guided discovery approach for individual learner contexts. 

Learners are assigned a Digital Learning Consultant (DLC) for personalised coaching and support. These specialists ensure their successful progress, wellbeing, and readiness for assessments.

Requirements

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
• Organisation skills

Other requirements

Entry requirements:

• Level 3 Qualification (Apprenticeship/A Levels/BTEC etc). 
• OR equivalent work experience (typically 2 years in a relevant role).

AND:

• 5 x GCSE’s including English & Maths at Grade 4 (C) or above.

You may also have a combination of qualifications and experience which demonstrate the minimum foundation needed for the programme. In this instance, you could still be considered for the programme.

If you hold international equivalents of the above qualifications, at the time of your application you must be able to provide an official document that states how your international qualifications compare to the UK qualifications.

For more information, please visit the UK ENIC website.

About this employer

We are excited to offer an opportunity to join our Project Management Unit as a Project Management Apprentice. This role supports our mission to deliver high‑quality project management, research administration, and financial coordination across the organisation.

You will work alongside experienced project management professionals who uphold our values of quality, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. Our teams work closely to provide excellent support for project development, planning, budget management and operational delivery.

As an apprentice, you will gain hands‑on experience while working towards a nationally recognised qualification, supported by both internal mentors and an external Apprenticeship Training Provider.

https://jobs.ids.ac.uk (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

A range of exciting benefits are available!

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

Successful completion of the apprenticeship may provide opportunities for progression into project support or project management roles.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

QA LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000021640.

Apply now

Closes in 16 days (Sunday 5 April 2026)

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.