Apprentice Business Development Executive - WERK

Citizens Advice Leicestershire

Nottinghamshire (NG13 8AQ)

Closes on Friday 18 September 2026

Posted on 13 August 2026

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Summary

Build a strong sales pipeline for WERK, supporting CitAL’s aim to diversify income. Proactively engage prospective Founding Organisations and clients to secure discovery meetings. Maintain accurate CRM records, represent WERK professionally, and develop core B2B sales skills through structured training and weekly CEO coaching.

Wage

£12,480 to £19,827.60, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

£12.71 per hour 

 

Training course
Sales executive (level 4)
Hours
Days to be negotiated. 9am to 5pm with a 30 minute unpaid lunchbreak. 37.5 weekly hours to be considered as the role and pipeline develop.

30 hours a week

Start date

Monday 28 September 2026

Duration

1 year 6 months

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

You will join a structured, hands-on learning programme, initially supporting the CEO and learning WERK’s systems, products and sales approach. As your confidence and capability develop, you will take increasing ownership of the sales cycle, from prospecting and lead generation through to discovery meetings, proposals, negotiation and closing.

Business Development & Pipeline Building

  • Work proactively from an agreed target list of prospective organisations, using professional outreach across phone, email, LinkedIn and other channels to secure meetings
  • Qualify prospects against agreed criteria, prioritising quality and potential over activity volume alone
  • Identify and follow up warm introductions, referrals and opportunities from across the organisation and wider network
  • Support the CEO in developing target lists, outreach messaging and sales collateral
  • Initially attend discovery meetings alongside the CEO, progressing towards independently leading introductory meetings and simple sales pitches
  • Develop the commercial knowledge and confidence to progress opportunities through the sales pipeline

Relationship Management & Representation

  • Build strong relationships with prospective Founding Organisations, HR contacts and senior decision-makers across a range of sectors
  • Represent WERK and Citizens Advice Leicestershire professionally at networking events, introductory calls and other profile-raising opportunities
  • Clearly communicate WERK’s products and services, including the Friction Finder, Workplace Friction Index and WERK Flow Programme, referring detailed or bespoke discussions to the CEO
  • Maintain relationships with existing clients, ensuring satisfaction, upselling and cross-selling opportunities, and supporting contract renewals

CRM, Reporting & Commercial Performance

  • Maintain accurate, up-to-date CRM records covering contacts, conversations, opportunities and pipeline stages
  • Provide weekly progress updates against agreed targets as part of coaching sessions with the CEO
  • Track personal activity and conversion metrics, including outreach, meetings secured and opportunities converted, providing clear visibility of pipeline performance
  • Develop commercial acumen by learning how to prepare financial proposals, calculate client ROI and understand pricing, profitability and margins

Coaching, Apprenticeship & Progression

  • Attend weekly coaching and development sessions with the CEO covering target-list reviews, deal coaching, sales skills and personal development
  • Follow an agreed development pathway, progressing from shadowing meetings and negotiations to independently leading introductory meetings, pitches and elements of the full sales cycle
  • As WERK’s pipeline and client base grow, there is a clear opportunity to progress into a lead business development role, potentially supported by future team growth

Wider Responsibilities

  • Uphold the aims, values and equal opportunities principles of Citizens Advice Leicestershire.
  • Complete required training, including annual Data Protection training, and comply with relevant policies and procedures
  • Follow health & safety requirements and take reasonable responsibility for the safety of yourself and colleagues
  • Accommodate reasonable changes to working hours where required to support business needs
  • Undertake other reasonable duties necessary to support the effective operation of the organisation

Where you'll work

Cabourne House
Station Street Bingham
Nottinghamshire
NG13 8AQ

Training

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

Training provider

SR APPRENTICESHIPS LIMITED

Training course

Sales executive (level 4)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Sales planning and preparation: Set effective targets using sales forecasts. Prioritise customers and activities to grow account value and maximise return-on-investment in line with your organisation’s strategy. Formulate or refine customer plans and objectives. Create efficient territory plans where appropriate.
  • Customer engagement: Effectively communicate and interpret customer information exchanged through written, verbal and non-verbal communication. Develop a customer engagement style that effectively opens sales conversations, builds rapport, enhances customer relationships, and adapts to different customer’s social preferences.
  • Customer needs analysis: Be highly skilled at effective questioning and active listening techniques to understand the customer’s needs, guide the sales conversation appropriately, create mutual understanding, and build trust and affinity with customers.
  • Propose and present solutions: Develop sales proposals and deliver them using a presentation style and technique appropriate for your customer. Present relevant products and/or services, explain features and their advantages, and clearly articulate the value and benefit of the solution for the specific customer. Use and adapt a range of techniques to draw-out and overcome common sales objections.
  • Negotiate: Research the customer’s likely desired outcomes and negotiating stance. Develop responses to likely objections. Identify your own organisation’s needs, such as minimum price and acceptable terms. Negotiate or trade variables effectively.
  • Closing Sales: Be attuned to verbal and non-verbal buying-signals andmove to close at an appropriate point in sales conversations. Develop ethical techniques to close sales and confirm customers’ purchase agreement.
  • Gathering Intelligence: Collect, analyse and interpret market intelligence and share it appropriately and effectively within your organisation.
  • Time Management: Use and adapt appropriate tools and techniques to prioritise and manage your time effectively.
  • Collaboration and team work: Contribute effectively within a team environment. Work collaboratively with both internal and external stakeholders. Manage communications with the cross-functional team in relation to the effective delivery of your sales, such as finance and service delivery. Support continual business improvement by sharing best practice with sales team colleagues and assist the marketing team to develop new marketing collateral.
  • Customer experience management: Deliver a positive customer experience. Manage customer enquiries and issues effectively. Take proactive action to prevent and minimise customer concerns and complaints. Handle all customer interactions professionally to the customer’s satisfaction.
  • Digital skills: Effectively use digital tools to conduct research and target customers in line with the overall sales strategy. Able to deliver presentations and meetings using digital communication. Complete accurate records and process sales in accordance with your organisation’s policies, procedures and digital CRM systems.

Training schedule

Off-the-job training will follow the time allocations outlined in the Occupational Standard. Building a portfolio of real-world evidence across negotiation, commercial and closing skills in preparation for the End-Point Assessment (EPA).

More training information

SR Apprenticeships is a leading national training provider delivering Apprenticeship programmes throughout the UK.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade C/4/Pass)
  • Maths (grade C/4/Pass)

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
  • Administrative skills
  • Team working
  • Initiative
  • Ability to build rapport
  • Willingness to learn
  • Proactive
  • Resilient
  • Confident
  • Self motivated

About this employer

Citizens Advice LeicesterShire is an independent and local non-profit organisation. Our purpose is “Sharing knowledge to transform lives”.

https://citizensadviceleicestershire.org/about/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

  • 6.8 weeks holiday allowance
  • Pension - employer 6%

After this apprenticeship

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

This role is a pilot so future prospects depend on the success of the role.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

SR APPRENTICESHIPS LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000048215.

Apply now

Closes on Friday 18 September 2026