Apprentice Technical Operator
HEINEKEN UK LIMITED
Hereford (HR4 0LE)
Closes in 24 days (Monday 9 March 2026)
Posted on 11 February 2026
Contents
Summary
The Food and Drink Technical Operator Apprenticeship is based at our Herefordshire Brewery within the Packaging team. You will support the brewing and packaging of our products while developing technical expertise in operating machinery, diagnosing faults, and carrying out basic maintenance.
- Wage
-
£20,000 a year
- Training course
- Food and drink technical operator (level 3)
- Hours
-
12-hour shifts on a rotating day and night pattern.
39 hours a week
- Start date
-
Tuesday 1 September 2026
- Duration
-
2 years 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
- Attend required college release blocks, complete apprenticeship assignments and participate in performance reviews to maintain a high level of academic performance.
- Embrace and champion strong safety culture, ensuring the safety of yourself and others.
- Control manufacturing processes through equipment or process operation, frontline fault diagnosis and resolution, asset care, and basic maintenance tasks.
- Learn and apply quality assurance and food safety practices across all manufacturing processes to ensure our products are food safe and compliant.
- Work as part of a wider team to manufacture safe and compliant products to meet deadlines, achieve productivity, efficiency, hygiene and environmental requirements whilst ensuring health and safety remains everyone's top priority.
- Participate in continuous improvement initiatives.
Where you'll work
HP Bulmers Ltd
The Cider Mills
Plough Lane
Hereford
HR4 0LE
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
UNIVERSITY OF LINCOLN
Training course
Food and drink technical operator (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Interpret, follow and implement food and drink production SOPs.
- Interpret, follow and implement quality assurance procedures.
- Monitor production performance, stock usage and rotation.
- Operate or use food and drink production tools and equipment.
- Identify hazards (Critical Control Points) and control measures to mitigate risks.
- Comply with food safety regulations and procedures.
- Comply with health and safety regulations and procedures.
- Comply with environment and sustainability regulations and procedures. Segregate, recycle and dispose of waste.
- Monitor and inspect production machinery.
- Apply basic maintenance practices. For example, check levels, parts wear, pressure, and sensors, and grease and lubricate.
- Select and use maintenance hand tools.
- Follow food safe engineering standards and practices. For example, use of food safe chemicals, check out and in of components.
- Follow site isolation and lock off procedures (lockout, tagout).
- Diagnose and resolve issues. Escalate issues.
- Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
- Collect and interpret information. Use data to apply changes
- Record information - paper based or electronic.
- Use information technology. Comply with GDPR.
- Plan and organise self, others and resources.
- Communicate with colleagues and stakeholders visually and verbally.
- Communicate in writing.
- Identify training needs. Train and buddy team members in the workplace.
- Interpret, follow and implement food and drink production SOPs.
- Interpret, follow and implement quality assurance procedures.
- Monitor production performance, stock usage and rotation.
- Operate or use food and drink production tools and equipment.
- Identify hazards (Critical Control Points) and control measures to mitigate risks.
- Comply with food safety regulations and procedures.
- Comply with health and safety regulations and procedures.
- Comply with environment and sustainability regulations and procedures. Segregate, recycle and dispose of waste.
- Monitor and inspect production machinery.
- Apply basic maintenance practices. For example, check levels, parts wear, pressure, and sensors, and grease and lubricate.
- Select and use maintenance hand tools.
- Follow food safe engineering standards and practices. For example, use of food safe chemicals, check out and in of components.
- Follow site isolation and lock off procedures (lockout, tagout).
- Diagnose and resolve issues. Escalate issues.
- Apply fault-finding and problem-solving techniques.
- Apply continuous improvement techniques. Devise suggestions for improvement.
- Collect and interpret information. Use data to apply changes
- Record information - paper based or electronic.
- Use information technology. Comply with GDPR.
- Plan and organise self, others and resources.
- Communicate with colleagues and stakeholders visually and verbally.
- Communicate in writing.
- Identify training needs. Train and buddy team members in the workplace.
Training schedule
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4)
- Maths (grade 6)
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
- Analytical skills
- Team working
- Initiative
Other requirements
- Flexibility to work 12 hour shifts (mixture of days & nights rotating)
- The right to work in the UK for the duration of the apprenticeship.
- UK residency for at least three years by 1 September 2026.
- Be aged 18 or over by 1 September 2026.
About this employer
We’re proud to be the UK’s leading pub, cider, and beer business. With over 2,200 colleagues employed across the UK, we offer fantastic opportunities for people with talent and drive. From brewing to sales and marketing, from logistics to finance, IT and HR - there’s much more to our business than you might imagine.
https://www.heineken.co.uk/ (opens in new tab)
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
Full time Technical Operator with potential to upskill into Process Technician role.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
UNIVERSITY OF LINCOLN
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000014059.
Apply now
Closes in 24 days (Monday 9 March 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.