Procurement Operations and Governance Apprentice
THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF LONDON
LONDON (NW1 4LE)
Closes in 12 days (Monday 26 October 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 14 October 2026
Contents
Summary
The Level 4 apprenticeship, combines practical work experience with structured learning. You will develop skills in sourcing goods and services, working with suppliers, supporting negotiations and managing contracts. Gain a recognised qualification while earning a salary and building the skills to progress in procurement and supply chain.
- Wage
-
£26,417 a year
- Training course
- Procurement and supply chain practitioner (level 4)
- Hours
-
35 hours a week, normally between 9am and 5pm
Hybrid working model that means most staff work flexibly and are required to spend a minimum of 6 days a month in the office.
35 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 9 November 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
- Maintaining procurement, contract and supplier registers, ensuring key data such as owners, values, dates, approval routes and supporting evidence is complete and current
- Completing scheduled data-quality checks, identifying missing, inconsistent or expired information and following up or escalating exceptions
- Administering governance logs for waivers, approvals, declarations of interest, due diligence, contract reviews and other procurement controls
- Preparing routine dashboards and management information from agreed data sources, including pipeline, contract expiry, supplier risk, compliance and action-tracking information
- Supporting procurement planning by updating workplans, calendars, renewal schedules and action logs and by prompting owners ahead of key dates
Where you'll work
ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS
11 ST. ANDREWS PLACE
LONDON
NW1 4LE
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
SR SUPPLY CHAIN CONSULTANTS LTD
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
Procurement and Supply Chain Practitioner Level 4.
More training information
Training will be delivered online by SR Supply Chain Consultants Ltd, which will celebrate 20 years of delivering procurement and supply chain training in 2027. You will learn from experienced tutors with industry knowledge, supported by live online workshops, dedicated mentor guidance and a range of learning and revision resources to help you succeed.
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
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
Other requirements
Willingness and commitment to completing a Level 4 procurement apprenticeship and the associated study, workplace learning and assessment requirements.
- Good written English and numerical ability, with confidence working accurately with documents, records and basic data
- Good attention to detail with the ability to organise information methodically, follow defined processes and maintain a clear audit trail
- Ability to identify inconsistencies, ask appropriate questions and explain routine findings clearly, with guidance where needed
- Ability to balance study and work tasks, manage deadlines and raise concerns early when support is required
- Clear and professional communication skills and a helpful approach to colleagues and suppliers
- Working knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications, particularly Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams, or the ability to learn them quickly
- Interest in procurement operations, governance, systems, contracts, supplier assurance and value for money
- Commitment to integrity, confidentiality, inclusive working and continuous professional development
About this employer
The Royal College of Physicians is a rewarding and friendly place to work with an incredible history, dating back to our foundation in 1518. We are a professional membership body for physicians with more than 40,000 members in the UK and around the world working to
improve patient care and reduce illness.
We work from two main sites – The Spine, a new state-of-the-art building at the heart of the Knowledge Quarter in Liverpool, and an iconic Grade I-listed building overlooking beautiful Regent’s Park in central London.
We are committed to a hybrid working model that means
most staff work flexibly and are required to spend a minimum of 6 days a month in the office.
We champion an inclusive culture and welcome applications from all sections of society. Join us to help achieve our vision of a world where every physician can deliver exceptional patient care and help shape a healthier society.
After this apprenticeship
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).
The role will develop based on competence and the apprentice may own defined operational tasks, governance checks or low-risk work packages to support the development and evidence required of the full Level 4 occupational standard.
The apprentice will be part of a small team working alongside the Head of Procurement and Commercial Contracts. During the term of the apprenticeship and under supervision and within the apprentices delegated authority, it is expected that there will be opportunities to progress the role and gain exposure to and experience of all aspects of Procurement within the RCP.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
SR SUPPLY CHAIN CONSULTANTS LTD
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000058995.
Apply now
Closes in 12 days (Monday 26 October 2026 at 11:59pm)