Future Operations Leader - Degree Apprenticeship East (37-month fixed term contract)

AMAZON UK SERVICES LTD.

Basildon, LTN4, Prologis Park, Dunstable, Central Bedfordshire, Peterborough

Closes on Monday 1 February 2027

Posted on 12 November 2026

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Summary

Are you ready to step into a leadership role in one of the world's most fast-paced, customer-obsessed operations? This is your opportunity to earn a fully funded degree from a Russell Group university while leading in the heart of Amazon's operations - from day one.

• Wage:

  Competitive

  Competitive wage offered

  Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

• Training course: Project manager (integrated degree) (level 6)
• Hours: Shift work (days, nights, and weekends).

  40 hours a week

• Start date:

  Monday 6 September 2027

• Duration:

  3 years 1 months

• Positions available:

  4

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

Amazon is looking for ambitious, driven individuals to join our Future Operations Leader Degree Apprenticeship. You'll earn a fully funded BSc (Hons) in Leadership and Project Management while working on the ground in one of our fulfilment centres or operational sites, solving real business challenges alongside experienced leaders. This is a hands-on role, not a desk job - our sites are vast (some the size of several football pitches), and you'll be out across the floor where the action happens, covering real distance as you lead teams, drive change, and make a tangible impact.

At its core, this is a people role. Yes, you'll work with data, processes, and technology - but the heart of operations leadership is people. You'll learn how to motivate a team at 3am, how to have difficult conversations with empathy, how to recognise when someone's struggling, and how to create an environment where people want to do their best work. If you're energised by working with others and want to build your career around leading teams, this programme will give you the foundation to do exactly that.

This role involves shift work, including days, nights, and weekends, because our operations run around the clock and great leaders need to understand every part of that rhythm. You'll rotate through different shift patterns, which means early starts, late finishes, and yes, night shifts. It's a demanding, fast-paced environment with a lot to juggle – you'll need to prioritise quickly, stay composed under pressure, and keep the most important things moving. It's a real step up, and we're looking for people who expect that challenge and are ready to run with it. It's a physical, on-your-feet role - you'll be out on the floor, not behind a desk. It's not for everyone, but if you thrive where no two days feel the same and you want to understand operations from the ground up, it's one of the most valuable parts of the experience.

A day in the life can involve:

• Starting with a team stand-up or shift handover, reviewing priorities, performance metrics, and issues from the previous shift
• Shadowing or supporting a team leader or manager on the floor, getting stuck into real-time problem solving - clearing a bottleneck, supporting a team member, or managing workflow across the site
• Working on a project linked to your degree - building a business case for a process improvement, mapping stakeholders for a site change, or analysing quality and risk data to present back to leadership
• On university weeks, attending masterclasses or webinars and completing coursework, then bringing what you've learned straight back onto the floor

As you progress, you'll build relationships across the site, develop your own leadership style, and take on increasing responsibility.

Over 37 months, you'll develop the knowledge and skills to lead in a complex operational environment, including:

• Business strategy and how organisations operate
• Project planning, scheduling, budgeting, and delivery within time, cost, and quality constraints
• Leading and managing diverse teams, building trust, and driving performance
• Financial controls, business case development, and performance reporting
• Stakeholder engagement, communication, and influencing at all levels
• Organisational change management - preparing teams and operations for change
• Risk identification, quality assurance, and continuous improvement
• Commercial awareness, procurement, and contract management
• Digital innovation, data-driven technologies, and AI in a business context

Where you'll work

You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

• Amazon DSS2, Christopher Martin Rd, Basildon, SS14 9AA
• LTN4, Prologis Park, Dunstable, Central Bedfordshire, LU5 4FE
• Amazon DPE2, Unit 2, Waterworth Road, Alwalton, Peterborough, PE7 3AG
• EUK5, 1 Flaxley Rd, Kingston Park, Peterborough, PE2 9FT

Training

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

Training provider

UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

Training course

Project manager (integrated degree) (level 6)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Governance Frameworks: Lead and take responsibility for the project management plan as required by the governance structure. Apply techniques and project management methodologies as appropriate, dependent upon project complexity and criticality to the organisational environment in which a project is being delivered. Maintain, review and communicate a project business case for approval through the stages of a typical project lifecycle ensuring continued value for money and continued alignment with organisational objectives.
• The Business Environment: Identify and analyse the context, opportunities and challenges presented by projects in a range of organisational settings, appreciating the differences within both large and small organisations and in different industry sectors and the consequent need for tailoring. Identify the operating constraints that apply to projects including ethical, legal and regulatory considerations. This may include the green economy and the impacts of strategies for achieving net carbon zero by 2050.
• Stakeholder and communications management: Lead and take responsibility for the identification and analysis of internal and external stakeholders and their impact on the project. Manage an effective project communication plan across stakeholders with different cultural and physical barriers. Analyse information and communicate with stakeholders incorporating elements of feedback to understand and measure the effectiveness of planned communications. Effectively listen and influence others through negotiation and persuasion.
• Control of projects in terms of time, cost and quality: Manage the project within the constraints of time, cost and quality. Control expenditure and produce status reports as required, including control of costs against budgets, forecasting, and establishing performance indicators as required by funding sources. Measure progress and actual costs against plans to determine a full understanding of project performance. Identify, achieve and maintain quality standards appropriate to the context and specific requirements of project activities.
• Risk Management: Ensure that project risks, opportunities and issues are addressed using quantitative and qualitative methods to categorise risks and their impacts. Identify, evaluate and implement appropriate mitigation strategies, ensuring that mitigation actions are incorporated into the project plan and are implemented should they develop into issues. Manage risk through the regular review of a risk management plan, adopting appropriate strategies to manage both threats and opportunities.
• Commercial and Contract management: Maintain and evaluate different commercial contract and procurement types to select appropriate options for specific programmes and projects. Support effective contract management and the achievement of programme and project outcomes.
• Project Change Control: Dependent upon the size and complexity of a project, define and apply a recognised process to manage change in projects. Make effective decisions in the interests of a range of stakeholders with regards to change requests. Handle change within different project management methodologies.
• Schedule Management: Evaluate requirements and methods for data capture and analysis in a project environment. Evaluate project schedule integrity including identification and resolution of scheduling problems. Apply resource acquisition and management techniques to balance programme and project needs against resource demand. Negotiate the allocation and scheduling of internal and external resources to meet programme and project demands.

Training schedule

This is a blended learning programme. Each module follows a 14-week cycle combining pre-reading and preparation, in-person masterclasses at the university, online learning and webinars, and individual study and assignment writing. You'll be supported throughout by a dedicated Academic Mentor, with progress reviews every 12 weeks involving your Line Manager, plus full access to university resources including library services, wellbeing support, and student societies.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

Minimum 5 subjects, including English and Maths (grade (Grade 4-9 (A-C) or above))

A Level in:

Minimum 3 subjects (or equivalent qualifications) (grade Grades ABB or above)

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
• Problem solving skills
• Administrative skills
• Number skills
• Analytical skills
• Logical
• Team working
• Initiative

About this employer

Amazon offers a range of opportunities to suit candidates with different backgrounds, qualifications and career aspirations. That is why we believe it is the perfect place to learn new skills. We believe that building a culture that is welcoming and inclusive is integral to people doing their best work and is essential to what we can achieve as a company. We take steps to ensure our colleagues have a sense of belonging, value, and opportunity.

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

Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay (opens in new tab).

As a Future Operations Leader Degree Apprentice, you'll build relationships across your site, develop your own leadership style and take on more responsibility as you progress. You'll finish with four qualifications and a strong base for a leadership career in operations, such as Shift Manager and Area Manager roles across our network.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000063983.

Apply now

Closes on Monday 1 February 2027

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