Procurement Assistant Apprentice
The National Theatre
LONDON (SE1 9PX)
Closes in 10 days (Monday 27 July 2026)
Posted on 16 July 2026
Contents
Summary
You will provide administrative, analytical and operational support across a wide range of procurement activities, including tendering, supplier management, contract administration, spend analysis and systems support. You will contribute to procurement activities and build positive relationships with colleagues and suppliers.
- Wage
-
£27,474.72 a year
- Training course
- Procurement and supply chain practitioner (level 4)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday, some evening and weekend work my be required.
35 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 17 August 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
- Maintain and update the contract register. You will proactively engage with teams across the theatre to collect contracts, ensuring procurement and contract information is recorded accurately and kept up to date to support effective contract management
- Conduct supplier due diligence on proposed new suppliers including credit checks
- Maintain clear, up to date spend and supplier data, collect, cleanse and enrich datasets
- Provide day-to-day administrative support for the National Theatre’s travel management platforms, helping to ensure systems operate effectively and user queries are resolved in a timely manner
- Support the delivery of procurements as required, where necessary working alongside other members of the team
- Support the maintenance and ongoing development of the Procurement intranet page and the ‘Selling to the National Theatre’ section of the National Theatre website
- Act as an ambassador for the new function, advocating for the work of the team, always seeking to identify pragmatic, effective solutions to business challenges and cultivating strong relationships across the NT
- Any other duties as reasonably required
Where you'll work
ROYAL NATIONAL THEATRE
UPPER GROUND
LONDON
SE1 9PX
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
CAPITAL CITY COLLEGE GROUP
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
You will attend Capital City College Weekly
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
A Level 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
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Analytical skills
- Team working
Other requirements
- Strong knowledge of key Microsoft tools, particularly Excel (including vlookups, pivot tables, charts etc), Powerpoint and a basic knowledge of PowerBI, Tableau or similar platforms
About this employer
The National Theatre (NT) makes theatre that entertains and inspires using its creativity, expertise and unique reach.
World-leading artists make their best work at the NT with the widest possible audience and impact
A registered charity with deeply embedded social purpose, the NT works with hundreds of schools and communities across the UK to spark imagination and inspire creativity, and to develop skills and pathways for careers in theatre.
Our key objectives as we look to the next five years are towards economic, environmental and social sustainability, upholding a culture that aims to take care of our people and the wider world.
https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/learn-explore/skills-centre/apprenticeships/ (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
Complimentary staff tickets for shows and guided tours, subject to availability and policy
25 days annual leave increasing up to 32 with length of service (plus bank holidays)
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).
- Be well positioned to pursue a career in procurement, supply chain management or the wider commercial profession
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
CAPITAL CITY COLLEGE GROUP
recruitment@nationaltheatre.org.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000042389.
Apply now
Closes in 10 days (Monday 27 July 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.